FibDems

Lib Dem donor jailed for dishonesty
Press Association
Monday September 25, 2006 5:18 PM

The Liberal Democrats' biggest donor has been jailed for two years for what a judge branded "very deliberate and pointed" dishonesty.

Flamboyant financier Michael Brown, 40, first gave false information in a affidavit and then tricked the authorities into giving him a new passport.

After a tense stand-off with armed police,
Ming dropped some E before surrendering

An interesting comment from Copper Spoon on Guido's site:

Copper Spoon said...
That's nothing Guido - the Scottish "Liberal" "Democrats" have placed a blanket ban on any of their selected candidates blogging, lest they embarrass themselves....

It's just that it comes shortly after Bernie Hughes had squirm like crazy after getting found out for doing what we know FibDems do - pretend to be the offended opposition for the voters rather than take responsibility for their decisions.

As was pointed out after some bravado by Bernie he then went into Winston Smith mode and deleted all comment that exposed him. Big, big hat tip to Yellow Peril for bringing this one to our attention and keeping the pressure on Bernie here, here, here, here, here*, here and here (Phew!).

* This one appears to have been spammed. Could it be a case of "Hell hath no fury like a FibDem exposed"? Nevertheless it does make interesting reading on Bernie's upfront LibDemism:

Wednesday 30.08.2006
18:52 They don't like it up them

Bernie the brain (aka Super Numpty) has deleted all the messages on his blog that demonstrated that collective responsibility did apply to decisions of the Scottish Executive. He also expunged all references to this blog and fibdems and even his own post boasting about the Scottish Lib Dems' rise in the polls because it also had a go at myself and Porridge Oatens.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. Obviously bears of little brain such as himself find it difficult to deal with criticism.

Update: It seems we owe the Scottish Lib Dems a small apology - as Bernie has made it clear that not even they are stupid enough to stand him for the Scottish Parliament (though we have a media reference that suggests otherwise).

The update is a bit odd and based on Bernie's own "word" - the word of a FibDem - and is at odds with this link* which clearly says:

23/02/06 Strathaven Extra 2.3
Glasgow Caledonian’s book resource centre manager, Bernie Hughes, is also the Scottish Liberal Democrats candidate for East Kilbride.

So has he quickly resigned and hope no-one will ask him or his party lest his embarrassing blogging comes to light and more voters are party to his party's duplictous campaigning?

"...the Scottish "Liberal" "Democrats" have placed a blanket ban on any of their selected candidates blogging, lest they embarrass themselves..."

* Just press cancel on the password box and it should open up in document format.

Jo Swinson, the party's spokeswoman for Scotland, insisted that failure to answer the "West Lothian Question" would do long-term constitutional damage.

Addressing a fringe meeting, Ms Swinson said: "Our current constitutional arrangements are unsustainable. The West Lothian Question has never been adequately answered and if not addressed, the anomalies it highlights will continue to fester and fuel resentment against Scottish MPs over time."

Jo was also stumped when people asked her the time

A wonderful article from Ian Bell of the Herald exposing the contradictions of thoe FibDems:

Thanks to the wonders of the DVD recorder, it is possible these days to imagine yourself in two places at once. If you are a Liberal Democrat, you can be in three, four, and sometimes more political locations simultaneously, watching yourself coming and going.

On one screen yesterday afternoon, I had Menzies Campbell entertaining the faithful down in Brighton with an excoriating dismissal of New Labour.

Wealth inequalities, public services, the environment, civil liberties; "a foreign policy which is neither ethical nor effective": failed, failed, failed. Who could possibly work with such people?

Then the picture flickered slightly. Suddenly Ming the Merciful was heaping praise on Nicol Stephen, his Scottish leader, a "driving force behind progressive politics", what with the "abolition" of tuition fees and the like. (Small digression: will I eventually have to cough up fees for the student of the house, or will I not?)

But how did Nicol achieve such breakthroughs? Was it thanks to the massed ranks of LibDem MSPs, or could it be - say it ain't so - that the leader of Ming's Scottish legion of decency has been supping with the Labour devil, like his predecessor before him?

