About 20,000 of our 80,000 DVDs have now been delivered, with startling results. People have started phoning up for posters, and coming out of their homes to shake our hands as we go past.
I have knocked on hundreds of doors personally, possibly thousands, in the last three weeks. I can report that I have detected absolutely no public enthusiasm for the Conservative Party. The media’s presumption that this is a shoo-in for Chloe Smith seems based on nothing. In fact, many more people have told me that they are voting UKIP, than have said they are voting for any other party. The large majority say they will either not vote, or will vote for an independent.
The media’s determination to hype the Greens is even weirder. At its most frenetic, the Green campaign has been invisible verging on lacklustre. They seem to think it will help them to be shrilly rude about me, while Rupert their candidate wears ties and tries to look official.
The BBC is doing everything possible to constrainn debate, and in particular to give no time to arguments against banking bailouts or aganst the Afghan War, and to corral political opinion back into the safe custody of the major political parties. Even though our campaign is the only interesting thing in Norwich, and even the Sunday Express reports today that I am “Head and shoulders above” the other candidates in debate, the BBC is excluding me from their live televised “Candidates’ Hustings” on Monday at 22.15.
They are also excluding UKIP. While I disagree with them fundamentally, they also plainly have a right to be heard. The BBC is trying to define the field of politicial debate and choice.
Guidance from the Electoral Commission clearly states that, where there is a candidates’ hustings from which any candidate is excluded, the candidates who take part must divide the cost of the hustings between them and declare it against their election expenses limit.
A BBC broadcast candidates’ debate, where the candidates’ speak for election and answer questions to voters, plainly is not BBC news and editorial content, but a hustings. That hustings reaches the voters through a broadcast, and the cost of the event is both the cost of organisation and the cost of broadcast to the voters. So the entire cost of the BBC broadcast must be divided between the candidates and declared against their election limit.
I am sure the Tories and Lib Dems at least are already over their election limit (to be disguised by false accounting on the cost of centrally printed leaflets). Each has already delivered a dozen different leaflets per voter, several of them in fake newspaper or magazine format. If the BBC hustings cost is divided between those candidates invited to take part – Con, NuLab, Lib Dem and Grren – they wil be tipped well over the limit.
I regret having to take a legalistic approach, but the BBC’s determination to exclude me from the election has to be countered.
Meantime, just as the momentum is really switching our way, we need both people here to help leaflet and canvass, and we need donations to cover the remaining materials and expenses of the campaign. Please, please come. or if you can’t please give something to help the work of those who are here.
My donation got through on paypal. It might have been a fault or it might have been further stealthy disruption to the campaign.
I love how Craig has blogged endlessly about all the “obstacles” the BBC/ZaNuLabour have put in his way – with all his loyal trolls slavishly complaining away in the comments – because it means he can sit on his fat Scottish arse all day long, and then when he loses spectacularly he can say it was a conspiracy.
Wanker.
I’m hoping that Craig can clean out the corrupt system that molds our lives;
that he will stand up for us and challenge what the Establishment/permanent unelected government dictates to the three main parties; that he can challenge the secrecy of government and ask why the results of Dr Kelly’s postmortem are hidden, why there hasn’t been an inquiry into 7/7 when some facts given by the state are fallacious or deeply suspicious; and ask why the UK government is so desperate to stop the appeal into the Lockerbie bombing.
Also we need someone to stand up in Parliament to ask if the government is complicit in the excise and VAT frauds in which billions of the taxpayers’ money disappears abroad.
We need open government so that we can say we’re a democracy. When we don’t know what a political party has done, does or will do, we can’t say we make a choice.
No mention of Craig in Monday’s Times, or indeed any of the other independent candidates, but it does report that voter frustration with the established parties is at an all time high in Norwich North. I hope you give them a run for their money Craig, and I’m sure everyone in your team is working hard.
We could do with a few more independents inside Westminster. I am sure we will have soon, as much as this might displease some people.
Orrabest, Craig
Been following it well.
Couldn’t help, physically, but am trying in other areas as i am too far North to travel.
Anti sent me an email and I told him, something like, that you must be hurting ‘them’ or the trolling would not be so great.
Keep going, thatz all I can say.
Bishop, Tim. Head of Regional & Local Programmes BBC East, Norwich, The Forum Norfolk 2000, Norfolk, Matrix
Hare, Diana. Editor Features BBC East, Norwich, The Forum Norfolk 2005, Norfolk, Matrix
Both Common Purpose trained.
Craigslist,
You guys who come on this blog to be angry and abusive are really amusing.
Of course it is well known that humans always tend to expect others to behave, in any given situation, the way they would behave themselves.
That’s why cheats are paranoid about others cheating them, bullies think if they don’t ‘overdefend’ themselves someone else will expose or bully them, honest people are genuinely surprised by crookedness etc.
