Subscribe to The Spectator

Sunday 27 May 2012

Latest issue

Buy the current issue

Jobs at Telegraph

Monday, 20th April 2009

What kind of Labour MP had never heard of Damian McBride until Smeargate?

James Forsyth 4:05pm

Guido flags up the news that Damian McBride is facing expulsion from the Labour Party. His local MP, Rudi Vis, has said that he supports expulsion and that he has “never even heard of [McBride] before”. Now, I’m sure some Coffee Housers will be applauding Vis, who has been the MP for Finchley and Golders Green since 1997 and is standing down at the next election, for having kept his distance from McBride. But it strikes me as almost negligent for an MP to support someone for leader of their party without knowing anything about the people they surround themselves with. If you want to understand who Brown is, look at who he chooses to have work for him.

Blogs: Martin Bright | Susan Hill | Alex Massie | Melanie Phillips | Faith Based | Cappuccino Culture

Actions: Email to a friend  |   Permalink   |   Comments (23) | Subscribe

Post this entry to:   del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Comments Post comment

unseen

April 20th, 2009 4:26pm Report this comment

I understand the local joke is that Mr. Vis has been an in-Vis-ible MP...

THX1138

April 20th, 2009 4:27pm Report this comment

You're flogging a dead horse blogs reporting blogs. I'm so bored by this story, Labour spin doctor is rude about Tories, well I never, whatever next. If I wanted to read the same subject over and over again I'd go to Mel's blog.

Can we please move on!

George Laird

April 20th, 2009 4:38pm Report this comment

Dear James

"What kind of Labour MP had never heard of Damian McBride until Smeargate?"

A blind deaf one with a guide dog?

And the guide dog doesn't read newspapers either.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

john miller

April 20th, 2009 4:48pm Report this comment

As Hitler said many times "Goebbels, never heard of him?" And it was true.

David Lindsay

April 20th, 2009 4:49pm Report this comment

This is not at all difficult to believe.

Rudi Vis will rarely have been to Downing Street, and Damian McBride will realy or never have been to the House of Commons tea room.

He will certainly never have attended a Labour Party meeting in the area where he happened to lay his head for a brief few hours per night.

Obnoxio The Clown

April 20th, 2009 4:52pm Report this comment

Support how? It's not like anybody actually voted for the Gorgon, is it?

Liz Brown

April 20th, 2009 4:54pm Report this comment

No real surprise there tho - at least 50% of Libour MP's (I don't have an exact figure) have no idea what they vote for let alone whom and having just watched stasti Smith's pathetic Statement to the House, I am nor surprised - if there were more than a dozed Liebour MPs' there, then I am a Dutchman

Pat

April 20th, 2009 5:04pm Report this comment

He is in excellent company. According to Ed Balls he too had only just heard of 'Mr McBride' or was it just a teensy weeny bit when they both might have gone to the Gents together during their many years in the Treasury and then in Der Bunker. It certainly wasn't Ed Balls who recruited 'Mr McBride' into the heart of Number 10 as he barely knew him.

The gall of these blind and deaf MP's makes me almost feel sorry for 'Mr McBride' who must be feeling rather let down by all his so-called chums.

Write the book 'Mr McBride'. Shame Gordon has collared the market in Courage titles as

'My Courageous Character Assasination Raid on Mrs Osborne with only Dolly to help me'

has something of a ring to it.

Alex

April 20th, 2009 5:18pm Report this comment

he is far more interested in getting his holiday home paid for via commons expenses....

pat mcgroin

April 20th, 2009 6:06pm Report this comment

surely smearing is a bit like w##king. everyone does it, but when you catch your flatmate doing it, they never hear the end of it!

Travis Bickle

April 20th, 2009 6:06pm Report this comment

I do enjoy blog threads that are apparently so boring that some numpty has to spend time posting to register the fact that they are bored.

As they say in Beeboid Land if you don't like it there's always the back button

TGF UKIP

April 20th, 2009 6:49pm Report this comment

Lying bastard!

