Saturday, October 23, 2010
Fact or fiction - the life of Nadine Dorries
I have to confess I misread this article the first time around and convinced myself that Nadine Dorries, the Conservative MP for Mid Bedfordshore was a fictional character.
I now find that most of what she told her electorate on her blog was made up, which is a relief. After all no mere mortal could live a life so mind-numbling dull, whilst holding the sort of beliefs she professes to espouse.
In fact it transpires that Nadine's blog was one giant subterfuge (presumably inspired by Spooks or some similar TV programme) to throw her political opponents off the scent:
But she said there was "purpose to it", because she had received "unwanted and inappropriate attention" during the investigation into her expenses and the police had advised her that her blog, which mentioned dates and times of her public engagements, was making her a target.
The police had told her "the best thing to do was try to disguise" her movements, she told PM.
She said the 15 month investigation into her expenses had been a "horrific" ordeal, which had seen her front window smashed, eggs thrown at her house and her daughter bullied, and she was relieved to have been cleared and could now "hold my head up high" again.
She told PM she would continue to write her blog, which is one of the most popular at Westminster, adding: "I have been as honest as any MP can be with my constituents".
Actually, I find that a bit disrespectful. It is perfectly possible to write a political blog without giving away that sort of detail.
I would add that I find the behaviour of anybody who targeted Nadine Dorries in the way she describes to be abhorrent. As political representatives we often put our necks on the line by taking a view that may be unpopular or contrary to the opinion of a particular group. That is free speech and if people disagree with us then they should use the democratic process to do so. Physical violence or intimidation against anybody least of all a politician's family has no place in our society and should attract zero tolerance.
Having said that I can reassure everybody that not only are the contents of this blog my one hundred per cent personal views but that I write it myself and unlike Nadine I do allow comments if they are not abusive and stick to topic.
I now find that most of what she told her electorate on her blog was made up, which is a relief. After all no mere mortal could live a life so mind-numbling dull, whilst holding the sort of beliefs she professes to espouse.
In fact it transpires that Nadine's blog was one giant subterfuge (presumably inspired by Spooks or some similar TV programme) to throw her political opponents off the scent:
But she said there was "purpose to it", because she had received "unwanted and inappropriate attention" during the investigation into her expenses and the police had advised her that her blog, which mentioned dates and times of her public engagements, was making her a target.
The police had told her "the best thing to do was try to disguise" her movements, she told PM.
She said the 15 month investigation into her expenses had been a "horrific" ordeal, which had seen her front window smashed, eggs thrown at her house and her daughter bullied, and she was relieved to have been cleared and could now "hold my head up high" again.
She told PM she would continue to write her blog, which is one of the most popular at Westminster, adding: "I have been as honest as any MP can be with my constituents".
Actually, I find that a bit disrespectful. It is perfectly possible to write a political blog without giving away that sort of detail.
I would add that I find the behaviour of anybody who targeted Nadine Dorries in the way she describes to be abhorrent. As political representatives we often put our necks on the line by taking a view that may be unpopular or contrary to the opinion of a particular group. That is free speech and if people disagree with us then they should use the democratic process to do so. Physical violence or intimidation against anybody least of all a politician's family has no place in our society and should attract zero tolerance.
Having said that I can reassure everybody that not only are the contents of this blog my one hundred per cent personal views but that I write it myself and unlike Nadine I do allow comments if they are not abusive and stick to topic.
Comments:
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The claims from Dorries that she is pursued by stalkers contains an as-yet-unknown percentage of fiction, and I say 'unknown' only because there is some uncertainty about who some of these 'stalkers' are supposed to be.
The claims from Dorries that she altered the content on her blog that misled her constituents about where she lived because of unwanted attention after the expenses scandal is 100% fiction, and the testimony from Dorries herself in that report confirms this:
"I often posted comments on my blog relating to [name of town] in my constituency. Since I first rented in the constituency, I made a song and dance about being at the property. I have mentioned it on my blog a number of times. This was done to comfort my Association. The previous MP only visited the constituency occasionally—sometimes only as often as once every six weeks—and they were keen that I reversed that impression. His lack of time in the constituency contributed to his de-selection." - Letter to the Commissioner from Ms Nadine Dorries MP, 25 January 2010
Of course, if Dorries can produce a working time machine or would care to admit that she lied to the Commissioner, I will happily retract
The claims from Dorries that she altered the content on her blog that misled her constituents about where she lived because of unwanted attention after the expenses scandal is 100% fiction, and the testimony from Dorries herself in that report confirms this:
"I often posted comments on my blog relating to [name of town] in my constituency. Since I first rented in the constituency, I made a song and dance about being at the property. I have mentioned it on my blog a number of times. This was done to comfort my Association. The previous MP only visited the constituency occasionally—sometimes only as often as once every six weeks—and they were keen that I reversed that impression. His lack of time in the constituency contributed to his de-selection." - Letter to the Commissioner from Ms Nadine Dorries MP, 25 January 2010
Of course, if Dorries can produce a working time machine or would care to admit that she lied to the Commissioner, I will happily retract
You're just jealous Peter *ducks for cover* anyways/sideways, it's a Formula One w/e - enjoy!
# posted by 
: 9:23 AM
: 9:23 AM
Interesting post.
However, Nadine appeared to contradict herself during a BBC Look East interview last night - first she claimed it was unsafe to give details of where she was at any given time, then she gave specific details when pressed on her expenses. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj5w
I have to ask what purpose she actually thinks her blog serves if it is indeed 70% fiction! (Not to mention whether she writes it in her own time...)
However, Nadine appeared to contradict herself during a BBC Look East interview last night - first she claimed it was unsafe to give details of where she was at any given time, then she gave specific details when pressed on her expenses. See: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006mj5w
I have to ask what purpose she actually thinks her blog serves if it is indeed 70% fiction! (Not to mention whether she writes it in her own time...)
# posted by : 11:49 AM
: 11:49 AM
Hm.. if Ms Dorries' blog is her attempt at fiction, then the old saying that everybody has one novel in them would appear not to hold true in her case.
# posted by : 5:44 PM
: 5:44 PM
There is also this from "Liberal Conspiracy" in 2008:
Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has admitted how close her campaign on abortion was to the fundamentalist Christian group Christian Concern for our Nation (CCFON) for the first time.
In 2008 the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire spear-headed a campaign on abortion called ’20 Reasons for 20 Weeks’. Its aim was to reduce the legal limit for abortions in the UK. Around 1.6% of abortions in the UK take place that late in the pregnancy and they usually affect women suffering from domestic abuse or have other complications.
In a Libcon investigation then, we asked: Who is funding Nadine Dorries’ campaign?
We finally have a part of the answer. In an interview for the New Statesman magazine published this week, Dorries admits the website for the campaign was created by interns at CCFON.
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Conservative MP Nadine Dorries has admitted how close her campaign on abortion was to the fundamentalist Christian group Christian Concern for our Nation (CCFON) for the first time.
In 2008 the MP for Mid-Bedfordshire spear-headed a campaign on abortion called ’20 Reasons for 20 Weeks’. Its aim was to reduce the legal limit for abortions in the UK. Around 1.6% of abortions in the UK take place that late in the pregnancy and they usually affect women suffering from domestic abuse or have other complications.
In a Libcon investigation then, we asked: Who is funding Nadine Dorries’ campaign?
We finally have a part of the answer. In an interview for the New Statesman magazine published this week, Dorries admits the website for the campaign was created by interns at CCFON.
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