The last word...
So it's been quite a day and Tory Bear expected to take some flak for his actions in effectively blowing the whistle on the inappropriate behaviour of certain people. 98% of CF members and readers of this blog so far seem to be reasonable people who, like TB, have been repulsed by anyone who would dress up as Madeleine McCann or Baby P. However there are those that would rather shoot the messenger. Tory Bear firmly believes that although today has given those that already hate the Tories a excuse to have a go at us, the actions of the Party have proven TB's original point and reasons behind publishing - that sick people like this are not welcome in out tent. Readers of this blog will know that TB isn't one of these molly coddling social conservatives who believes in preaching right and wrong but a line was very very much crossed here.
Not only was the actions of Matt Lewis and co hugely inappropriate they were also extremely foolish. TB believes that it is best in the long run that they were outed now, rather than allowing people who can show such lack of compassion and intelligence to progress up the greasy pole. This story isn't Tory Bear attacking the Conservatives as some of you have suggested, it is in fact a blessing in disguise. Members like this shouldn't be brushed away under the carpet or covered up but tackled head on. The Party really has changed and those elements that earned us the reputation as the nasty party are no longer welcome.
As TB said earlier, it takes a lot to have a crack at your own side and the decision wasn't taken lightly, however if we want to create the Britain that the Conservative Party says it can and wants to see, then there will be causalities on the way. The lack of respect for other people and base humour this incident has shown is symptomatic of the broken society that we live in.
CF has today lost one of it's new Regional Coordinators in Richard Lowe, a branch Chairman (Keele CF) Flick Cox and a former Area Chairman Matt Lewis. Matt has apologised and now it's time to move on. To defend the actions of these people and blame the media (and/or TB,) will only drag this out further. The right course of action has been taken and let's get back to work in changing this country for the better.
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49 comments:
Let he that is without sin cast the first stone...
I would be mucho careful in future..
And as for recruiting other CFers - well, who amongst us hasn't done something amazingly foolish in our youth, albeit without the stupidity to put it on 'facebook' ?
How noble of you, TB, to do us this honour, this service...
Except that Guido is right when he says that it's the re-reporting of this that's hurt the McCanns. This isn't a shoot-the-messenger situation. You broadcast an offensive joke shared on a small, unobserved corner of the Internet: you took a screenshot and sent it around the blogosphere.
You've done yourself a disservice, of course, because nobody likes to think that they could be stitched up, by you, in public, and nobody likes to read sanctimony like this last entry from you.
I hope that CF doesn't become a sanitised, paranoid huddle because of you. But frankly, I wouldn't blame members if they aren't so talkative when you're around any more.
And you don't get to laugh at Princess Di jokes any more without feeling like a massive hypocrite. Sad times, TB :(
You say we should "get back to wor in changing the country for the better" but that's just bull...
You've got perfectly good people dragged down with this story, that are now painted in a completely wrong and un-fair light.
How do you think we're going to get back to campaigning when you have got Richard Lowe thrown off his position as North West Regional Co-ordinator - a brilliant guy, who YOU have made to sound like a monster - now he's been removed from his seat we aren't able to get back to campaigning straight away.
I'll leave you to contemplate what you deem as being right, and yes, it was right to expose Mathew Lewis, but it was wrong to pull-down people around him.
You have acted in a silly and selfish manor, I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have in mind how you wanted this blog to become popular. This was marginally about being noble, but more over it was an attempt at breaking a story...
It was right to report Matt Lewis' disgraceful behaviour, however, I do not agree that Richard Lowe and Flick Cox should have been removed from CF and pulled down along with him. As a member of Keele CF, this is going to have a massive effect on us, Flick is the driving force behind our branch at Keele university and it is going to be very difficult to get back on course without her.
There are better ways to deal with this kind of thing TB. If you wnated to get rid of Matt you could have reported him internally... that way the others you have implicated could have stayed in.
You have done huge damage to CF, wasted time of the party chairman, upset the McCann family and all for your own fame!
This was a really wanker-ish thing for you to do TB...
Doubtless you'll enjoy the rise in hits on your website, but I would ask whether the jobs of Richard Lowe and Flick Cox are worth that?
