Threatening The Powerful 127


About 20,000 of our 80,000 DVDs have now been delivered, with startling results. People have started phoning up for posters, and coming out of their homes to shake our hands as we go past.

I have knocked on hundreds of doors personally, possibly thousands, in the last three weeks. I can report that I have detected absolutely no public enthusiasm for the Conservative Party. The media’s presumption that this is a shoo-in for Chloe Smith seems based on nothing. In fact, many more people have told me that they are voting UKIP, than have said they are voting for any other party. The large majority say they will either not vote, or will vote for an independent.

The media’s determination to hype the Greens is even weirder. At its most frenetic, the Green campaign has been invisible verging on lacklustre. They seem to think it will help them to be shrilly rude about me, while Rupert their candidate wears ties and tries to look official.

The BBC is doing everything possible to constrainn debate, and in particular to give no time to arguments against banking bailouts or aganst the Afghan War, and to corral political opinion back into the safe custody of the major political parties. Even though our campaign is the only interesting thing in Norwich, and even the Sunday Express reports today that I am “Head and shoulders above” the other candidates in debate, the BBC is excluding me from their live televised “Candidates’ Hustings” on Monday at 22.15.

They are also excluding UKIP. While I disagree with them fundamentally, they also plainly have a right to be heard. The BBC is trying to define the field of politicial debate and choice.

Guidance from the Electoral Commission clearly states that, where there is a candidates’ hustings from which any candidate is excluded, the candidates who take part must divide the cost of the hustings between them and declare it against their election expenses limit.

A BBC broadcast candidates’ debate, where the candidates’ speak for election and answer questions to voters, plainly is not BBC news and editorial content, but a hustings. That hustings reaches the voters through a broadcast, and the cost of the event is both the cost of organisation and the cost of broadcast to the voters. So the entire cost of the BBC broadcast must be divided between the candidates and declared against their election limit.

I am sure the Tories and Lib Dems at least are already over their election limit (to be disguised by false accounting on the cost of centrally printed leaflets). Each has already delivered a dozen different leaflets per voter, several of them in fake newspaper or magazine format. If the BBC hustings cost is divided between those candidates invited to take part – Con, NuLab, Lib Dem and Grren – they wil be tipped well over the limit.

I regret having to take a legalistic approach, but the BBC’s determination to exclude me from the election has to be countered.

Meantime, just as the momentum is really switching our way, we need both people here to help leaflet and canvass, and we need donations to cover the remaining materials and expenses of the campaign. Please, please come. or if you can’t please give something to help the work of those who are here.


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127 thoughts on “Threatening The Powerful

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  • anticant

    Please show me a Muslim who doesn’t adhere to these theocratic views – or if he or she doesn’t, is prepared to speak out against them.

    For saying that they have no place in n open democratic society I was dubbed a “pseudo-liberal bigot” by a Muslim head teacher!

  • eddie

    Jon

    Point about politeness accepted. In my view a God cannot be both omnipotent and loving – power corrupts etc. Anon decries Victorian values and yet seems to relish the values of the middle ages where all decisions and actions are abdicated to a being who is man-made. “God said to Abraham kill me a son” – would he do it I wonder? This mindset is essentially a form of superstition where nothing that we do is ever worthwhile and fate decides all outcomes. It is basically a reactionary mindset that blocks progress, whether its from Islam, Catholicism, Judaism or any other religion.

  • eddie

    Oh, and just to follow Craig’s example I will get my excuses in early – it looks like Labour won’t win on Thursday because their candidate has swine flu. He clearly won’t be able to make the impact that he should have made now that he is in bed. Shame, he would have made a good MP.

    (note: this is a joke, for the benefit of any of the humourless types on here)

  • anticant

    Swine ‘flu. of course, will give Gordon Brown another excellent reason for not holding an autumn general election even if his party urge him to, knowing that most of the voters wanted one this summer.

