Post Taken Down
For the first time, in over a year of writing this blog, I have received my first ever complaint.For anyone reading the site earlier today, a rather humourless MP has threatened to take legal action unless I remove a post that mentioned his office.
Although I stand by what I said, I have no intention of a) upsetting people b) being involved in a long legal dispute - so I have removed the 'offending' article.
I note the MP has 'reported me to the Chief Whip under new PLP rules'. Oh dear, oh dear.
There may be trouble ahead...
posted by Kerron @ 3:01 PM
50 Comments:
Kerron you're going to get driven out of town!
How can he complain if it's true?
I say save the South West Herts 1.
Grumpy bampot.
Has he changed his answerphone message yet?
This could be one of the great miscarriages of justice. Much more interesting (and comprehensible) than the NatWest 3
I couldn't possibly comment.
Ha ha ha ha....I am so pleased that I printed a copy off for the boss before you deleted it!
I think for legal reasons all copies of that post should be destroyed.
And any mention of the MP by name will involve me not only removing the offending comment, but slapping the back of your legs too. :-/
At least it shows you're being read?!
I think this just about sums up some MP's and their image with the public!!!
Under what grounds could the MP in question legitimately take legal action against you??? Come on, have some balls. I read the post in question, and couldn't see anything libelious about it.
It wasn't libellous in the slightest, but I don't have the resources or the inclination to get involved in a protracted dispute. So that's why I've taken it down.
Well Kerron, whatever it was, I am a bit surprised!
Yeah, I don't think the problem is at my end on this one, but hey ho, there you go.
The crime happened in Britain, so expect Mr. Cross to be extradited to America any day now.
Cllr. Cross, Dunadan, Cross Cross.
Ooops...
Moral. Remember blogs are public.
A problem I keep failing to grasp personally...
Kerron, I don't blame you for taking it down, but that post didn't contain anything worthy of legal action. You made a statement of fact about a situation you had encountered, and you could just as easily have been a member of the public reporting that story as a member of the party working in Parliament.
People in the public eye can't afford to be so touchy - there was nothing to stop the named individual from replying with a reason for the situation you described.
I'm so glad I post under a pseudonym. It may be considered cowardly by some (and I can understand why) but I'd rather maintain a distinction between my paid employment and my contributions online.
I promise that I will shred the evidence tomorrow, Kerron. However, my limited media law experience (I'm a good journalist!)makes me confident to say that even if you left the post up there's nothing they could do. You have to prove that your "libel" is true, and as the first thing I did was ring for a listen, I'd have your back in court!
Actually Dunadan, this site is american based! ;)
Red Tamarin, I get your point but in the political world, esp in a small enviroment like Westminster, if someone is determined to find out who you are they will. Either that or people can't keep quiet, such as the fact that everyone knows that the Recess Monkey editor is Alex Hilton, which he is open about now anyway.
Chimpette, you are absolutely right and I would be more than happy to stand in the witness box as a character witness if such an event occured, but I also think Kerron was right to take the post down. In any case I think this rebounds more on the MP in question than Kerron himself
Just seen the post in my feed reader. I can certainly understand why you'd choose to take it down given the complaint, but that somebody complained at all is pretty stupid, imho. Especially given the person's other newsworthy statements today...You certainly have the moral high ground here!
Ahem, annoying MPs is my role in life.
"'reported me to the Chief Whip under new PLP rules'"
Should the new PLP rules involve members of the PLP and not researchers of MPs?
It's a bit bizarre!
Kerron,
I assume you've seen Guido's post on this??
Having checked, I must say that when I had the occasion to email John McDonnell, his office replied unlike some other MPs like, for example, Andy Reed.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
I am afraid that I am currently taking down any comments that link to the original post - I'd appreciate it if people respected my wish not to repeat the original post on this site.
I realise other sites have now posted up my original comments and that is their own personal choice.
But for the moment, my official position on this matter is "No Comment".
And yes, lads from South Oxhey are tough (in reply to one of the deleted commenters) - but unfortunately I was born in High Wycombe and grew up in Croxley Green. :-/
Why don't you make a complaint to the PLP about his overbearing behaviour
If this matter has indeed been referred to the Chief Whip, I hope that they look at all these factors - and the MP in question's voting record - before they come to any conclusion.
sorry, Kerran, but what's your point of your original post anyway?
The message says the Westminster office answer just 3 hours a day, because they're actually doing their job in the remaining hours and they've no time to answer. He has alo a constituency office constituents can contact him. And they can always contact him by letter or by email.