Having ensured Flick Cox was removed from Keele CF, and making sure that Richard Lowe can no longer be a Conservative Councillor for Chester City anymore or be the NW Regional Coordinator.
I would go as far to say as you should be ashamed.
This was an idiotic plot by you to make this blog get more hits... You have pretty well screwed over Flick Cox and Richard Lowe. Both of which are good CF members, and in particular Richard Lowe won't be able to sit as the Conservative Councillor for Chester City as a result of this.
I hope you're happy with yoursef TB, and that you get the ten more hits you were ever so gracefully hunting for :D
Not.
There's a post on Guido that says it all:
"I was at a college party with the theme 'Dead Celebrities'. There were two Maddy McCann's in attendance (you do not want to know where the fake blood went) in addition to three Steve Irwin's (two with stingrays attached), one Harold Shipman and about a dozen Saddam Husseins.
Funnily enough, no newspaper gave a s***. They seemed to recognise that young people often have a slightly warped sense of humour. Why, just because the guy in question happens to have been a CF area chairman until recently should this become a story?"
Fact is that bad-taste jokes permeate society (and I bet many of the people claiming to be offended by this have laughed at worse) and to describe such people as "sick" is to tar an extremely large number of people.
I also hope you consider that your actions may lead to some cretinous chav taking violent action in some sort of pathetic self-righteous fury.
I never thought i'd see the day that TB became not only the Political Correctness Police, but for poor Rich and Flick also the Thought Police.
This was an incredibly selfish thing to do.
There was no reason why you couldn’t have warned CCHQ internally and made a complaint, Matt probably would have been removed from the Party anyway and you wouldn’t have destroyed Richard Lowes career and rid Keele CF of a talented Chairwomen.
You decided you destroy Matt Lewis and risked tarnishing the name of CF, destroying people’s lives, embarrassing the friends and family of those involved, and of course most importantly….bringing great distress and upset to the McCann family. For what?
Wouldn’t it have been better to warn the Party about Matt’s boasts and exploits on Facebook in private, and spare the feelings of those poor grieving parents?
Or was letting everyone know what you think of Matt and the chance to have a media storm spring from your own story too great a temptation.
You selfish, selfish bear. Shame on you.
Although I wasn’t Matt Lewis’ biggest fan, and of course I think what he did was in incredibly bad taste; I say its people like you that need to be purged from the Party. Someone who was willing to destroy and upset all those people for your own gain…that is evil and sick. What makes it worse that you then try and claim it was in the best interests of the Party…no one believes that, least of all you!
it was cco that went after cox and lowe not the bear. they happen to be in the screen grab yes but it was lewis tb scalped, spelman and co pushed for the rest of them.
though the nosy little bastard shouldn't be poking around peoples facebook profiles anyway. they are private property.
A moment's serious thought about the obscure origin of the FB comments, makes the self-promotional TB look a lot worse in all this than the hapless Lewis. This pompous editorial confirms such a view.
"Members like this shouldn't be brushed away under the carpet or covered up"
I wonder if you'd feel the same way if the day comes where someone else's lack of respect for your career and private life comes back to haunt you.
Anonymous @ 00:01 - despite Richard's suspension as NW co-ordinator, I can assure you that I am typing this post from the regional campaign day that has still gone ahead. The AC for Cheshire and the Wirral took over the organisation at the eleventh hour. We have got straight into campaigning and an interim replacement for Richard will be anounced asap.
CF members need to learn that actions have consequences. However, no campaigning or events will be cancelled as the majority of the organisation need not suffer.
ADx
how is it pompous to have a concious and to be embarrassed by the sick behaviour of a colleague?
It's right that they all apologise for offence now this has been blown up, but a lot of comment on it does reek of self-important, pompous moralising.
I look forward to receiving my list of acceptable jokes from CCHQ in due course...
Will you be 'shopping' Radio 4's 'News Quiz' for making a joke about Alzheimer's disease ? Sandi Toksvig will be shaking in her boots.
What goes around, comes around, butty boy - make sure you are ready for it when it comes.