  • anon

    Jon

    Democracy has been used in the Middle-East by the Bush/Blair confederacy as a substitute for legitimacy for their colonial wars, and Hamas have been denied power in spite of winning an election.

    My giving advice to my wife about participating in an election is just that,advice. Unlike the brute political force being exercised by Western powers to prevent Gaza from receiving the aid which the world promised six months ago.

    The bullies at the centre of that scandal are Blair and Brown. I hope voters in Norwich North make their protest vote against them, if only because of the way Ian Gibson was treated, by voting for Craig on the 23rd.

  • mary

    Hope George Galloway gives them all a rollicking on Question Time this Thursday. Perhaps he will mention the BBC’s exclusion of Craig in their coverage of his campaign.

    ‘David Dimbleby will be joined in Norwich by Geoff Hoon MP, Baroness Warsi, Baroness Williams, Clive James and George Galloway MP.

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/default.stm

    One is a war criminal, two are has-beens and Warsi is Cameroon’s Shadow Minister for Community Cohesion and Social Action whatever that means.

  • Dick the Prick

    Word up dude. Couldn’t get your website at work (Tory) and may investigate – bang out of order. Love to fam and as always to your good self.

  • M

    Craig, couldn’t access your site for part of today either – both at work and earlier this evening at home.

    Just to let you know…. xx

  • avatar singh

    ‘David Dimbleby is a pimp typical of BBc types who whore for the powerful and corrupt. he is also a war criminal and should be kept and tried for war crimes just like tony blair should be-atleast get that tony blair snacthcded from strteet to face war crime charge.

  • Jon

    Yep, website was down for a few hours yesterday, hence the gap in commenting 2pm-8pm. Just went down when I was typing this (frantic copy-n-paste):

    @anticant – I think that there *can be* a compatibility between moderate Islam and democratic values. The only trouble is that when moderates exist, they do not fit well with the media world-view, and so are often poorly reported.

    It was a coincidence that some weeks after speaking to Islam4UK, I spoke to representatives of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Association in Warwickshire. Their leader, and their representatives, are perfectly prepared to condemn theocracy, violent extremism and heavily restricted freedoms of speech. From what I can tell they have a large annual jamboree in the UK every year, to which MPs and dignitaries come, and they have a large membership, but they still receive little or no media coverage.

    Have a google on “ahmadiyya muslim association” for more info, or see the link below.

  • KevinB

    eddie,

    Quote:”…but some people must believe such tosh and it is thoroughly depressing. He needs to read Philip Larkin’s High Windows and read up on the Enlightenment.”

    Might it be possible that some good people lead more loving and constructive lives than you do by living ‘this tosh’.

    Also, our modern culture is a product of ‘The Enlightenment’ and this is a disaster for everybody, in my opinion.

    The reason being that the enlightenment conspired to displace ‘God’ with reason in the public consciousness. The ideology behind it was Masonic. This is clear to se in the way that power was shifted irrevocably into the hands of the self-serving men who would dictate to humanity at large what is actually reasonable.

    Not that the representatives of God (the church being in reality a worldly power) were that much better…..but at least they couldn’t invent any old idea as being morally good. There was the teaching of Christ to limit any assault they might have made on the collective consciousness.

    For example the murder of the unborn is now promoted and believed to be, on balance, morally justifiable (i.e. a good thing) by millions of people today.

    A Christian would normally agree that once the right to life is wiped away any other wickedness becomes possible.

    The development of literally millions of babies being aborted in the west could never take place within a truly Christian society.

    We are close to realising the full fruits of the intensively promoted and diabolical masonic rationalism today.

    We have a world run by bankers and their infernal think-tanks, busily socially engineering the entire human race into a state of conditioned helplessness.

    The parasite has taken over our brains, all the better to fleece us ad infinitum.

    …..and with the commandments of God finally completely swept aside, we will no doubt end up eating each other and enjoying fulfilling sexual relationships with farmyard animals.

    Is this going too far? How do you think societal limits should be set, eddie?