David Ossitt

April 20th, 2009 7:28pm Report this comment

"Labour spin doctor is rude about Tories, well I never, whatever next".

But that; is not what all this is about, is it THX1138,?

This is about an orchestrated plan; a plan made by the man, who was at that point in time was so close to Gordon Brown that he knew when he had a shit when he shaved and when he had his haircut.

A man who would not fart; f*ck or frolic, without Gordon's knowledge and Gordon's approval.

All of the others involved in this plan have previous form in the practice of deceit with malice and to some degree have in the past been punished.

This is not let's be rude to the 'Tory Boys', this was a plan to smear husbands wives and mothers with utter filth so as to try and improve the image of their 'Master' and by doing so earn his patronage and gratitude.

It is my belief that we will see and hear much more of this kind of thing before the next election; Gordon has been at it for years and it will come out.

THX1138

April 20th, 2009 7:58pm Report this comment

Travis Bickle

You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking... you talking to me? Well I'm the only one here.

I do enjoy blog threads that are apparently so boring that some numpty has to spend their time posting to register the fact that someone else is bored by the thread.

As they say in Beeboid Land Someday a real rain will come and wash all the numptys off the blogs.

Praguetory

April 20th, 2009 8:41pm Report this comment

If you're a Labour MP and you're not aware of McBride you're either very ignorant or very lucky. I heard that most Lib Dems still have no idea who Nick Clegg is.

AndyLeeds

April 20th, 2009 8:41pm Report this comment

To answer the question, obviously a stupid one.

seb

April 20th, 2009 9:29pm Report this comment

And when McBride is expelled from Labour, he of course will accept being made a scapegoat and keep shtum about the many damaging things he knows about the thugs who pushed him out the door then changed the locks. And I'm the Pope.

McBride has spent years on the inside, pissing out. The party will find some sop for the man. The alternative, obviously, is Mister Angry on the outside, pissing in.

Random

April 20th, 2009 9:31pm Report this comment

I love every photo of McBride. He is my age, yet looks a good 15 years older!

Glyn H

April 20th, 2009 9:58pm Report this comment

Rudi Vis?
Golders Green.

I live over 200 miles from London and I am certainly familiar with Golders Green and where it is and I watch politics reasonably closely. There must be another 300 Labour MP's who have made no impression bar voting for Speaker Martin and keeping Campbell, Whelan, McCartney, Harman and other toerags in work; not one of them worth a constables wages in the wider economy.

Chris

April 20th, 2009 11:43pm Report this comment

McBride has a portrait of Cliff Richard in his attic, I belive, Random.

Damon

April 21st, 2009 9:10am Report this comment

When you look at Rudi Vis' attendance record its a pretty credible claim.

Malcolm Walton

June 6th, 2009 11:20am Report this comment

I have seen it somewhere that Rudi Vis claimed for 15,000 miles travelling allowance, to Westminster From Golders Green or North Finchley 7 miles, from his new home in Suffolk 91 miles, little wonder he doesn't know McBride he must get lost travelling.

Malcolm

June 6th, 2009 11:36am Report this comment

Rudi Vis
Finchley & Golders Green.

Attendance credible maybe but local issues he is a waste of space. All he asks questions about are prisons and young offenders institutes, we do not have any in this area (we should have) I Cannot remember him doing anything of interest for the community.

How can he warrant 15.000 miles travelling allowance?

Come back Maggie ....All is forgiven.

Post comment

Back to top

Cartoons

Tag Cloud

Coffee House archive

sponsored links

Spectator recommends

Spectator classifieds

THE PRESENT FINDER

1,700 Unusual Christmas Presents Request Catalogue 01935 815 195 Quote SPEC10 for 10% discount www.presentfinder.co.uk

OLIVE BRANCH FLORISTS

Pimilco based Florist with online ordering Web: www.olivebranch.net Tel: 020 7630 1868 Fax: 020 7233 8844

RUFFS Bespoke Signet rings

62 Shore Road, Warsash, Southampton, SO31 9FT Telephone: 01489 578867 Web site: www.ruffs.co.uk