If I thought you were genuinely standing up for higher standards of behaviour in pubic life, great. But we know that this is just a shameless attempt to appear 'hard' so that you will be fast-tracked into the Whipping Operation in Parliament and marked out as future talent, so you don't have to go fart-arsing around the a-list and constituency assocs for the next 10 years.
The shame is, it could all unravel very quickly if some pictures of you were to end up in the public domain.. Tread carefully..
"Don's shoot the messenger"
Sounds a bit like the Nuremburg defence to me. This was not "news" which was coming to the world inevitably. This was something which was low key and shared between "friends" on Facebook which you chose to publicise. I Recess Monkey had done it, fine, he wants to hurt the Conservative Party and it's an easy win. But for someone within the Party to do it is ridiculous and Cretinous. I don't care about the individuals involved, but I do care about getting rid of Gordon Brown. By doing this, you have contributed incrementally to his popularity. Well done you moron.
I'm sure the consequences of this will come back on you in multiples, and deservedly so.
Come on trools the fools who did this represent the party as leading young tory's as Adele said actions have consequences.
This is not a secret club this is a political party. I know some of you are freands with the 3 but if you represent the party you have to do it responsibly. Also do we won't people who find this funny in the party?
For the Trools who say this is funny I will repete a great thread by Raul P on the 'sick post':
"I will not be "sanctimonious", but let me ask this question about the "joke in bad taste": where is the "joke"? don't get mad, seriously, can anyone of you explain? going around dressed as the 3-year old, with fake blood on you (clear allusion as what happened to her, if not worse)... explain: where is the joke? where is the "subjectivity"?
It would be so interesting to know, and I am not ironic."
TB had every right to tackle this kind of behaviour. If we had got wind that it was young and prominant member of Labour who had done such a thing we would all be perfectly happy to see them (metaphorically) hang for it.
I can't believe the ridiculous amount of self-serving justification on this blog today. It is like those idiots 'justifying' the wholescale slaughter of Palestinians because of a few badly-aimed homemade rockets ending up in Israel territory.
If this party had ended up with people dressed as Palestinians with bits blown off or Jewish concentration camp victims, do you still think Tory Bear should have 'looked the other way' because the 'omerta' of 'made men' in the Tory Party should protect them, like in a crappy Jeffrey Archer novel ??
If this Maddie thing wasn't quite offensive enough for someone with some [cotton wool] balls and a bit of leadership to call time on it and show someone the yellow card, what would be offensive enough ??
If he hadn't taken any action this time, you can bet your bottom dollar something even worse would be happening at the end of year 'graduation balls' that would be bringing even more shame, infamy and bad publicity to help Gordon on his way via pictures in the Sun.
Someone has to stand up and be counted when the train is going off the tracks. Someone has to say when someone has the bravado to go 'off-piste' that it is going to end in tears when the avalanche hits the glacier. Tory Bear is that ursine companion.
This shit across the bows is what will save Conservative Future from itself, as people will think twice and maybe three times about what the impact of their actions will be when their pictures end up in the paper. They will question whether their actions will be defendable or justifiable if the proverbial hits the fan, or someone with a grudge wants to sell mobile phone footage to the 'News of the Screws'.
The sort of fatuous mud-slinging without any thought, with feeble 'stool pigeon' style epithets reminds me of the hard-of-thinking NUM rentamob shouting 'scab!' at those miners who just wanted to do a decent day's work.
Tory Bear is the new Margaret Thatcher and Norman Tebbit rolled into one, if you could but see it.
This is normal in CF. You only moan because it got found out. Stop pretending otherwise.
To those wondering why their comments have not appeared TB draws your attention back to the comment moderation policy:
"Racist, homophobic or any other form of generally abusive comment will be deleted instantly.
As will comments referring to the identity of TB."
TB
tory bear totally right to blow the whistle on this one, we should be preparing for government not prancing around laughing at these sick jokes. the guy was a cunt anyway, and unfortunate if others were dragged down but these things happen, be more careful who you associate with if you're going to take this politics malarkey seriously.
it is nothing to do with the conservative party! people are allowed a private life!