You really are a piece of work, if you mean anything of what you say….
Yes, Craig has obviously spent tens of thousands of pounds on his campaign because he really wants to laze about, lose and then wallow in the way the media have denied him a hearing with the electorate.
It is also entirely fair that in this fight the playing field should in no way be level.
It is pretty obvious that someone here is exercising the febrile and distracted mind of a chronic and compulsive masterbator.
By the way, the old wives’ tale that masterbation stops you seeing is false….it just stops you looking.
Craigslist, take a stroll round Norwich North. Speak to people.
Do you flies up first, mind. They’re conservative with a small ‘c’ round here.
Thankfully.
I have just looked at the BBC Look East page on the by-election. This is only token piece in which Craig gets a short opportunity to speak along with the UKIP candidate.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/8153837.stm
I watched the travesty of the live ‘debate’ on the internet. Only FOUR chairs were lined up for Smith (C), Read (Green), Ostrowski (L) and Pond (LD) with the presenter taking questions from the studio audience. How had they been chosen I ask? I have said it before but Smith is unbelievably unimpressive. She gesticulates more than she speaks and looks completely uncomfortable and scared as a rabbit in headlights. If elected I think it would be a miracle if she is ever heard of again and most unlikely to make her presence felt in the HoC. Just more Cameron lobby fodder.
The programme is not on this page of links.
http://www.bbc.co.uk//lookeast/norwich_north_byelection_index.shtml
“Threatening The Powerful”…
http://tinyurl.com/l3qvdr
KevinB:
Craig has been caught cheating, not the other candidates. It is against the rules to flypost election posters. I have been to Norwich North. I don’t see any residents proudly displaying Craig Murray posters in their gardens, just those of the “evil parties”. Instead Craig and his loyal trolls must cheat to get any kind of presence.
Parliament wouldn’t work without some kind of party system or formal grouping of MPs, like a caucus. FACT.
Despite all the stuff you have kidded yourself into believing, 95% of people who vote, vote for parties. FACT.
There have only been 3 independent MPs in the last 60 years. FACT.
Betting odds are not an indication of how well candidates are doing, simply how many of Craig’s loyal trolls are trying to rig it. FACT.
Craig’s odds are slipping fast, anyway. FACT.
Craig is making many excuses for losing spectacularly, before he has even lost. FACT.
Craig is an egotistical arrogant man who the people of Norwich North will reject – the good folk of Norfolk resent some Scot trying to pass himself off as local. FACT.
Craig left his wife and kids for a belly dancer less than half his age. FACT.
Craig would be worse than Galloway as an MP, never turning up to debate in the HoC, never being in his constituency office. Craig just wants a fat salary to go alongside his directorships. Some man of the people. FACT.
Quite finished Mr Nasty? Running scared?
David Cameron in today’s ‘Telegraph’: “Chloe Smith is a great young, bright candidate. We need more people like her at Westminster.”
Is craigslist belly dancer-phobic or just jealous?
Mary
Yes, I’ve noticed that Chloe Smith gesticulates more than she speaks. She looks like a thunderbirds puppet with the puppet master above pulling her strings!
Craig
politics.co.uk has quoted you on an item about Parliament protest:
http://www.politics.co.uk/analysis/legal-and-constitutional/comment-parliament-protest-must-go-on-$1312635.htm
Dictatorships, on the other hand, are very tidy. Take this, from Britain’s former ambassador in Uzbekistan, Craig Murray: “Totalitarian dictatorships are generally extremely tidy places. In Uzbekistan, even with major massacres, the streets are sluiced down within a few hours, bullet holes filled in, walls repainted, new flower beds instantly in bloom. There is never any litter, nothing out of place.”
Craigslist:
Quote: “Craig has been caught cheating, not the other candidates. It is against the rules to flypost election posters. I have been to Norwich North. I don’t see any residents proudly displaying Craig Murray posters in their gardens, just those of the “evil parties”. Instead Craig and his loyal trolls must cheat to get any kind of presence.”
…….calling that ‘cheating’ is overstating the case. You don’t complain about the way Craig is unfairly disadvantaged.
“Parliament wouldn’t work without some kind of party system or formal grouping of MPs, like a caucus. FACT.”
Disagree. It would be a fair better and more create place as far away from the clutches of big finance as possible. I don’t want MP’s who are ‘owned’. That’s what it is ALL about for people like me.
“Despite all the stuff you have kidded yourself into believing, 95% of people who vote, vote for parties. FACT.”
True but we all know why that happens.
“There have only been 3 independent MPs in the last 60 years. FACT.”
Unfortunate but not denied, (if you say so).
