Miliband’s colossal misjudgement

Sally Chatterjee

What a nasty leaflet. He should have had the whip removed for such poor taste. Poor Ed Miliband is floundering, he seems unable to take decisive action.

I suspect a by-election could be a strange contest. The Lib Dems have lost a lot of support and few will want to vote again for Woolas.

charles hercock

Come off it David

Phil was right to lambast the wishy washy liberals

The more colouful and inventive the better

Why David Cameron is doing it well by loading cuts onto Doleful Danny,the squirrel

smell the glove

The man has never been the same since he was bitch-slapped by the fragrant Lumley

GDT

Typical. Couldn't win fairly so adopted BNP tactics....

Victor Southern

Never liked the man especially once he set about betraying the Gurkhas - stymied by Joanna Lumley. He always had that creepy look shared by such as Hain and McNulty.

Good riddance.

ollie

All the Labour bloggers thought Woollas would win this case hands down, therefore exonerating the Lisping One's judgement.

OOPS.

Liz Brown

What an incredibly stupid little man Phil WoolAss has proven to be. He should show some balls for once and take his medicine like a man

Alan Edwards

I think everyone now realises who the real nasty party is!

Gawain

Miliband will be holed up with his spin meisters cobbling up a new set of myths to explain this all away. The sad thing is the left wing media will swallow it all up with almost no scrutiny. Labour have been getting away with murder for years.

Pot Head

I bet the Lib Dems get their ass kicked in the by-election !

TrevorsDen

GDT makes the relevant point. Labour are happy to condemn the BNP and insinuate racism and fascism against anyone - yet here they are using the tactic of the extremist. Sickening.

Woolas is a sneering incompetent and even without this leaflet he should not have been appointed by Miliband. And just look at the sanctimonious holier than thou approach he takes at PMQs. Pathetic.

Mr Jabberwock

Can you have a judicial review of a judgement made by a court?

GDT

Woolas, is a hoon of the highest order.

SJH

Miliband's fire-fighting capacity no doubt helped by the Fire Brigades Union calling off their strike today, no doubt in response to his condemnation of their...mmm...can't see him condemning Woolas either

Paddy

It couldn't have happened to a 'nicer' guy.

I thought he would 'get away' with it as he is such a lying toad.

Now he will have to pay the expenses of the Lib dem and if he wants to appeal an awful lot more money.

Labour's whole campaign was fought on lies and innuendo.

The truly nasty party.

What, no Fatman today.

Fiona

I'm no fan of Phil Woolas but this isn't over yet. There is the small matter of an appeal, not to mention a by-election. I wouldn't celebrate yet.

Verityred

The Fatman is probably twisting himself into knots trying to come up with a post full of his usual dribble and slime for the occasion. He is clearly nasty Labour, through and through..

Verity

Am I the only one who is puzzled about what the fuss is about? Is there an element I'm missing?

Woody

The MSM didn't report Tower Hamlets, why do people think they are going to report this?

If this was a conservative MP, the BBC in particular would be foaming at the mouth and reporting it 24/7.

Alexander Pelling

Come on Fatty, give us yer views on the lovely Phil.

David Ossitt

Take a second look at the poster; look at the face, the eyes, and the toothy grin.

Ask yourself would you buy a second hand car from this man?

Could he sell you life assurance?

Would your skin not crawl, if you were to try and imagine him being involved with your daughter, sister or aunt?

He has the look of a shyster and the actions of a pettifogger.

He represents the true nasty underbelly of socialism.

Dennis Churchill

So remind me what has Miliband(s) ever managed? Briefly give details of his (their) record of successful management to date...
That is the weakness of the political class and our problem as a nation. They only have experience of sounding good.

David Booth

This couldn't have happened to a creepier soon to be ex-politician.

ollie

"Am I the only one who is puzzled about what the fuss is about? Is there an element I'm missing?"

Hehehehe this made me chuckle. Desperation through a faux shrug of the shoulders.....

Grumpy Optimist

You are all so cruel. If Phil says he was behaving honourably then I believe him - as a man who lit up the last government in truth, integrity and decency.

lescam

Why does there need to be a by-election at all? The seat should be handed over to Elwyn Watkins, who came second. No need for a by-election. Why give Labour a second chance to cheat and lie?

salieri

Mr. Jabberwock:

Yes. This was a specially convened Election Court (the first since 1911, I think?)i.e. a Tribunal not a court of law from which a direct appeal lies.

