Not a day to be a Pratt

dexey

Will there be another 'suicide'?

Ron Todd

This type of counter attack is what New Labour is good at. During the election campaign the Tories will have to be very careful. The smallest error and Labour and the BBC will demolish the whole story.

Tankus

She probably feels very bullied now , by professionals at it.....

Victor Southern

Mandy and Ali ride again.

EyeSee

Oh dear. Just to summarise. Brown is in the clear because the Labour spin machine says Pratt is politically motivated, that there is a question over her, her husband and funding. No evidence beyond what Labour say yeah? So good posting then. Say hi to mad Al for me, next time you get your instructions.

See how your post reads? I don't think you are like that at all, but wonder what the head of a charity, dedicated to helping those who are bullied should do when she is made aware that the most powerful man in the land abuses that position, by bullying people? It's not a single source is it (and that was good enough to go to war with!)? Additionally, I hadn't heard her waver under BBC questioning to get to the bottom of her 'bias'. They tried to put words in her mouth that she had said Brown was a bully. She made it clear that she had no idea of the veracity, merely that he had denied the published claims of Rawnsley's, but without using a proces he deems suitable for 'the little people' (my words). Those resigning of course are doing so for deeply political reasons, to protect funding and stay sweet with the ruling administration.

Vulture

Does anyone believe that Bruin is NOT a disgusting lying bully? Hand on heart??

Andrew Rawnsely still awaits the libel writ from No.10.

Gawain

So bullying works then ! Well how comforting and aren't we lucky to live in such a well balanced, happy country. Perhaps all the highly paid political journalists who failed to break this story before the Pratt waded in could explain what the truth is. The whole episode leaves a nasty reek about the whole of our political culture and how susceptible the media is to the "spin machines". God help us if Labour spin wins again !

HFC

Does anyone believe that anybody who has risen to the higher echelons of any political party got there by being even-tenpered and reasonable?

wolba

Now look at this

http://www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKEAT/2003/0529_02_2210.html

Andy

Frankly she never stood an earthly.

A rank amateur against with (presumably) no PR experience against the nasty might of a political smear machine.

Last time she sticks her head above the parapet.

THX1138

And Ann Widdecombe has gone too http://bit.ly/bLR4BQ

Looks Ms Pratt is the victim of a classic reverse ferret..

She's a dead ringer for Dolores Umbridge too .. And who was just saying that Campbell had lost his edge - Today was a good day.

Kennybhoy

Just got through watching the ITN early evening news. They take a very different view of today's events than you do in this disgusting post, correctly describing NuLab's frantic damage limitation exercise as a smear campaign rather than a "well co-ordinated spin operation".

You just could not resist making play with this lady's surname could you...? Standard operating procedure for playground bullies.

Going to censor this post too you disgusting wee piece of work?

emil

You have to hand it to labour, they have absolutely no clue how to run a country but when it comes to media swat operations they can orchestrate a campaign to diffuse, and confuse, any major problem. Mind you it helps when the state broadcaster is your number one cheerleader.

Chuck Unsworth

But her allegations still stand.

Stevie

So, the Bullygate Whistleblower has been...bullied. How ironic, how Nulabour.

John Wilkes

What is so awful about the spinning (and how easily it seems to be accepted by the MSM) is how it causes everyone to miss the most obvious points. Over the last two days we have had my Lord, the Lord Mandleson of etc, etc, speaking on behalf of the Labour Party (the party set up to protect the workers being downtrodden by the hard faced bosses) coming out to declare that it doesn't really matter how awfully they treat the staff and how he has always "taken it like a man" (sexist or what). If this isn't the end of Animal Farm when the animals looked from the men to the pigs and the pigs to the men and could no longer tell them apart, I don't know what is. How they get away with it beggars belief.

Ian Walker

It occurs to me that "spin" is just the deliberate application of fallacy, in this case an argumentum ad hominem.

Perhaps if we didn't have such a supine, feeble Fourth Estate, we could have reportage that swatted this rubbish away. It's not hard, lobby hacks. Just ask Brown if the allegations are false, and if he doesn't answer, keep asking.

Paulg

Well if you think that a person who runs an anti-bullying hotline charity has been demolished by smear, innuendo and a cabal of people who are proven liars, you have no understanding of ethics.
You will probably see the public turn on these scum when they see what they have done to this woman.

TGF UKIP

It only takes one bullied present or former employee to step forward and all the spin in the world won't matter. But my guess is that one of the reasons that it's so savage is to try to intimidate the victims.

The Mail and the NoW have very large cheque books though.

strapworld

Mr Blackburn. So typical BULLYING tactics by this shower of bullies and ghastly people that masquerade as our Government!