It amounts to a favourite old Liberal slogan slightly amended: go back to your constituencies and prepare for coalition. Just don't let on to the voters.

Mr Stephen may believe sincerely that he will lead Scotland's largest party next May. I believe in little green men.

Zark and Booj-Booj left the coalition talks confident that Nicol would allow the scrapping of all life on earth

The Lib Dem audience soaked up Ming's family holiday snaps with their usual unique brand of enthusiasm

Regular readers will have noticed some problems with displaying all comments, and we've also had a couple of innapropriate postings too :(

For the time being we will be using moderated comments, so posts may take longer than usual to appear.

Normal service etc etc......

One wonders which witless wag came up with the most recent faux pas of fibs Heid Fibber Nicol Stephen was coming out with over the past two weeks - reaching a crescendo yesterday akin to a Clairol moment.*

On Sunday 03 September it was reported in the Sunday Herald that the "Scottish Liberal Democrats are preparing to ditch Jack McConnell as First Minister by declining to enter a coalition with Labour afternext year's Holyrood election...Senior strategists say Nicol does not want to share office with aparty "on the way down" and would prefer to keep his options open on athree-way coalition with the SNP and Greens."

So far so good. But only Sunday past he was launching another initiative which the pressaraty concluded was a signal that he was closing down his options and would enter a coalition with Labour.

In the Scotland on Sunday of 17 September Nicol was saying in relation to a colaition with the Nats: "We are clearly opposed to a referendum on independence. We are not a party that supports independence and the only reason forholding a referendum would be as a first step to separation."

So was the first leak a fib or was Nicol fibbing? By Monday punters were even more confused.

The Scotsman of 18 September reported "Sir Menzies Campbell, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, has said helooks favourably on a coalition with the SNP," whilst Nicol was signalling "his opposition to a referendum on independence, effectively ruling out acoalition with the rival party".

Tuesday, 19 September and Nicol is far clearer on the BBC when he emphatically said "his party could only work with the SNP if it abandoned its "blocking" policy of an independence referendum".

However by evening BBC Reporting Scotland was reporting that East Dunbartonshire LibDem leader John Morrison was not happy with conditions being set and said they should wait to see the election results.

Next day the Scotsman of Wednesday 20 September reports "Stephen leaves way clear for coalition talks with SNP".

Effectively leaving us back where we started two weeks ago...or ever when it comes to finding out when the Fibs are telling the truth.

Nevertheless Nicol's opposition to a referendum on independence does raise another question.

On the official Lib's website they promote this from the Earl of Mar and Kellie who says "a democratic path should be available to Scottish independence" with his Bill on a, er, referendum on independence.

Since it's on their official website, and the Earl hasn't been sacked from the official positions he has been appointed to, then the logic of that must be that they have an open mind on the matter. Or are they playing at being FibNats with some voters and Fiberal Unionists with others?

The ScotFibDem Conference was ruined when John Morrison and Mar & Kellie opposed Nicol's motion on a coalition

* Clairol? Is she or isn't she...?

My thanks to Guido for pointing out that Jo Swinson, yes that's right Jo Swinson, has been labelled as top Lib Dem totty by The Sun.

Now, we at Fib Dems have always been more than a little eager to point out that when it comes to political statements, Ms Swinson displays the qualities of a supermodel. Namely a lack of intelligence.

Jo doesn't really do it for us though. Neither do any of her fellow "stunners" in the Lib Dems.

We're more captivated by Claire Ward, Labour MP for Watford.

See what we mean? Foxy lady.

Why say it when the Daily Record says it best:

LIB DUMB

POLITICIANS have a reputation for making silly claims when they want our votes.

But the Lib Dems yesterday appeared to have set new records for bogus answers.

Scottish leader Nicol Stephen said he doesn't want any new nuclear power plants in Scotland.

But he won't say if this will be a deal breaker in any future coalition talks.

Cynics would say it depends on how many ministerial Mondeos are on offer.

And UK leader Sir Menzies Campbell gets caught out on two simple questions.

He claimed the Arctic Monkeys had sold more records than the Beatles and that the Lib Dems had won the Bromley and Chislehurst byelection, when they finished in second place behind the Tories.

And these are the people who want to run the country?