If this damages the party it is the bear's fault, not Mr Lewis's.
well done TB.
You've damaged the tories
You've destroyed a promising career
You've made yourself untrusted
You've hurt the McCanns.
There goes the credibility of your blog.
Refering to your moderation policy "Racist, homophobic or any other form of generally abusive comment will be deleted instantly". Generally abusive, say , like calling "the guy a cunt"- anon 13:15. But that's OK? Tell us your princess di jokes.
What is everyone getting so upset about? this hasnt damaged the party it has shown it in a very good light. people who are evil are not permitted in our ranks. it has shown the nation that we have changed and will not put up with this shit anymore and that can only be a good thing in the eyes of the voters. if they had suspended and or investigated this lot or just given them a slap on the wrist the same old accusations of the do nothing nasty party would be back.
it was right out out lewis becuase any reasonable person would be sickened by his actions. what is wrong with you people?
Compared to some of the things that have been left on this blog in the last 24 hours, anon at 13.15 is pretty tame.
TB
seriously guys,
i'd love to be a tory. but you people aren't normal. there are more immediate issues for you to worry about (most of you; personal hygine), rather than just burning the witch.
This has not hurt the party it said that we will come down on any one who duse not show conservative values and dressing up as a little girl who gone missing and believed dead is not conservative values and if you dress up or even make a joke about your not welcome.
The 3 where not just activists but leading young members and should be getting a example. TB should not think twice about braken news about torys as he is one if anything he should be keeping leading members in check if they dont show conservative values.
I'm frequently astonished by hubris, but you've reached new heights Tory Bear.
I never made friends with you on facebook - and i'm glad i never did. I wouldn't be surprised if you've trawled through the profiles of huge numbers of CF members, saving screencaps of conversations, comments, and of course pictures, all of perfectly innocent, yet spinnable conversations which you'll bring out when you fancy bringing someone down.
You can never be trusted.
you people are fucking retarded how long before a piece appears about how it seems young tories support what lewis did and are more willing to slag off the decent person who bought such dreadful form to light?
ps boasting about being a sick fuck and dressing up as maddy is not "perfectly innocent but easily spinnable".
The thing that surprises me is the alacrity that the CF High Command seems to have thrown these three to the wolves. Of previous chairmen, certainly Clarke and Bristow have gone into bat on behalf of members who have done far worse.
Lewis is/was a wanker, but must be feeling fairly agrieved that a Chairman who he fairly publicly supported, and for whom he delivered a lot at the last election, has cut him loose in such a public way.
I think this has gone just a little bit too far.
Abusive comments left under "anonymous", no doubt by friends of those involved, are as childish and ridiculous as the claims you are making against TB.
Whilst the broadcasting of these conversations perhaps wasn't the wisest move it does not in any way deserve the bloody awful comments some of you seem intent on sending this way.
For a start, as Adele has said, the campaigning in the North has gone ahead as planned. There is no great collapse because Richard Lowe was caught out doing something when he should have known better.
Furthermore, yes many people go to bad taste parties but at the same time they are not in positions of responsibility representing the party - a party that has spent the last few years trying to build up its image and doesn't need bringing down by utter stupidity as it prepares to take over government.
The "joke" in itself was sick and wrong but the other massive error here was not having the common sense to leave it off the internet.
Matt Lewis is a lovely person and I really do feel awful for him as this has not only seen him removed from the party but it will probably damage his future career prospects. Memories fade but the internet remains. However, he should have known better and only has himself to blame. Not TB.
Finally, this has not painted the Conservatives in a bad light. It was not a CF event and swift action was taken in expelling all involved. Perhaps it could even be said that this bloody awful incident has shown the willingness of the party to take decisive action against something it considers unacceptable.
So please, stop attacking TB. If it were a Labour candidate or activist you would all be as sanctimonious. Just imagine if it was a Lib Dem!?!
Whilst he may have brought it to light he was not the one dressing up, he was not the one making sick jokes and he certainly was not the one laughing about it on a facebook profile. His "sanctimonious" attitude is exactly what was required in the circumstance. What the hell would you all have said if he made light of it and the story read "Tory boy and subsequent Tory blogs make sick joke..." etc etc.
