Sun Pundit Keeps On Lying

The short but not at all sweet Sun career of the odious flannelled fool Henry Cole, formerly tame gofer to the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines at the Guido Fawkes blog, continues in the style which was established at its start: the pretence of “exclusives” that weren’t, the occasional foray into hypocrisy, and plenty of constructive invention, or, as most people prefer to call it, telling whoppers.

The hypocrisy was on view when Master Cole continued the Fawkes blog tradition of suggesting that the rotten lefties harboured and encouraged anti-Semitism, by reporting on Jeremy Corbyn’s presence at a Labour Friends of Israel meeting. Cole told that the Labour leader “appeared unable to bring himself to say the name of the Jewish State at the packed meeting in Brighton”. So he didn’t know, but his article suggests that.

Contrast that with Cole being happy to write for the same blog that also employs Simon Carr, who regularly wheels out anti-Semitic tropes in order to kick Jewish politicians, such as saying Mil The Younger “dances at the despatch box like a spastic marionette”, or that he was “other-worldly” and “crucifixion material”. Still, high principles, eh?

But that is as nothing when it comes to the downright dishonesty. “‘DON’T BULLY CORBYN': MINISTERS TOLD AHEAD OF TORY CONFERENCE … Tories are leaving the Corbyn attacks to Labour” he told earlier this week. Do go on. “Tory Ministers have been told to take lines mocking Jeremy Corbyn out of their conference speeches to avoid being slammed for bullying the elderly leftie, the Sun can reveal”.

Does Master Cole have a source for this claim? “Party strategists are determined not to be seen to be bullying the embattled 66-year-old Labour leader, with one telling the Sun last night: ‘There’s enough bitchiness about him coming from within Labour – our job’s to point out the serious risk.’ A Tory source added: ‘We’ve got a clear message and a strong record to focus on. We can leave destroying the Labour brand to Corbyn and McDonnell’”.

Cole’s partner works for the Tory Party, doesn’t she? Just leaving that there, as well as the sure and certain knowledge that the headline above is purest invention. Meanwhile, the flannelled fool has been attacking another of his favourite targets, Commons speaker John Bercow. “SPORTY SPEAKER JOHN BERCOW CASHES IN ON £6K TENNIS FREEBIES … He behaves 'like a football hooligan' at matches”, he tells.

“Self-confessed tennis nut and Commons Speaker John Bercow cashed in on £6,085 worth of tennis freebies this season alone, the Sun can reveal. Mr Bercow, 51 - a huge fan of Roger Federer - sat in the Royal Box at Wimbledon”. One does not buy tickets for the Royal Box: one attends it by invitation only. Try another.

“Onlookers at Centre Court claim the Speaker was ‘behaving like a football hooligan, jumping up and down, fists in the air, people were turning round and looking at him all the time’”. Except the broadcasters and everyone else managed to miss it. So that’s more exclusively made up rubbish. Meanwhile, the real story - that the Tories have warned off ministers from attending the launch of Michael Ashcroft and Isabel Oakeshott's unauthorised Cameron biography - Cole missed.

Will the Sun tire of this uselessness? Nah, they’ll probably promote him.