“Betting odds are not an indication of how well candidates are doing, simply how many of Craig’s loyal trolls are trying to rig it. FACT.”
Really?…How would they do that?
“Craig’s odds are slipping fast, anyway. FACT.”
The only change I’ve seen was from 33/1 against to 25/1 against….that’s not slipping, is it?
“Craig is making many excuses for losing spectacularly, before he has even lost. FACT.”
Maybe he’s just demanding appropriate coverage NOW.
Craig is an egotistical arrogant man who the people of Norwich North will reject – the good folk of Norfolk resent some Scot trying to pass himself off as local. FACT.
I don’t know CM well enough to judge his character. He sacrificed his career on the issue of torture. That evinces pretty strong and moral character, in my opinion…..but humans are complex. There are bound to be weaknesses also. is it really for you to judge how ‘egotistical’ anyone is, never mind a person who is obviously, in some way, your opponent.
the concept of FACT rarely sits accurately with the future tense. Craig’s ‘losing’ is NOT a fact.
“Craig left his wife and kids for a belly dancer less than half his age. FACT.”
mmm…OK.
“Craig would be worse than Galloway as an MP, never turning up to debate in the HoC, never being in his constituency office. Craig just wants a fat salary to go alongside his directorships. Some man of the people. FACT.”
This is just abuse. Wishful imagining. Obviously NOT FACT. To begin to suggest such things successfully you must refer to incidents of such absenteeism in the past, at least.
For God’s sake man.
I wonder if we could suggest a challenge to abusive posters here, which would simply be: when you post, state also which candidate in the election you prefer? Any prevarication might indicate a reluctance on the part of establishment parties’ supporters to out themselves! 🙂
Personally I think that if Craig conducts the office of Member of Parliament like he conducted the office of Ambassador, the constituents of Norwich North will be very well looked after. Not to mention the people who will benefit from the cost savings that could flow from a potentially stopped ID cards project, or the people who would benefit from a radically improved attitude to combatting climate change…
Critics should read his books if they are in doubt: ‘Catholic Orangemen’ is available on the net for free.
All the way to Norwich, which cost a pretty penny, to find out things aganst Craig, and not a single new substantial piece of dirt? Craigslist, you’re fired. You’ll never be hired as a propaganda agent again!
@ Jon
An excellent post, comparing Craig’s effectiveness as a diplomat as a strong sign that he will look after his constituents well. No doubt the workers in Norwich will make good use of this point.
@ Jon
An excellent post, regarding Craig’s effectiveness as a diplomat as a strong sign that he will look after his constituents well. No doubt the workers in Norwich will make good use of this point.
There is a ‘thread’ on medialens message board. It is best to click on view all to read through the comments.
Norwich North By-Election – support Rupert Read – IanS Yesterday, 5:35 pm
vote craig murray! – luke Yesterday, 6:37 pm
Likewise! (nm) – fugazi Yesterday, 6:42 pm
Re: vote craig murray or Rupert Reed? – RobB Yesterday, 7:50 pm
a GREAT shame they couldn’t have joined forces.. NM – MC Yesterday, 8:12 pm
Re: a GREAT shame they couldn’t have joined forces.. NM – RobB Today, 9:33 am
Re: vote craig murray! – Bern Yesterday, 11:34 pm
Sounds good to me! – luis Yesterday, 7:59 pm
Oops: Murray sounds good to me! – luis Yesterday, 8:03 pm
Re: Sounds good to me! – Mr Bombastic Yesterday, 9:43 pm
The Green Party are not single issue – IanS Today, 11:06 am
From Alan Partridge to Craig Murray – Andee Today, 5:42 am
Craig Murray supports lower taxes – IanS Today, 10:36 am
Re: Craig Murray supports lower taxes – Keith-264 Today, 10:57 am
Craig Murray supported Rupert Read during the recent European elections – IanS Today, 11:01 am
View all
The big political parties are now run like supermarket chains. They check your loyalty card from time to time to see what you buy, and they stock those products on their shelves, in the case of supermarkets, to make money and in the case of politics, because they want power.
Gone are the days when Chloe Smith being a city slicker, or Craig following his heart to another marriage, have any relevance at all, at all, at all. We all do the same. People of my generation who followed politics lament the change, by which politics has been reduced to marketing. 75% of the population isn’t interested in political thought. For example this 75% swallow the rubbish from daily papers about too many immigrants without thinking about what they have done to maintain the population of the country.
The whole system, not just the BBC and other obstacles etc, is designed to limit debate. But there again, when did you last choose to go shopping in your friendly village High Street, because you had a couple of hours to spare, and £40 extra to spend. I use different supermarkets for different things and I buy meat from a specialist butcher. The parties have become a meld, all things to all people, and no benefit to anyone.