On the other hand the JR application hasn't a prayer unless the Tribunal has got the law wrong, which seems extremely unlikely given the simplicity of the offence - for which he should be prosecuted.

Archibald

So, if he gets a legal kicking for this after winning on the back of it, what about the Lib Dems who may very well have won off the back of signing a pledge on education?
Don't get me wrong, I think the man is vile, I'm just hoping someone can explain the difference so I don't make a whatsit of myself in polite company.
Please try to make your answer short and smug sounding, so I can reel it off verbatim.

Shepley Tory

Be interesting to see if Labour also throw out of the party the activists who conspired with him.. I understand the emails exchanged were a key part of the evidence.

Surely Ed Miliband cannot condone them remaining as Labour activists? I wonder if any of them were Labour Councillors and hence should have the whip withdrawn as well.

Naomi Muse

Mr Woolas got his cumuppance. I always thought he was a slimy toad. Even creepier when the delightful Joanna hijacked his tv interview and kept him to the honourable line despite what he wanted.

Hopefully @salieri's conclusion will now be followed through and Woolas, P, ex MP will now be prosecuted.

He'll never have fish and chips with Joanna again, methinks.

Naomi Muse

Un petit moment - How did such an election leaflet get past the Labour communications securitate?

Ben G

Couldn't happen to a nicer fellow.

Dennis Churchill

Salieri
I think there was one in the 1990s in Tower Hamlets, somethings never change...

laverda

No Verity, you are not the only puzzled one, Woolas is equally deluded, a common trait amongst both labour MP's and ex MP's.

I hope the taxpayers will be recompensed in full for any money paid to this disgusting little man.

Paddy

Lescam: I agree the seat should be passed to Elwyn Watkins.

BBC: Slightly off topic. Has anyone else noticed the BBC News is more watchable and civilised today - as they are on strike.

John David Barnett

If politicians are not allowed to tell lies, our democracy is in danger.

Woolas is a nasty little creep, but I feel, amazingly, more than a little sorry for him.

davidk

Oh good. Now the Liberal Quislings will face the electorate earlier than expected.

I'm afraid that Labour majority of 100+ is going to be extended somewhat.

laverda

davidk
Obviously maths isn't your strong point. Labour are minus one MP right now as a result of Woolas, his election has been declared void. How can labour increase their majority exactly?

HFC

Woolas' main problem was that he had the lies set in print. Other candidates restrict themselves to spoken lies in interviews.

Paddy

John David Barnett: If politicians aren't allowed to lie our democracy is in danger.

Jesus. But there's lies and there's lies.

Labour used this tactic throughout the election.

Frightening pensioners - re losing their pension.

Frightening mothers re losing their benefits.

Pushing leaflets containing lies through their doors.

Amazing how they are distancing themselves from him now.

The 'caring sharing' party.

What a bunch of sly lying hypocrites they are.

Widmerpool

Is this nasty little man Woolas going to apply for legal aid for his JR? I hope the Lord Chancellor can swiftly chuck any such attempt into the bin!

Verityred

Laverda,

davidk isn't awfully bright, he just a Labour bunker poodle who posts his doggy do on here because his life is a huge empty void. Probably shares a plate of cold chips with the Fatman in a bedsit somehere.

J Wright

Lis Brown 1.35 .Woolas should "take his medicine like a man." Surely that is unlikely as he was the one who his sanitary towels on expenses for the tax payer to pay

Archibald

Mr Blackburn,
While I was being slightly facetious about the Lib Dems' pledge in my previous comment, it would be interesting to have some thoughts on what sort of precedent may be set by the Woolas case.

Would I be right in thinking that a lie is not a lie if you believe it to be true at the time? As surely their signing of a specific pledge differs from manifesto 'pledges' which I think everyone would cynically assume these days to be more of a 'wish list', for any party in power?

Is it as simple a difference as Woolas knowingly lying, and the relevant Lib Dem MPs lying either in the believe that (a) they would keep their word or (b) that whether they would or not would never actually be tested?

brian kelly

Woolas is the most repellant creep in Parliament - and that is saying something as there is a lot of competition. How any party leader could appoint someone like him to any responsible job speaks volumes of the labour party

brian kelly

But am still not sure about judges pronouncing who is fit and who is not fit to be in parliament.

Tankus

Jail please ! ...only cold porridge will suffice for this creep ..and lots of it !

ollie

How very fortunate for Labour to have this news announced on a day when the BBC are on strike. No mention of Miliband's culpability over his appointment of Woolas as a minister, or his dithering, or his disappearance.