Don't shoot the messenger. Shoot the utter stupidity of those involved.
Better still, let's put all this to rest and learn from it.
I'd also like to point out that this is not the first time Flick Cox has joked about child abuse.
Funny how these things are forgotten.
Truly astonishing behavior TB. We don't do this to our own side.
2 things:
1. Everyone knows exactly who you are anyway, regardless of your silly 'Tory Bear' pseudonym.
2. What goes around comes around, and you've pissed off A LOT of people with this.
I think a private email to CCO might have been enough rather than making it very public and opening up all the negative publicity. I fear that people in CF will give you a very wide berth in future TB.
If these guys can be expelled from the party for being dickheads, why doesn't the same work for John Redwood?
Bravo Tory Bear - nice to see some of the Conservative Pary youth have a sense of decency and the balls to make difficult decisions. By "ratting" on our own we showed the public that we will not tolerate this sort of sick behaviour, rather than having it waved in front of our face by our rivals. As a friend of someone who lost a party job due to facebook activity, I sympathise, but surely they should realise that anyone who is in a position of authority within the pary must be whiter than white, and that any cock ups tar the party with the same brush, even when it has nothing to do with politics. This also doesn't help the image of young conservatives activists who are generaly viewed as being childish, narcistic power hugry suck ups, trying to brown nose their way to the top, and damages the work that a lot of brilliant committed guys do at a grass roots level. The saying is, With great power comes great responsability - and though their power may not have been anywhere near great, any position within the party is sufficiently serious that they should know better, and that their actions reflect on the party as a whole
And to those that say that now laughing at any bad taste joke would be hypocritical, may i make this point. Their is the public and the private. What goes on in private does not matter an iota. But when you are in public or writing on a public forum, it is an entirely different kettle of fish.
Foolish, but highly doubtful it was malicious, just high-jinks gone tits-up. Most of the outraged voices have done far worse; his major crime was being caught out publicly.
Fair play to Lewis, whether you support him or not, he has gone quietly and not made a fuss. That seems to have been caused by others who probably don't even know anyone involved posting on blogs such as this.
My one criticism of TB is that, as Miss Swann pointed out, the NYE party was not a Tory event, nor has Lewis held a position within the party since Boxing Day; some time before now despite what the Daily Mail says! The damaging link to the Tory party has in my view been caused entirely by Tory Bear.
THE SAD THING IS THAT TB HAS DONE SO MUCH DAMAGE THAT ANY STUDENT THINKING OF JOINING THE PARTY WILL NOW THINK TWICE IF EVERY ONE OF THIER ACTIONS COULD LAND THEM ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE SUN THANKS TO TB.
good i hope they think twice. cf members represent this party and should bloody well think twice you tit.
SINCE WHEN DOES BEING A MEMBER MAKE YOU A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PARTY 24/7?
Tory Bear in trouble - who is that riding to the rescue over the hills on his white charger ?
Why, Three Cheers for Prince Harry saving England and the Bear again !
Hurrah ! Hurrah ! Hurrah !
Were you the kind of child who sneaked on your friends when they had a ciggy behind the bike sheds?
So many anonymous comments……
I personally think this whole matter should have been dealt with discreetly and internally. I fail to see what has been accomplished by plastering this all over your blog TB. All that has happened is that bigger news outlets have run the story, causing grave embarrassment to the party and no doubt considerable and unnecessary suffering to the family of Maddie. None of this would have happened if this facebook exchange was sent to the Conservative Party for them to take what they deemed to be the appropriate course of action.
By dragging this out into the public domain, we are now giving journalists and political opponents a charter to trawl through the private life of every single CF activist. I can assure you that is a position I would not be content with having studied you guys for 4 years! It will only take 1 or 2 plants at certain CF branch functions for another story to break…
If opponents of the Conservative Party have any sense and start trawling, planting or listening carefully to some of the discussion between some CF members after 4 beers have been downed, then this could be the thin end of the wedge.
Poor Matt...
silly sod. TB; your an arse.