Guido Fawked - Chuka Mail Spin Busted

After Chuka Umunna, to whose activities they give the impression of investing rather a lot of attention, had decided to withdraw his candidacy for leader of the Labour Party, the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog fired up their spin machine in order to rebut a suggestion that had not been made in the first place, not that they’re obsessed with the MP for Streatham, you understand.

Fart in lift Inquiry getting overblown

“Chuka Aide Mail Briefing Unravels” declares the headline, above a suitably creative post authored by Staines’ tame gofer, the odious flannelled fool Henry Cole. “Looks like another row is due between the Mail and the Labour Party after an unnamed aide for Chuka Umunna briefed out that it was their behaviour that so upset their boss, including a toxic claim of doorstepping a 102 year old grandmother” it continues.

No 102 year olds here ...

Below this text are Tweets from George Eaton of the Staggers, who asserts “No tabloid stories behind Chuka’s withdrawal, I’m told. Just immense media pressure (e.g. Daily Mail doorstepping Mum)”, and Jason Groves of the Mail replying “I'm told this is wrong. If someone did knock on the door of Chuka's mother, it was not the Daily Mail”. Cole concludes “Guido understands that no one from the Staggers checked with the Mail to see if it was true before punting the line”. Right.

... or here, either

And, as Jon Stewart might have said, two things here. One, there are two Mail titles, the Daily Mail and Mail On Sunday. Groves is only denying that one of those doorstepped Umunna’s Mum. And two, Eaton did not say where he got his information. So unless someone within the Labour Party is on speaking terms with the flannelled fool - others can figure out the likelihood of that - he is guessing.

Oh look - NOTHING TO DO WITH THE STAGGERS

On top of that, those already well versed in the machinations of the deeply dishonest Cole will have seen how he switches from “a 102 year old grandmother” to “Chuka’s mother”. The claim of doorstepping “a 102 year old grandmother” was made by Channel 4’s Michael Crick - note that Cole manages not to show readers the relevant Tweet, so I will - and the centenarian concerned was girlfriend Alice Sullivan’s grandmother.

So the Fawkes rabble have taken a claim made by Crick, and by implication and context suggested that the Staggers have made it, and against the Mail, when Crick was careful not to attribute it to any one newspaper or media organisation. The impression is given that someone is trying to start a row between Labour and the Mail.

Exactly who might wish to do that I will leave to others. What is all too clear from this slice of Fawkes spin is that Master Cole appears either excessively creative and unpleasant with it, or is more stupid than even I thought. What can be said with certainty, though, is that there will be plenty more of this drivel circulating, as the Fawkes rabble pretend that they aren’t really fixated with Chuka Umunna, honest.

And if you believe that, you’ll believe anything. Another fine mess, once again.