Telegraph Labour Bullying Claim BUSTED

[Update at end of post]

The increasingly desperate and downmarket Telegraph has joined the argument over last week’s edition of BBC Question Time, with Camilla Tominey, nominally the paper’s “associate editor”, but in reality just another right-wing propagandist, bringing readers “Fiona Bruce 'bullied by hard-Left' as Labour supporters demand BBC release Diane Abbott footage”. Those quote marks are doing an awful lot of heavy lifting.

"Labour activists" - there's no citation for that claim, either

But do go on. “Labour has been accused of trying to ‘bully and intimidate’ Fiona Bruce after a Question Time audience member said it was ‘categorically untrue’ the BBC presenter had made unpleasant remarks about Diane Abbott before the show … It came after Labour supporters questioned Ms Bruce’s impartiality and attacked her husband Nigel Sharrocks on social media for running an advertising company which has received millions to advertise Government policy”. No citation. And no surprise.

But who is this audience member of whom Ms Tominey speaks? “Harry Lister, 22, who asked a question on the programme, said ‘It’s categorically untrue to say that Fiona Bruce said Diane Abbott owed her seat to a past relationship with Jeremy Corbyn. That’s not what she said at all’”. But no-one made that claim. That’s because Ms Abbott had been an MP for many years before Jezza became Labour leader.

So not such a good straw man, then. But we do learn that Lister is an “events manager from Nottingham”. Well, as his testimony is the only thing that the Tel has to stand up its article, they and he should have no complaint if Lister’s views are put on show for all other observers of this row to draw their own conclusions.

And, conveniently, Harry Lister has an open Twitter feed - well, it was at the time this post was compiled - where he sees Andrew Lilico moaning that Jo Cox’s murder cost the Leave side in the 2016 EU referendum 4-6% and concludes “Absolutely shameful”. Yes, an MP got murdered, and the Telegraph’s source is more interested in Leave losing votes.

There is more. Lister endorses Leave EU’s suggestion that there would be no chaos at Calais in the event of a No Deal Brexit, and added “Not Pro-Leave but interesting, sure this won't get the time of day though”. Then it gets worse. A lot worse.

After the Tel’s Christopher “No” Hope also moaned, this time about Corbyn not taking up Theresa May’s pointless offer of talks last week - because she wasn’t listening - Lister knew exactly what that meant. “Corbyn is a disgrace”. No bias there, then.

There was just time for him to Retweet Whinging Dan Hodges’ attack on Corbyn supporters - accusing them of harassing opponents - and also Isabel Oakeshott’s gofer Steven Edginton, who has already been exposed as a liar over his ConHome claims about Diane Abbott, before telling the world just what a disinterested witness he was.

Endorsing the Tel’s claim of “hard left bullying”, he added “Have a read about the 'Lefty-Lies' that are covering up Abbotts [sic] ineptitude. Featuring yours truly”.

I give you the Telegraph’s star witness. Duly exposed as another right-wing shill.

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[UPDATE 1520 hours: Harry Lister has now taken his Tweets private.

Bit late for that now, eh Harry? You shut the stable door, but your horse has not only bolted, it's kicked your face in. Should have thought about that before you ran to the press]