Remember the old lady and the NHS? Remember the lady whose husband was dying from cancer? Remember what this lying load of hypocritical bully boys and women did? THEY ATTACKED THOSE THAT RAISED THE ISSUES. Filthy things said.

This will work against Liebour believe you me. People can smell a rat and the RAT in this case is Brown and his shower of commies.

Brown has a perfect come back TO SUE. That is the question, you Mr Blackburn, and all political journalists should be demanding of Brown WHY are you not suing Rawnsley?

The interesting thing about the story you have been sucked into bel;ieving Mr Blackburn is the political useage, by Brown and this awful administration, of The Charity Commission. Mind you they have their placewoman their in the woman for all quango's DAME SUZI LEATHER. Now that is another story.

The Craze

Doug & Dinsdale Piranha (courtesy of Monty Python 1970)

DOUG:- “Ees got an art of gold Dinsey, Ee’d do anyfin for ya and ee’s a lovely geezer, always elpin’ the poor….

DINSEY: But.. didn’t he screw Alastair Darlin’s pelvis to a cakestand and put a boathook through ‘is maarf?...

DOUG: “Ha ha.. it was a joke.., ee’s a great guy is Gawdo .. salt of the earf”

addenough

This is a very "sniffy" and rather unkind analysis. Have you looked into the background of the other players? Were you aware, as referenced on Guido, that Professor Cary Cooper CBE was photographed in May 2009, at the Centre for Organisational health and Wellbeing, in the company of Alan Milburn and Ben Bradshaw? With the attack dogs on the loose it is no suprise that all the Patrons are running for cover!

Colin

I'm assuming that fleet street's finest are beavering away, trying to uncover some poor drone, with a Nokia imprint on its forehead. Someone brave enough to spill the beans on brown, or indeed others. If they find one, that's when things will go nuclear. This has to be worth half a bar to someone...

TrevorsDen

Shock horror -- the Charities Commission has been called in.

Spin operation. Too good for Mr Blackburn.

Demolished? its been proven that she has been lying then?

You choose not to quote The Times (perhaps because its not owned by the Barclay Bros) - forgive me if I shoot the messenger, its seems to be the fashion today -
"The head of the union for civil service mandarins today alleged that bullying was rife across Whitehall and that staff had very little power to respond to abuse by politicians and special advisers."

That's, 'bullying is rife' ... quite an important issue for you to concentrate on Mr Blackburn; instead you fawn over a bunch of inveterate liars.

Bocephus

None of the people who have resigned from the charity have done so because they believe she is lying, only that she has broken the bullied staff at No.10's confidence.

It is easy for Labour to smear the charity because the BBC are so eager to do their heavy lifting. If the allegations had been against David Cameron there is no way the BBC would have spent most of the day playing up the charity's flaws.

welease woger

David if you think Brown is coming out of this well you need to take a few days off.

2trueblue

Ron Todd. totally agree with you. The Tories will have to treat it like a mine field.
Sadly the lady has an apt name. It still does not detract from the rumours which Liebore are busy blaming everyone else for. All the guns were out today, even old Pressa.

Fearless Frank

How spin works...
1: Andrew Rawneley makes his allegations.
2: Mrs Pratt enters the fray to back the allegations
3: Mrs Pratt is then exposed as an unreliable witness.
4: Ergo, Andrew Rawnsley's entire case is discredited.
What genius at Number 10 got Mrs Pratt to speak out... and how did they do it?

Holly ......

Not a good day for British politics.
A super,fairer day for bullies everywhere.
Not their fault...It is the victims fault for being soft,fat,ugly,tall,skinny,black,
white,male,female,gay,straight,rich,poor,
loud,quiet,young,old,you name it they always
have an excuse.
But they are never to blame.

addenough

Further to my last post,on the Times "comments" at 5.19pm there is an entry recalling a visit by the PM to the Home Office. The writer refers to ranting, verbal abuse and the barging of a colleague, followed by upset and tears. When there was a whiff of complaint the writer claims that both she and her colleague were warned of the "consequencies" and, inevitably deterred from proceeding. She then salutes the courage of Mrs Pratt.

You, Mr Blackburn, should be thoroughly ashamed of your post. It is cheap and unworthy of both you and The Spectator. One can only surmise the hell that Mrs Pratt now endures. To gloat at her discomfort and play with her name is cruel and puerile.

logdon

The story is out there and like an unbottled genie can't be put back.

Read the Telegraph, Times and Mail comment pages and see who they believe.

Then watch PMQ's when Dave riles 'the clunking fist'.

Said clunker's visage struggles to retain composure after a brief yet illuminatory display of insane writhing and venal hatred and he's off with the tractor stats once more.

The jeers only make it worse, 'how dare they, don't they know who I am' is the message we all take from the pompous prick.