I agree that his reaction was OTT, but I find the original comment pretty pointless too
stupid MP... should have left his thin skin at home... now by making a fuss it's spread all over the blogsphere and someone like me in San Diego is sitting here shakig my head thinking "what a jerk !!!" ... not you Kerron, the MP :-)
not likely to have heard of it if it wasn't such a bonehead reaction
can you say *backfire*!?!?! ;-) ;-)
hey - i was shocked to hear all about this and i placed it on my blog
what a complete wanker!
also i am thinkin of starting a companion site to www.politicsjunkie.co.uk where we can post anonymous info about badly behaved MPs
oh yeah and kerron - dont be such a pussy. Sue you for what exactly? complain to the chief whip about what? as a journalist i think he has acted like a dick to the extent he will be getting shit in the diary pages about this! i strongly suspect the whole thing has already been noted. also - worried about your career - he is in the Socialist Campaign Group mate - i know amish people who get invited to more parties than them.
Re: Croxley Green and High Wycombe - I think this makes you a fish out of water Kerron :)
I'm happy to respect your wish not to link from here. I could of course have linked from my own watery blog, but that might have corrupted the purity of my own seabed.
Can't quite get to grips with your "no comment" comment though. You're running a blog, you commit a boo-boo, you hide the boo-boo but go on to advertise the fact, and allow others to comment. But you say your official position is no comment. These are not the actions of a rational man Kerron.
Good luck anyway, I know to swim well clear of the Two Bridges now.
Mate, it is so out of your hands now...
One can pulp a print edition but once something is out online nothing can quash it.
I just read the offending post at the eighties Tory boy blog, and agree that McDonnell was heavy handed in his actions but I'm guessing that as a member of the Westminster Village, you are clued up enough to know that your wee tit bit would be picked up by others, and no doubt it is one of the first of many wee smidgeons of gossip and hearsay that will be used against McDonnell in the coming months following his decision to stand in any forthcoming Labour leadership.
Also noticed that according to the 'They Work For You' website he does better than your boss 3-1 in the performance data section. Does that automatically mean that he is a better Member of Parliament than Andy Reed?
I work for someone in the Campaign Group.
Paranoia is their lifeblood. You should hardly be surprised.
Bunch of t-ssers.
Kerron,
Have some balls man !!! Put the post back up and tell that angry twunt that you'll see him in court.
Furthermore I'd post his threat of court action in full, with the offending telephone number so we can all have a listen.
I'm just emailed the MP concerned to tell what a twat he is.
"Have some balls" said the anonymous commenter. ;-)
One thinks that blogging comrades may not be giving McDonnell their vote.
I seem to remember one of your helpers claiming Now it will be read by some 25,000 people today...
He underperformed by 57%. Do you think you will have form of legal redress?
I worked in the constituency office of John McDonnell as a volunteer and was there when the original prototype ansafone message you are referring to was recorded, just saying to ring between eleven and one on weekdays with queries and for appointments and we left the ansafone on that line the rest of the time. We had to do it as the phones were ringing constantly and even John couldn't get through to us his own staff sometimes e.g. to tell us if he was held up somewhere and would be late for a meeting he was chairing in the office where people would be waiting and so on. It would often take me about an hour to clear and note for further action the messages we had got overnight on the ansaphone yet alone deal with the current days business. We really did ring the people back. The line with the ansaphone was mostly used by constituents who would need appointments so we would always ring them back later and book them in. That's all, it was just due to the volume of work which has increased even more recently. It is just because he really is doing his job properly - just ask mst of the people in Hayes! - and dealing with mountains of casework and was involved in numerous local initiatives and he still is. Yet at one regional training seminar for PPCs/election campaigners I attended the party told us we may have to turn down some of the casework picked up on the campaign; this is not how Labour MPs and councillors should behave - it's what the Tories do. I haven't listened to the Westminster message very recently, it may have been re-recorded but as far as I am aware no offence has ever been intended by it's tone, it was just an honest attempt to try to guide people as to when best to ring to be dealt with as soon as possible because he does his work properly and will help anyone. I think this is a storm in a teacup but it does make me sad when I read some of the comments on here from the right wing of our party - we should all be working together not destroying each other and thereby giving the Tories grist to their mill and letting them back in by the back door. And as for socialists supposedly not having any good parties you obviously haven't been to our conference rallies/socials in the past few years....! Humourless they ain't!
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