    Nearly every home in Britain has already got vile porn channels available at the touch of a button, ‘snuff’ video games to divert your children, any amount of war propaganda, news services dense with lying and more subtly deceiving propaganda, shedloads of witless ‘circuses’ to distract the masses, many of whom can barely think at all anyway….

    ……but, when push comes to shove….if the sh*t hits the fan…..they’ll handle a gun as well as anyone….and do precisely what our ‘sons and daughters of the enlightenment’ order them to do with it. Probably good for establishment hangers-on like you but definitely bad for anyone with an independent or unco-operative turn of mind.

  • ingo

    Luke, Thanks for your support. Many Greens have realised that Craig is the real thing, no offence to Rupert, but he should have taken a rest and consolidated his fervour after being defeated in the European elections.

    His mock fighting with candidates, challenging them to declare their allegiances to king Rupert is to a degree immature.

    Rupert is a colluding member of the UCU noLabour apparatschiks. He took part in a secretive and secluded hustings, championed by the BBC, excluding a fellow mwmber of the UCU, an activist who stood up and spoke at many of their actions, Rupert as a fellow academic will have to live with it.

    The education speed-freaking event at the Norman centre, excluding Craig and educationalist and rector of a university to be exact, was an excample of the preparedness to placate one’s principles to the colluding sleaze media.

    Whatever has the Green party done for Norwich apart from recycling badly? Is that enough enough to qualify oneself and become an MP?

    The BBC is scared for their existenceunder the Conservative party, they do not control the election broadcast anymore , Craig Murray’s campaign has changed all that in future,let your mates know, this man has the qualities we need, a do’er and independent thinker, not a party lackey or some highflying Westminster inside mawther with inconsequential experience.

    My heartfelt apologies to Chris Ostrowski and his swine flu attack, no more kissing of babies for my fellow allumni, I hope he gets better soon.

    So lets hear it now for the voters of Norwich North.

    DO DIFFERENT. Put an Honest Man into Parliament.

  • Craigslist

    Ingo, you moron. If you read what Luke wrote, you would realise that he was actually telling you to can it with all your insults against Read. Not giving support to him. And Craig is not a member of the UCU as he is not a teacher or an academic. So get lost with your betrayal rubbish.

    “The real thing”? Let me tell you what Greens now think of Craig. They will never forget that Craig smeared and lied about the Green candidate. None of the other parties gave a shit about Craig Murray. Even only a few Greens gave a shit about Craig Murray. The only audience Murray will ever have again is sad internet-based retards like you.

    Craig Murray is dead to the Green Party or anyone else on the left. His antics in attacking and trying to smear a progressive candidate will never be forgotten, and have tarnished his record. Honest man? You cunt.

    Let us not think for a second that Craig would protest and not go to an event if any of the other candidates were excluded. Why not cry over Bill Baggs, or whatever one of the other two independents is called? That’s right. You are acting like spoilt little two-year olds, and hitting out at anyone you can reach. Blaming all your failures on someone else. Hmm, reminds me of someone. Oh yeah, Hitler blaming the Jews after WW1. I forgot – you think Jews run a worldwide conspiracy, owning all the banks and the media companies.

    The saddest thing is if you lose your deposit or come 8th you have a long list of other people to blame it on.

    ZaNuLieBour

    Their chums UCU

    Their dogs the BBC

    UKIP (who will do better than CM)

    The Green Party

    The Tories

    The BNP

    Monster Raving Loony Party

    The Evil US

    Craig’s ex-wife

    Take your pick. After Norwich North, Craig is finished.

  • Craigslist

    And Kevin… jeez, abortion is the murder of millions of unborn?

    Get back into your cave, you neonazi fruitloop.

  • dreoilin

    “jeez, abortion is the murder of millions of unborn?

    Get back into your cave, you neonazi fruitloop.”