And there's more in the Mirror

THE LIB DIMS

Clueless Ming stuns party faithful with shock gaffes
By Rosa Prince Political Correspondent

BUNGLING Ming Campbell turned into a party joke at the Lib Dem conference yesterday - with a string of embarrassing gaffes.

Dim Sir Menzies, 65, had hoped for a confident start to his first conference as leader - but blundered on everything from how many by-elections they had won to his favourite TV shows.

The first clanger, in a Q&A session in front of delegates, came as he tried to mock Gordon Brown's claim to be a fan of indie band the Arctic Monkeys.

Aides cringed as he spluttered: "I know where the Arctic Monkeys come from. I know they've sold more records than The Beatles.

"But the idea, as was reported by the Chancellor, that I'm going to turn off the Today programme and turn on the Arctic Monkeys seems a little remote."

In fact the Sheffield band, famed for the hit I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, have sold 500,000 - a fraction of the Fab Four's one billion.

Ming again came a cropper over his grasp of popular culture when he claimed he would spend Monday night glued to cult US political drama The West Wing on BBC4. He would have been sorely disappointed as it is on Sundays on digital channel More4.

But the hapless leader stunned activists in Brighton when he could not even get basic political facts right.

He claimed to have led* them to victory in the two by-elections fought under him - in Bromley, Kent, and Dunfermline & West Fife.

He bragged: "We won in both of those places because we had the right candidates with the right campaigns."

But the Lib Dems only came second to the Tories in Bromley.

And Ming has led them in three elections. The third, in Blaenau Gwent, Wales, in June, was on the same day as the Kent contest.

"I'm Prime Minister you know..."

* Technically he didn't lead them in Dunfermline either since he was only acting leader during the leadership contest - yet more fibbery.

Some will remember that we asked this question a little while back.

It seems they still don't know the answer.

After having huffed and puffed about how raw a deal rural motorists were getting, Danny Alexander has decided that they should have to pay about £2,000 in tax for their 4x4 vehicles.

So, what is Danny's true position?

Are rural motorists entitled to a better deal given how essential car use is for them?

And just what is his definition of a rural motorist?

Which areas in his constituency of Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey would he class as rural?

If I were a betting man (and when Mrs Inquisitor isn't looking I am) I would reckon Danny doesn't have any answers to these questions.

FibDems devoted readers are invited to ask Danny for themselves. Please send the answers to misterinquistor@hotmail.co.uk and we'll put them up for all our readers to see.

Yellow Peril says:

When even Lib Dems say this, what is the point of Yellow Peril?

Graham Watson, the leader of Liberal Democrats and allied groups in the European Parliament, said that the party had relied on populist gimmicks for too long and failed to put forward a coherent policy agenda.

“It will no longer be credible for Liberal Democrats to appeal for votes, as so often we do, on the basis that we would be better managers,” he said. “It will no longer be credible to campaign, as sometimes we do, on a disparate series of populist gimmicks.

“Our party has been guilty of such populism at all levels of government. Other parties can repair cracked paving stones or improve local eyesores as well as we can, and campaign on a platform of doing so just as effectively.”

Hopefully the message of Yellow Peril and FibDems is getting through to the likes of Mr Watson and the pangs of guilt are itching. We may have to accord him a special dispensation.

Graham had second thoughts when the Priest was sent round to give the holy dispensation

"The Aberdeen FibDem chairman had to postpone the meeting after Nicol took offence."

So.

After the rantings and ravings of Bernie Hughes (who decided to pursue the ultra-liberal stance of closing his blog to comment after being caught out) about how Labour was solely responsible for the closure of Monklands A&E, his colleagues were given the chance to put their votes where their mouths were on the issue in parliament.

Here's how they voted.

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear...

Poor Jo Swinson.

As if it wasn't bad enough being grossly incompetent and hideously underqualified, now her own party has ascertained as much.

Witness the reaction of John Morrison, leader of Jo's local council, when she decided to add her tuppensworth to a local education dispute.

FibDems cannot help but find it appropriate that, during the Festival of Politics, Jo Swinson was asked to take part in a "Balloon" debate...

Scottish spokesperson? You're having a laugh!!!