Trouble is those pesky sit on the fence Tories. I read that not only Widdecome has resigned from the charity but also Tory councillor for Hillingdon Mary O'Connor.

Do these people have a death wish?

If so they join Dave who abandons the simple messages we all crave. Instead he fumbles with co-ops, contradicts his stories, tries to be all things to all men and that whacking lead is down to six points.

All he needs to do is watch how the BNP has risen from a nasty grave by talking straight about what we all worry about.

I now get the newsletters from them and have to say Griffin, against all odds and the nasty tricks Labour and it's client CRE are pulling, is playing a blinder.

You know, against all my past instincts I'm warming to them. Bit by bit the 'racist' is being expunged to be replaced by 'British' and there's nothing wrong with that.

Only those who hate us can mock a George Cross. Muslims and Marxists tell us it's racist but for me that reveals so much more about them than the ones who wave that symbol of England.

No doubt they'd prefer, as mentioned on numerous occasions, the black flag of Islam or a red rag fluttering over Downing Street. A few BNP and UKIP MP’s will put paid to those aspirations. For now.

Back to bullying.

I’m sure the British public are well aware of Brown’s flammable temper. Anything he say’s will be regarded as lies and spin so lets revisit the polls a week down the pike and see how this flies.

Hopefully, like our standard on St Georges Day.

David B

I cannot help but think what the labour reaction would have been if,say, John Major had been accused of bullying in 1997.

Fox in a box

KennyBhoy,

I happened to catch it too.

Tom Bradby is worth a dozen "Toenails"

Irene

Forget the rights or wrongs of what Ms Pratt did.
This woman is being destroyed and I hope she is being looked after.

JONNY

How spin doesn't work...
get those twin arch rascals Mandelson and Prescott on TV assuring us Brown is not a bully.
Search the whole wide world and you couldn't find two more disreputable and bent witnesses for the defence.

strapworld

logdon. I cannot and will not support cameron.

My father was a tory agent I have voted conservative in all but the last general election. Sadly I voted Ukip and live to regret it! But Cameron is no tory he is a liberal and weak. He aint a leader! He has created a party made up of people certainly not representative of the English people.

Immigration is killing my country and only one party is not afraid of speaking up. We are told they are facists, they are racists. BUT they speak up for the British which no other party does.

My youngest son tells me he and his pals are going to support the BNP. I think they may only get one MP BUT if more people give them their vote all parties will have to wake up to what the majority want!

I may well be joining you with my X

Michael Booth

PREVENTING and tackling bullying remains a priority for this government. We have committed around £3.7 million this year to anti-bullying programmes.- Gordon Brown 13th December 2009
(Tips hat to Old Holborn)

Alan Douglas

One thing seems fairly clear. Outside of Downing Street, Mr Brown is NOT a bully. He is an EMPLOYER of bullies. Mandleslime, Campbully, McBrute, Watson, need I go on ?

What he gets up to INSIDE Downing Street We will need to wait for various autobiographies to find out, when all the ferrets in the sack break cover to earn a final few bob.

Alan Douglas

Fernando

I think you're wrong, David. True, Labour may have succeeded smearing Mrs Pratt and possibly destroyed her charity in the process, but the charge of bullying has stuck. The damage has been down to Brown. Until Sunday afternoon this was a story by Andrew Rawnsley ( a journalist most people had never heard of) in a book few will read, serialised in a paper with a small circulation. It merely added to the canon of incidents from Bower and Lance Price. The story was easily contained by Mandelson’s claim that Brown was demanding and impatient for results, emotional but not out of control.
After the publicity resulting from Mrs Pratt’s intervention everyone knows now that he has a volcanic temper, has lost control on occasions, has verbally battered staff and displayed disproportionate aggression to junior employees. Nothing has emerged to dispel this impression.
Does this matter? Well, apart from not being appropriate in a modern workplace, it’s also very inefficient. How an employer reacts when employees have to bring bad news will determine whether those employees hide bad news or bring it out into the open. It creates a climate of secrecy and ‘ar*e-covering’. It leads to group think. It rejects criticism. It results in bad decisions and poor government.

Dan

This post could have been written by Mandelson, containing, as it does, uncritical coverage of all Labour's smears against Mrs Pratt and what is left of her anti-bullying charity.

The message seems to be, that if you are going to stand up to bullies make sure it isn't the ones running this Labour government or they, and their pals in the media, will swallow you whole, spit you out, and grind you into the dust.

Another low point for British politics.

Paul B

I hope the poor lady is now on a suicide watch. She had the courage to put her head above the parapet and now has been well and truly shafted but a well organised gang of thugs and bullies. She has also been badly let down by spineless colleagues.

