Fraser Nelson’s Guido Giveaway

It has always been the contention here on Zelo Street that, far from being some kind of media outsider independent of establishment influence, the perpetually thirsty Paul Staines and his rabble at the Guido Fawkes blog have long ago become part of that establishment, something that was all too obvious when they held their tenth anniversary celebration.

Fraser Nelson

Now, in an Oh What A Giveaway moment which he may come to regret later, routinely dishonest Spectator editor Fraser Nelson has confirmed my contention. Worse, he has indicated his approval of those who work, or have worked, in the service of The Great Guido, and by inference their methods, all in one most unfortunate Twitter excursion.

After the Media Guido feed told “The person we delayed making a formal offer to because the office was closed due to Covid, was nabbed by [Fraser Nelson] and the fool has now gone to work at the [Spectator]", Nelson added “A great opportunity, especially with so few papers hiring. Harry Cole, Juliet Samuel and many more have been through the Guido Academy. It offers a brilliant start to a career in journalism”.

Quite apart from the eyebrow-raising claim that Fawkes somehow equals Journalism (not as such), Nelson is implying that what Staines and his gofers get up to is OK by him. So let’s look at what those who passed through the Fawkes ranks are prepared to indulge in, in order to land their “stories”. Starting with Master Harry Cole.

Master Cole made his name as an unprincipled liar while still at University. He called the Phone Hacking scandal totally wrong. He openly defamed me, thus ensuring he gets no change out of this blog. His first Sun front page was a pack of lies that fell apart almost as soon as it was published. But he is good at taking dictation.

Featured in that Media Guido Tweet was one Steven Edginton, whose gaslighting of Diane Abbott (aided and abetted by mercenary hack Isabel Oakeshott) in the wake of a BBC Question Time appearance is well known. Ross Kempsell, hired because of his ability to tape others’ conversations, left for Murdoch property TalkRADIO.

And then there was Alex “Billy Liar” Wickham, whose entrapment of former Tory MP Brooks Newmark never did get explained properly, and probably never will. Wickham’s dishonesty was captured for posterity when he lied shamelessly about Andy Burnham’s campaign for Manchester Mayor - and Zelo Street caught him out.

Endorsed by Fraser Nelson

The current crop of Fawkes gofers manages to be equally bereft of principle: sensitive soul Christian Calgie was caught yesterday cropping the dates off a screen shot to try and implicate Jeremy Corbyn in the Wiley anti-Semitism row. And then there is lockdown-busting Tom Harwood. Whose penchant for aggressive lying, petulance, victimhood, dishonesty and bullying was illustrated superbly as Adam Boulton totally pwned him.

This is what Fraser Nelson is advertising as a “great opportunity” and a “brilliant start to a career in journalism”. Worse, the whole show is run by someone with a grim track record, one of far-right sympathies, illegal behaviour, and the facilitation of murder and torture.

Now you know why our free and fearless press is in such a mess. Not a good look.

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