It was the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines who told the Leveson Inquiry “Editors, pundits and journalists are surprisingly thin skinned and there is much sport to be had in teasing and taunting prominent media figures”. He might have added some of his pals on the back benches to that list, not least Mid Bedfordshire’s Tory MP (yes, it’s her again) Nadine Dorries, who has gone off the end of the pier in no style at all at LBC host James O’Brien.
O’Brien occasionally passes adverse comment on Ms Dorries, who has thus far not seen fit to go on his show and defend herself. She does, however, take his criticisms personally, which usually causes her to end up looking yet more foolish. One example was when she called him a “Public school fuck wit”, only for O’Brien to point out that she had sent two of her daughters to the same public school he had attended (Ampleforth College).
So there is significant previous here, but her latest meltdown has taken it to a new level. After an interview in the Independent told O’Brien had asserted “Andrew Bridgen [the Conservative MP and Leave supporter, who suggested all English people are entitled to Irish passports] and MP Nadine Dorries are picked off as ‘some of the most profoundly ignorant people ever to disgrace public life’”, she went ballistic.
“This man needs to see a Doctor. I’ve found his obsession with me seriously creepy bordering on, shall I call the police? I’m a back bencher, not a Minister and have had to email his employer a number of times. It’s not his soul in jeopardy”. Er, WHAT? She’s a politician with an (undeservedly) high media profile. She persists in saying things that are not true. She counters criticism with smears and abuse. That brings more criticism.
But on she ploughed. “I guess it must be a latent bitterness at having failed so badly at broadcast TV that does it, however, when Brexit is over, he is going to have to find a new reason to excuse his irrational, erratic, rude and obsessive behaviour bcse without Brexit as a screen, he’s exposed”. He managed OK for several years before the EU referendum, so it’s a safe bet he’ll manage OK after it. And her opinion was not universally held.
Hence “You are an MP, he is a journalist. It is his job to hold you to account for your actions in post. The reason why you get a lot of attention (along with others) is because you advocate a position for the country and are unable to support it with facts … Actually reading the article, he was bang on about you … [and] If Nadine can't take fact based, policy and action driven criticism then maybe politics is not for her”.
Worse, her most infamous recent gaffe kept coming back to haunt her. “Have you figured out what the customs union is yet, @NadineDorries?” asked one Tweeter. This was not a solo effort, hence “Have you found out what the customs union is yet?” Then someone alluded to her sheer nastiness by asking “What have you had to email them [O’Brien’s employer, presumably LBC] about? Asking them what the Customs Union is?”
That’s the Nadine Dorries of legend: viciously trying to get her critics sacked in order to silence them. Not that she doesn’t have the intellectual heft to counter them, of course.
The fragrant Nadine comes off second best once again. And remember, they allowed her to become an MP.
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9 comments:
Yesterday, the residents of Mid Beds were told they were getting the incinerator that they have they campaigned against for years. And where was our MP? not in her constituency supporting her constituents but writing nonsense on Twitter.(Mind you, she did write to a resident a couple of years ago and told him the area they are going to put the incinerator was not in Mid Beds which was news to everyone living there.)
I see she is going down the "I'm being stalked" route again as well.
Nadine Dorries: Britain's answer to Foghorn Leghorn.
Not worth the proverbial carrot.
Hmm. Wonder if this is where Trump got the idea from? I guess she would withdraw access to journalists too, if she could - unsympathetic journalists, obviously.
Well, if she's struggling with this politics lark, perhaps she should have a go on "I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here". I'm sure what with her winning personality she'd be really good at that.
Oh...er..hang on.. ah..I see.
OK, what about becoming a respected author, with rave reviews across the board and awards aplenty? Now I know she could do that.
What...? Really?..When?...Oh..erm...best stick to being a shit politician then.
Dorries appears to be regressing to 2014, when Beds Chief Constable Colette Paul made the mistake of taking her seriously. There is reason to be confident that her replacement Jon Boutcher won't be giving Dorries the same sort of credulous welcome if she carries through her threat
But although Dorries's outpourings are good for a laugh, her intent is sinister and anti-democratic and I hope MSM coverage goes beyond the tired "outspoken MP Nadine Dorries in spat" diary tropes.
Also, let's hear what journalists who have enabled Dorries over the years have to say about this - those who have puffed and promoted her; those who have published her spiteful and dishonest briefings against critics; and those who have advised her behind the scenes.
Poor old Nadine. Being the UK's answer to Trump isn't going too well?
The really serious point is that she is allowed to become an MP and voted for by a majority of her constituents.
That is really a damning indictment of our political system whereby the toadies and grifter/spivs are put in places of power without the knowledge or expertise to know how to use it properly while the general public fall for the rhetoric not corrected by a generally complicit media.
A failing on both sides of the pond.
Who needs experts when you can con the public so easily!
"Nadine Dorries: Britain's answer to Foghorn Leghorn."
An insult to a great character. Foghorn is polite (in that old-fashioned Southern way) and funny. Something she will NEVER be!
I recall @IanDale (anyone else remember him?) reckoned the former Ms Bargery was a definite for a ministerial post in Dodgy Dave's administration.
Sorry: just remember Iain Dale has two eyes.
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