I would say to her "Good for you girl, you had the courage of your convictions, many will recognise that. Keep your chin up, you did the right thing"

jason

Bloomberg news had a story with several sources saying brown threw a computer and printer. Brown threw staplers, pens, and phones at staff and berated low level civilian staff. So is it so hard to believe from the book that Brown hit the back seat with an officer in front or stapled his hand or stabbed a pen against the front seat in the car.

Apparently Brown was at his worst when his polls were lowest in summer of 2008 and if look back you can how bad he looked back then. Brown also went into a rage when his cleaning expenses were leaked. Brown worked behind blair's back in 2006 for over a year to force blair out. Brown and his team are backstabbers.

Brown has so much self pity and takes it out on low level civilian workers. Yet the UK public thinks he is a strong man. Brown surging in the polls shows how labour's strategy to flood the country with massive immigration for electoral gain has worked.

Ed

I love this idea that it was a co-ordinated spin campaign. The majority of the information (except the political affiliation bit) is entirely factual and most people found out about this charity themselves via a simple Google search. What amazed me was how slow the Labour party were to act. Most people were aware of the shortcomings of this charity very early on. And finally the Tories are catching on by dropping this woman like a hot brick.

Ken

If anyone made a prat of themselves it is the author of this appalling blog item.
The woman has been set upon by Liebour's attack pack led by Mandleslime and the tribal blackshirts and stood her ground pretty well.

They clearly want another Dr Kelly and they should be locked up for it.

She needs support and praise for standing up against a prime minister overwhelmingly shown to be a colossal, immature, petulant bully and abject failure.

echo34

you sure know what side your breads buttered on mr blackburn. A couple more order of the brown nose articles like this and who knows you could the spinmeister in no 10, the new ali C in the place to be.

Oh you've got to admire them haven't you

There is no such thing as journalism in the uk anymore.

Get yourself a nokia mitt, laddie it's your time soon.

Ed

Let's get things straight....

It's a FACT that her charity has not submitted its accounts and they are overdue by 207 days.

It's a FACT that she directs callers to her charity to her advisory business.

It's a FACT that her charity had an income of £1818 in 2007 and an expenditure of £852.

I see no 'smearing', all I see is facts. For me, smearing is all about creating facts to discredit someone. There is no creation of facts here just the facts themselves. And if you want to see the facts for yourself, regarding her charity, you can always visit the charity commission website and see for yourself:

http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/ShowCharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1117852&SubsidiaryNumber=0

David Lindsay

Rawnsley has no idea when he is beaten. I assume that they do not teach that sort of thing at his sort of school. All that he has done is to close down a Tory front organisation purporting to be a charity, while ensuring that no one is going to buy his silly little book.

logdon

strapworld
February 22nd, 2010 9:26pm

I may well be joining you with my X"

The X hovers and I suspect, on the day won't drop on the BNP box. Voting BNP is, in reality voting Labour as it dilutes the Tory score but more of this and who will back Cameron?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1252774/Tory-drive-raise-ethnic-MP-quota-Cameron-wins-election.html#comments

Or this?

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1252800/PETER-MCKAY-Why-Dave-stop-Tony.html

Or this?

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1252455/AMANDA-PLATELL-Oh-Dave-stop-PC-nonsense.html

Imagine five more years of Labour? Brown will be gone but who do we get? Balls? Milliband? Harman?

Gawd help us!

Dirty Euro

I think the civil service is filled by right wing bullies.
The bullies should be chucked out.
The country is rubbish.

Victor Southern

Another blog uncritically accepting Labour spin. Do the Spectator columnists have no critical faculty?

I have just listened to the red faced Baroness Billingham "reviewing the papers" on Sky News. She was well primed with a detective dossier which Labour have quickly assembled on Mrs Pratt. It was not an edifying sight. The hand of the Dread Lord was evident.

Did No.10 also drop the dossier on your desk, Mr. Blackburn?

Ian Walker

Ed, out of interest, which of your FACTs proves that Brown is not a bully?

Echo34

FACT - PM and ministers declare there is no bullying culture in No 10

+

National Bullying Helpline say 3-4 persons unknown have called them

=

Big FAT government lie.

After all who would any normal perswon believe? The helplinemust have proof of the calls. What's the government got? just more bluster.

Marcher Baron

Once you give in to bullying you're lost.

The new slogan:

Vote Labour - OR ELSE!

Peter From Maidstone

A small charity run by volunteers has few costs, why then should there be any surprise that it spends little money. There is nothing odd at all in such a small charity not being very well organised. I know many other disorganised small charities who do a great deal of good with most of their work being done by volunteers at no cost. I would imagine that a small telephone helpline required very little expenditure since people are calling them, they are not calling people.