Guido Fawked - Hodge Not Busted

Ever ready to put the boot into anyone in the Labour Party, and wasting no opportunity to pretend that he eschews such dreadful things as legal threats, the perpetually thirsty libel bully Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog have chosen today to combine another of their pointless vendettas with helping their press masters to kick the hated BBC, as they go after Margaret Hodge once more.

Feared. But by whom?

Although Staines has not written either of the Hodge bashing efforts today - he has chaps to do that sort of thing for him - he is undoubtedly the presence behind them. The first post obediently showcases the Murdoch Times - a good move when much income chez Fawkes depends on that weekly Sun column - which has denounced Ms Hodge, but in a very carefully worded article which can easily be dissected.

Here’s a quick fisk: “just under 96,000 Stemcor shares handed to Ms Hodge in 2011 came from [Liechtenstein], which is renowned for low tax rates [Did she hold them when they were ‘in Liechtenstein’? If not, it’s hardly relevant]. Three quarters of the shares in the family’s Liechtenstein trust had previously been held in Panama [Ms Hodge and ‘the family’ are not one and the same thing]”. Pretty crap knocking copy, then.

The Times piece observes “The veteran Labour MP was accused of sheer hypocrisy”. And this is recycled by the Fawkes blog, whose founder, apart from his libel bullying, attacks the likes of Polly Toynbee for having three properties in the family, when, it has been estimated, he has four. It would be wise not to take any lectures on hypocrisy from the Fawkes founder, or the rabble he employs.

Then the Fawkes folks blubber “Guess where you won’t find the Margaret Hodge story? Yep, on the BBC’s controversial election website”. Yay obedient Murdoch poodles! But perhaps the Beeb is only being cautious: after all, the Telegraph has already had to apologise to Ms Hodge, back in late 2012. Here’s what they said at the time.

“Contrary to our report ‘Hodge faces challenge over family firm’s taxes’ (Nov 20), Stemcor, in which Ms Hodge has a small shareholding, has not abused transfer pricing to avoid tax. We accept that there is no inconsistency or hypocrisy in Ms Hodge criticising other companies for tax avoidance and apologise to her for any contrary impression”. The BBC should discard such caution and publish what the Fawkes rabble say they should?

Still, no threat has yet arrived chez Fawkes: “Hodge even threatened to sue anyone accusing her of tax avoidance. Yet no writ or letter before action came”. Are Staines and his pals feeling left out? I wonder if there are lawyers out there who might be interested in making the Fawkes experience a little more inclusive? After all, it couldn’t happen to a more deserving shower of utter and total hypocrisy.

Margaret Hodge has not, as the Fawkes rabble assert, been “busted”, or anything like it. But good to see Staines and his pals sing for their supper at Creepy Uncle Rupe’s table.