Comments on: Turning to the Dark Side http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/ "crass, boorish and more a bruiser than blogger" - Alex Wilcock Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:22:32 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Antony H http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/#comment-40535 Antony H Fri, 30 Mar 2007 20:48:05 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/#comment-40535 Iain, On Lib Dem Voice, today, you denied being a neutral commentator! Iain,

On Lib Dem Voice, today, you denied being a neutral commentator!

]]> By: James Graham http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/#comment-40476 James Graham Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:44:13 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/#comment-40476 Iain, you've been maintaining that a defection is imminent pretty much ever since Cameron took the controls. You seem to be writing more out of hope than of genuine expectation. I'm not questioning the possibility that Mark Oaten considered defecting, just that it would have been a particular boon to the Tories, as Paul Walter <a href="http://paulwalter.blogspot.com/2007/03/if-only-mark-oaten-had-defected-to.html" rel="nofollow">points out</a>. Indeed, having withstood a year and more of endless jibes about Oaten's proclivity, it is a glorious counterfactual to meditate on. But was he of sound mind in Autumn 2005? I think not. The fact that by that point he'd ended his regular visits to a male prostitute doesn't mean he had in any way come to terms with his living in denial at that stage. Maybe Gideon Osborne ought to put a "You don't have to be mad to defect to the Conservative Party, but it helps" sign up on his door? Finally, please don't overplay the 'neutral commentator' act. You don't write it as you see it. You write it as it suits your agenda to write. So do we all (even, although he'd never admit it, Guido), but as an approved candidate actively seeking selection for a seat, you're more of a player than most. Iain, you’ve been maintaining that a defection is imminent pretty much ever since Cameron took the controls. You seem to be writing more out of hope than of genuine expectation.

I’m not questioning the possibility that Mark Oaten considered defecting, just that it would have been a particular boon to the Tories, as Paul Walter points out. Indeed, having withstood a year and more of endless jibes about Oaten’s proclivity, it is a glorious counterfactual to meditate on.

But was he of sound mind in Autumn 2005? I think not. The fact that by that point he’d ended his regular visits to a male prostitute doesn’t mean he had in any way come to terms with his living in denial at that stage. Maybe Gideon Osborne ought to put a “You don’t have to be mad to defect to the Conservative Party, but it helps” sign up on his door?

Finally, please don’t overplay the ‘neutral commentator’ act. You don’t write it as you see it. You write it as it suits your agenda to write. So do we all (even, although he’d never admit it, Guido), but as an approved candidate actively seeking selection for a seat, you’re more of a player than most.

]]> By: Iain Dale http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/#comment-40466 Iain Dale Fri, 30 Mar 2007 16:23:30 +0000 http://www.theliberati.net/quaequamblog/2007/03/30/turning-to-the-dark-side/#comment-40466 James, oh, where to start. Oaten himself admitted on my programme on 18 DOughty Street that he came close to defecting then. Watch it for yourself. And your memory is playing tricks. His activities came to light in Janaury 2006, although they actually happened twelve months previously I think. I don't mind you picking my article to pieces. I would expect you too. But you make a mistake of thinking that I write from a standpoint of trying to convert Libdems in my Telegraph articles. I don't. I'm given a subject to write about and I give my views, I do not doubt that some people in the Tory Party won't like what I have written. That;s not the point. The point is I write it as I see it. If some people in my party or your party don't like it, then so be it. A columnist doesn't write to win friends... James, oh, where to start. Oaten himself admitted on my programme on 18 DOughty Street that he came close to defecting then. Watch it for yourself. And your memory is playing tricks. His activities came to light in Janaury 2006, although they actually happened twelve months previously I think. I don’t mind you picking my article to pieces. I would expect you too. But you make a mistake of thinking that I write from a standpoint of trying to convert Libdems in my Telegraph articles. I don’t. I’m given a subject to write about and I give my views, I do not doubt that some people in the Tory Party won’t like what I have written. That;s not the point. The point is I write it as I see it. If some people in my party or your party don’t like it, then so be it. A columnist doesn’t write to win friends…

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