Conway of Tehran
Daniel Korski 12:08pm
Where do disgraced Tory politicians go? Neil Hamilton hit the pantomime circuit, starring as the rear end of a horse. After serving half of his sentence in HMP Hollesley Bay for perjury and perverting the course of justice, Jeffery Archer has returned to book-writing. Jonathan Aitken, the disgraced former Cabinet minister who served a prison term for perjury, is heading a policy review for the Centre for Social Justice.
But what of Derek Conway, the latest Tory politician to be ejected from frontline politics? The MP for Old Bexley and Sidcup, who was sacked by David Cameron for employing his son (a full-time student) as a political researcher, has taken a job hosting a book review programme on Press TV, an English-language news channel funded by the Iranian government.
To figure out what kind of outfit Press TV really is, look up the article "The Walls of Auschwitz" by Nicholas Kollerstrom, which is on Press TV's website. In the article, the author “argues that the alleged massacre of Jewish people by gassing during World War II was scientifically impossible.” In another article, author Alan Hart describes Zionists as “The New Nazis” and argues: “Europeans and Americans could have stopped the original Nazis and prevented the extermination of six million Jews. If Europeans and Americans do not stop the New Nazis, it is likely that their end game will be the extermination of millions of Palestinians.”
But this kind of editorial choice is not reserved for articles alone. In a supposedly neutral news story, Press TV’s website covered Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s performance at this week’s UN conference thus:
What on earth possesses someone like Derek Conway to hook up with an outfit like Press TV?"Ahmadinejad is widely criticized by Western backers of Israel for saying that 'this (Zionist) regime occupying Jerusalem will vanish from the pages of time.' Having been taken out of context by western nuclear-armed countries and their media outlets, his remarks have been translated into Israel should be 'wiped off the map'"
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curbishly
April 21st, 2009 12:22pm Report this comment"What on earth possesses someone like Derek Conway to hook up with an outfit like Press TV?"
Money?
Patrick
April 21st, 2009 12:23pm Report this commentMoney and err ....money. It is higher up the list than principle.
Hysteria
April 21st, 2009 12:25pm Report this commenterm - mortgage to pay? He's an agent for MI6?
Neil Yates
April 21st, 2009 12:28pm Report this commentDerek Conway was not "disgraced" - you're repeating the lies of the Labour-leaning press and in particular the BBC. What he did doesn't even bear comparison to what Labour MPs have been up to, it's just because he's a Conservative that the media went after it. He's had his political career wrongly destroyed by his enemies,so I for one don't begrudge him earning a living.
John Lea
April 21st, 2009 12:30pm Report this comment"What on earth possesses someone like Derek Conway to hook up with an outfit like Press TV?"
Mr Conway is a crook, and devoid of moral integrity - why are you so surprised?
Heironymous Bosch
April 21st, 2009 12:35pm Report this commentSo what?
C
April 21st, 2009 12:36pm Report this commentMoney?
THX1138
April 21st, 2009 12:39pm Report this commentAndrew Gilligan is regular on Press TV!
Duncan Borrowman
April 21st, 2009 12:46pm Report this commentKeep up at the back. This story is 6 months old!
http://duncanborrowman.blogspot.com/2008/10/derek-conway-on-iranian-governments.html
http://duncanborrowman.blogspot.com/2008/10/derek-conway-accuses-me-of-gutter.html
Bruce.UK
April 21st, 2009 12:47pm Report this commentWhat on earth possesses someone like Derek Conway to hook up with an outfit like Press TV?
Answer: being Derek Conway:
"A flim-flam man with an infinite profit margin acheived by selling principles he hasn't got"
Oh for a new Ambrose Bierce.
John Lea
April 21st, 2009 1:00pm Report this commentNeil Yates: Conway employed both of his sons as 'researchers', giving each a salary of around £26,000 per year. Not only that, but the Committee on Standards and Priveleges could find no record or evidence that either had actually done any work!
When people like you attempt to pass off a parasite like Conway as a victim of the media, it reminds me that we truly get the politicians we deserve.
Anna
April 21st, 2009 1:36pm Report this commentThe man is a swindler. Why would you be surprised at anything he does to line his pockets?
Jean Monnet
April 21st, 2009 2:05pm Report this commentWhat on earth possessed Daniel Korski to sign up with an organisation like this?
http://ecfr.eu/page/s/statement
Paulme
April 21st, 2009 3:09pm Report this commentIf Conway could pay his sons for doing no work and get by as an MP, what is the worth of the so called work that other MPs are using our money to pay for?
vit Italiano
April 21st, 2009 5:02pm Report this commentUnfortunately your own performance isn’t all that much better that “Press TV”. It’s so Ironic you criticize that guy for exactly what you do yourself.
I’m not a supporter of Iranian president and dislike his crude way of dealing with issues but I lived in Iran for a few years and speak fluent farsi and saw the interview and what Ahmadinejad actually said in that interview.
He said because Palestinians have a much higher birth rate than d Israelis over a period of time they’ll be able to outvote the Jews when they can finally vote in elections and that way get rid of Israel in its present form.
Israeli propaganda machine twisted it into Ahmadinejad planning the annihilation of Jews by nuclear weapons and you supposedly trained investigative journalists never bothered to carry out your own independent research because sensationalizing sells a lot more than the good old fashion well researched jurnalism.
I have absolutely no doubt you never bothered to have what he said translated to see for yourself what he actually said. You naively took the bait Israeli propaganda machine prepared for you.
David Ossitt
April 21st, 2009 5:10pm Report this commentNeil Yates
"Derek Conway was not "disgraced"
Sorry Neil; but he was, he is a nasty little crook.
But it was very brave of you in trying to defend him; good on you, but please look for someone more deserving next time.
wonderfulforhisage
April 21st, 2009 7:36pm Report this commentRe - Derek Conway
Compare and contrast;
1. Employing relatives to do no work and paying them out of my pocket.
2. Claiming oudles of money out of my pocket as mileage allowance when you have a geographically tiny Glasgow constituency and fly to and from Glasgow in order to 'order, order.
3. Declaring your sister's back bedroom as your main residence and claiming tens of thousands from my pocket for a second home allowance.
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