    You better deal with your fury, ‘Craigslist’. It’s bursting off the page. See a therapist, for your own sake. If Kevin is a “fruitloop” for opposing abortion, there are many millions like him — including people like me, who are atheist and have no religious agenda. Calm down for pete’s sake or you’ll have a heart attack. Drink some camomile tea, or put some lavender under your pillow. Your blood pressure must be through the roof.

  • Mark Wood

    Wow, I have just read all the posts on this page, even though I should have been in bed ages ago and one thing really sticks in my mind,if someone thought you ineffectual or even crazy, why would they spend so much energy and time trying to discredit you? After all life is finite and only a fool would waste it so.

    Crag, the only conclusion common sense could possibly advocate is that what you say has some truth and in fact, these actions the more nasty they become do nothing but strengthen your case no end.

  • anon

    Best not to call Craig, Crag. You’ll give him ideas about auditioning to be the next James Bond. And he’ll be too busy being Norwich North’s M.P. for that.

  • KevinB

    Craigslist,

    So being against abortion makes a person a Nazi and a cave-dweller. Logical.

    While I have got the attention of a member of the civilised world, can you explain me how mothers being educated to believe that it is OK to kill their unborn children is a good thing?

  • Jon

    Isn’t perspective a funny thing? On the one hand, Craig’s campaign has been sufficiently powerful to persuade volunteers from all over the UK, and from several countries overseas, all of whom were convinced that Craig is, indeed, an honest man.

    On the other hand, we have internet crazies waging a furious electronic campaign against Craig’s candidacy, determined to persuade everyone that the whole thing is a nasty charade. Where people do that, they’ll have a hard time battling against the basic facts, which are that: Craig gave up a lucrative career over a major point of honesty. He has also been wonderfully outspoken – uncontrolled by niceties or party whips – on the things that matter (the needless deaths in Afghanistan, the waste of money that are ID cards and Trident II, the fraudulence of the banking bailouts, and noting the widespread refusal to let casino banking go bust). The very interface we use to discuss things with Craig – this blog – is honest too, as people can post (nearly) what they want.

    “Craigslist” et al are welcome to prefer the Green if they wish. Although, given the apoplexy and pending heart attack, I wonder if the MRLP would be a better fit?

    Anyway, keep it civil, folks. This is a campaign that can be won without supporters on all sides resorting to abuse. It’s about the policies and the capability, and my humble analysis is that Craig has both in spades.

  • JimmyGiro

    @ Craigslist at July 22, 2009 1:40 AM

    The trouble with you greens is that you have plenty of veg, but no meat.

    You expect people to regard you as precious because you are generous with other peoples’ valuable time and money.

    You have all the wisdom to know the ecological problems and answers, yet despite your numbers and finances, you singularly fail to generate solutions yourselves.

    Just as Sinn Fein is the electable face of the IRA, so the ‘Green Party’ is the stalking horse of Greenpeace.

    Electing the greens would be an expensive political experiment in the object lesson of ‘I told you so’.

    The ecology of tomorrow needs the pragmatism of science, engineering, and industry; it does not need the windy arrogance of the sanctimonious greens.

  • Jon

    @KevinB: I would say that both sides have their extreme views! I don’t think that anti-abortionists are necessarily neo-nazis, but on the other hand I don’t think that there is a moral equivalence between abortion and murder either. Both sides try to claim the moral high ground, but as with so many things, the discussion is perhaps best conducted without emotional outbursts.

    However such a discussion would be wildly off topic for this thread, so could you put a post on your blog? If you do so, pop the link here and I will respond.

  • M

    Sad to see Craig supporters fight with Green supporters. I’m torn on this one – great shame they couldn’t have worked together. What’s the use in progressives standing against each other when we’re up against so much?

    As for the abortion issue, it makes my blood run cold to hear a discussion about the rights and wrongs of what a woman chooses to do with her body.

    Scratch the surface of someone who opposes abortion with such vigour and there’s a misogynist lurking who wishes to keep women in their place. If men could get pregnant it wouldn’t be an issue – at all.

    So keep your opinins about what I should and shouldn’t do with my body to yourself – thanks.

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