Falkirk – Leveson Revenge On Labour

The Royal Charter that paves the way for properly independent press regulation, it has been widely reported, had its structure and wording firmed up in the Parliamentary office of Mil The Younger. And the time for its passage to be considered by the Privy Council draws near. So it should surprise no-one that the Fourth Estate kicks the Labour leader especially hard when they can.

And the excuse the press has been waiting for has arrived with the news of that candidate selection in Falkirk. Labour has voluntarily alerted the Police, as I noted the other day. The issue here is not whether unions should be able to sponsor MPs – the party that represents ordinary working people receiving funding from Trades Unions should concern nobody – but packing the selection process.

That concerns neither Tories nor press, who have both gleefully piled in, led by Murdoch “I Speak Your Weight” man Trevor Kavanagh, who has compared Unite to the Mafia, throwing back Tom Watson’s jibe at Murdoch Junior. But the clueless Kav sells the pass when he talks of unions’ “fight to preserve their grip on the public sector”. Unite draws 85% of its membership from the private sector, Mr K.

He also talks of the “Union block vote”, which would be the one John Smith abolished some 20 years ago. But then, the Sun doesn’t get its paltry 10% positive trust rating for nothing, and Kav’s pals at the Guido Fawkes blog, which has recently sold out to Murdoch, are full value for their appalling 4% positive rating, as they bang on about “Fraud Charges”, of which there have so far been precisely none.

This is accompanied by the suggestion that anyone in receipt of union sponsorship should be barred from commenting on the matter, which manages to miss all that vested interest money pouring into the Tory Party, as I noted yesterday. And, speaking of Young Dave’s jolly good chaps, they have been taking full advantage to take the heat off themselves (for instance, in Romford, see HERE).

This has led the Mail – another Leveson hater – to join the fray this morning: “Scotland Yard asked to investigate union influence in TWO London seats as Labour crisis deepens for Miliband”. This is just the Tories on a shit-stirring mission, but note that Dacre’s finest are on it in a flash. Then, to put the lid on it all, the Maily Telegraph joins in with Benedict “famous last words” Brogan.

“The public still thinks that Ed Miliband is weak” he proclaims, and once more the text does not support his headline. Then there is Dan Hodges, the Colonel Nicholson of the Labour Party, opining that “Falkirk has become Labour's Roswell: the truth is out there, but the Left refuse to see it”. Very good Dan, the truth about the Roswell Incident was that there was no truth out there, just endless conspiracy theories.

And now there is endless Labour bashing as a means of stopping press reform.