Yes it was bad news for Labour - but boy, it could have been ten times worse were it not for the strike.

Miliband was exposed today as the true heir to Gordon Brown - a gutless idiot.

London Blue

I am totally peeing myself. Ear to ear grin. Good riddance to a lefty cretin. 1

Alexander McNeil

Verityred and Lavedra please stop and think before posting comments degrading other respondents. I think you will find DavidK was refering to the Labour majority at the general Election of 104 votes over the LibDem opponent in the Oldham seat. Not the HoC MP's .

John David Barnett

It's true enough that the LibDem policy on immigration is somewhat lax.

YorkshireLad

Brian Kelly, I'm not sure the judges were deciding on whether Woollas is/was fit for office (that would mean most of the current HoC) but more on the issue that he has broken the law. Surely a far more salient point that whether Woolas is a sh*t of the highest order.

Fergus Pickering

How many of you talk as if the Beeb were the only news outlet. For myself, I never watch Beeb News on telly. I watch Channel 4, leftie pap admittedly, but they do kmow where the stories are.

It may well be that Labour keeps the seat. So that makes it OK, does it? Actually, it doesn't matter who wins the seat, not in the great scheme of things. If, in four years, the Coalition policy has worked, then they will piss on Labour from a great height. If not, then not. That's how it works, fellows. I must admit Ed looks to me a complete prat, but maybe he has hiden depths. I mean, look at Tone and Gordo when the actually got the top job. I mean, hidden depths!!!

maddy1

@Veracity
November 5th, 2010 3:13pm
I think it is because they are not allowed to engage in Realpolitik, Verity.

Biggestaspidistra

Have any of you been to Oldham?

If you hae you'll know there's little to celebrate, And the image on Mr Woolas pamphlet is a fairly accurate reflection of it's town center, as I recall.

GDT

The silence of LAbour HQ trolls is deafening!!! No RoY, no FBoT. As damning as an court room verdict. Quite obviously orders are out to dump the toxic waste ASAP.

AY

Whoever and by whatever reasons raises voice against Islamization, whereas others don't dare, - will have my vote. Period.

Paddy

GDT:

Try looking Friday evening under David Blackburn.

They have all crawled out from under the woodwork.

Edward McLaughlin

I can't see anything wrong with the leaflet above. Is this what he has been sacked for? For pointing out the most urgent issues which all politicians should be addressing?

He did not have the slightest intention of course, of actually doing anything about immigration, but if we sacked every politician who said one thing and meant another, then we wouldn't have much of a Parliament.

But the signal here as I read it, is that immigration as an election issue, is forbidden.

Osred

Did my post not appear because it mentioned Goebbels, Neather, or both?

Oedipus Rex

Archibald - you're the only one making sense out of this.

Can I also add that Woolas, despite not being the brightest firework in the display, had the guts to stick his head above the parapet and draw attention to the immense problem of inter cousin marriage amongst Pakistani immigrants, its increase causation of genetic health problems and so on (he was supported by Anne Cryer, I seem to remember).

He was lambasted by the liberal establishment and presumably lost quite a few of his 'natural constituency'.

Moreover, the Liberals have often been the most ruthless campaigners in elections and have got away with it.

Tories here may be crowing but this shows yet another instance of the Political Correctness of the Right.

You've been warned.

Comprehensiveboy

Someone above says, I paraphrase, 'He got done for this?'. I concur. The Libs needed exposing for their asylum policy which has been conveniently forgotten by the 'gents' in govt. - a policy utterly at odds with the majority view. Don't you see? If they prosecuted over a BNP leaflet like this (which would probably not be produced anyway) it would be a bit too obvious and this sort of thing has not worked judicially before - i.e. Griffin in the dock - twice. They have s**t from a great height on a person from the 'nice' party but the message is the same. 'You are not free to express your fears.'

Paddy

Let's hope it's a "wake-up call" to Phil Woolas and all the other creeps.

DavidT

I have loathed this man for years since my days at Manchester University where he was General Secretary of the Students Union.

He's soon to be a middleaged, disgraced political hack who hasn't done a days work outside politics all of his adulthood.

Welcome to the real world Phil!

fifer

Has he been done for copyright infringement or something? As best I can tell, he's just stuck a photo of himself on an old Melanie Phillips column.

AliC

Wasn't he the one who was using his 'allowances' to pay for his kids nappies?

UK Fred

Can someone show this guy Woolas the video on the value of honesty by Henry Cloud? Then again, he would have to understand the moral values in it and that might be difficult.