The reason that I haven’t come to Norwich to help Craig’s campaign is firstly that I am flat broke and secondly because Islam states that elections are the wrong system. I believe in decision making by reference to the instructions of an omnipotent, omniscient, loving God, and NOT by the election system.
My wife comes from a Middle-Eastern country which is about to hold elections. Her dad says she should vote, I say she shouldn’t. Why? Because the ink on her finger when she comes out of the polling booth will be used by the next murderous dictator to justify detaining Muslims in local US jails at the behest of Zionism.
There are truth speakers in parliament like George Galloway, but am I going to black my finger tip for Marxism? No. The problem this country faces is that 25 years of Thatcherism has created WASTEFUL MATERIALISM, and unprecedented inequalities of wealth at the same time. They voted for Victorian values and that’s what they got. If you vote for Craig, you are going to get debate, but if you want answers, you need Islam.
Jon at July 21, 2009 10:38 AM
Why do you think the “trolls” have been swearing as per the last chapter? (If you have read the Catholic Orangemen, re read the bar and airport departure at the end)
This is psyops on the cheap, and the trolls are fed the “hot buttons map” to push and undermine the individual concerned. To discern this only checkout the posts of the various “trolls” and see the emergent patterns.
In this country anyone is free to hold an opinion, so long he/she does not share it with lots of other people. Otherwise, there is a danger of a new consensus emerging, which is just not cricket. The only Freedom brand available; requires adherence to a certain “unwritten” code of conduct from those involved in the business of “representation” of the people, hence the nuanced attacks; “independent, egotistic, busy bodies, bent on wrecking our way of life; threatening our values”.
The closed shop MP factory, that mints the cookie cutter MP as per the “party/customer” requirements, has been a very successful mode of conduct, sanctioned by the plutocrats whom otherwise may find themselves faced with a real parliament, really bent on representing the people.
@anon (July 21, 2009 11:17 AM)
Your prose clearly indicates you are intelligent, and yet that sits quite at odds with your view that everyone should convert to Islam. Islam may state many things, but that does not mean you have to believe them all, even as a Muslim; it is even the less the case that everyone else has to believe them.
There is no “conversion” by which the whole world could agree on a spiritual solution to human problems. Religion requires faith, by definition, so you can’t prove its efficacy to atheists and agnostics, nor can you prove the superiority of one brand of religion over another. Accordingly, this is fine for you, as a personal decision; it is no solution at all for everyone else.
Your post indicates however that you are indeed capable of determining political problems, such as the impact of Thatcherism and neoliberal economic ideology. I agree that gave rise to inequality, so can we not agree that the solution – even just an intermediate one – is to vote in candidates who oppose that ideology?
Incidentally – and I don’t mean this rudely – if your wife persists in wishing to vote, and you persist in saying she should not, would you disallow her? I ask because – as someone who takes an active interest in Islamic culture – I witness a discrepancy between Muslims who believe in the inherent fairness of Islam, and others whose beliefs are underscored by either sexism or misogyny.
@VamanosBandidos – I agree broadly with your views on the limitations of permitted ideas, though I think this is down to people’s inherent conservatism rather than (or at least more than!) dark forces outside of political parties.
But I’ve not seen any critical posts actually referencing Craig’s books – perhaps you could point me to some. Most of the abusive posts are insufficiently civil for me to engage with, but even the ones that are OK don’t seem to have any information that could only be gleaned from his books.
The News of the World shysters from Wapping are giving evidence to the Culture committee, live on BBC and Sky at the moment. Imagine that Cameroon has tied his party up to the likes of this ex-Editor. The current managing editor is alongside. Quite a lot of licking of dry lips is going on.
Half an hour ago from Sky News:
Labour candidate in Norwich has suspected swine flu. And Conservatives in the area are saying the election is “too close to call”.
The juvenile nasty-minded little trolls here are thicker than manure and only half as useful.
Go Craig!
I sympathize with Ostrowski if he has the non human flu (I refuse to insult the clean and pink animals who are good mothers) but it’s very a convenient get out when NuLiebour come last in the poll.
Jon, that’s a remarkably polite response to the comments from anon. He says:
“I believe in decision making by reference to the instructions of an omnipotent, omniscient, loving God, and NOT by the election system”
That sounds like a wind up to me, but some people must believe such tosh and it is thoroughly depressing. He needs to read Philip Larkin’s High Windows and read up on the Enlightenment. I too would be interested to know if his wife is free to do what she wants.
@eddie – politeness is usually the best way to deal with people 😉
I don’t think it is a wind-up, though. I spoke at length to a representative for Islam4UK when their roadshow came to Birmingham, and the sincerity with which he held his authoritarian views was quite scary. I think my anonymous interlocutor has a similar mindset, though – peculiarly – I think he is a good deal more intelligent.