'Sickened' Party Stalwart Quits New Labour

Long-standing Labour stalwart Alice Mahon has quit the Party with a withering attack on Brown and New Labour saying she can no longer stomach how it operates and feels betrayed. A rebel with a left-wing cause, Mahon is not the only one "sickened" by New Labour, leaving members 'staring into the abyss'. 

The Smeargate fallout continues with Mahon, 71, a Halifax MP for 18 years and a party member for more than 50, resigning her membership citing the recent scandal smearing top Tories as the last straw which left her feeling "sickened''. 

She told the Yorkshire Post: "My stepdaughter Rachel said to me: 'How could they do that to people like David Cameron and his wife Samantha when they had recently lost their son Ivan? What kind of people think it would be a good idea to smear them?'

"I was sickened by that – that is not the Labour Party that I joined all those years ago.''

No doubt New Labour spinners will try to play down her resignation but she was a rare breed, an ardent critic of Blair's government and the illegal Iraq war - and Brown.

Telling her Halifax Labour Party she had hoped that under Brown "we might go back to being a really progressive and caring party'' a dismayed Mahon said "but in the event I could not have been more wrong''.

Brown, she says, has "shown zero contrition over privatising public services and failed to tackle the excesses of the bankers", echoing views that chime with many voters as well as rank and file members.

And she heaped scorn on the welfare reform bill saying: "This Labour Government should hang its head in shame for inflicting this on the British public just as we face the most severe recession any of us have experienced in a lifetime.''

The Labour Party veteran said: "I can no longer be a member of a party that at the leadership level has betrayed many of the values and principles that inspired me as a teenager to join.''

Mahon, a self-proclaimed socialist with a long record of peace activism, was one of the most vocal critics of the war in Iraq and the way the Blair government sucked up to the Bush regime, now followed by Obama's Brown poodle: 

"Brown has just announced plans to send another 900 troops to Afghanistan, billions to be spent on an unwinnable war and pensioners dare not turn on their heating because this Government will not tackle the energy fat cats.''

But she said: "My final reason for leaving the party is because it is no longer democratic. Quite simply I have had it with New Labour.''

Despite failing eyesight, Mahon is still active in left-wing politics and groups such as the Stop the War coalition and CND. A rebel against New Labour since 1997 and  a eurosceptic, she opposed the government on a range of issues from cuts in lone parent benefits to Trident.

Mahon, showed here in a BBC interview, captures the feelings of so many rank and file Labour Party members "left staring into the abyss", captured so well by current backbench rebel MP, Frank Field. 

Once again, as so often noted here by the Orange Party, this highlights the long running battle between the true Labour Party and the bunch of ruthless and arrogant chancers who hijacked the Party with a lust for power and glory under a now discredited New Labour brand. 

Facing a wipe-out by the Tories at the general election, the vexed question for Party members and MPs who are left with a shred of dignity is do they follow Mahon's example and quit the Party in disgust or hang on in there, trying to fight a rearguard action from within? Maybe another true Labour veteran, Tony Benn, could provide the answer?

The 60s anti-war anthem on the right side bar is for Alice. The words are as true now as they were then.

Picture: Yorkshire Post

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Lies And Cover-Ups Over Tomlinson Death

Shocking results of a second post mortem into the death of G20 bystander Ian Tomlinson were held back for a week by a police watchdog, leaving the family to suffer knowing he did not die of a heart attack. 

Tomlinson's death is leaving behind a disgraceful trail of lies, deceit and cover-ups which is slowly unravelling bit by bit. 

Now a Territorial Support Group (TSG) officer suspended over the death of Tomlinson has been questioned on suspicion of manslaughter after the second post mortem, known for a week but only revealed today, showed the newspaper-seller died from internal bleeding. 

The disturbing development, which would never have come to light without the Guardian footage showing an unmarked balaclava-clad TSG officer striking and pushing him, calls into question why a home office pathologist carried out the first post mortem without the involvement of the IPCC. 

The family's solicitor, Jules Carey, said they had been aware of the results of the second post mortem for a week. They had reluctantly held the information back because the IPCC initially opposed its publication: "The family ... have had to endure the holding back of this information despite continuing reports in the press that Ian died of a heart attack."

The disturbing development will renew calls for the home secretary to hold a Scarman-style full and independent public inquiry into the death of Tomlinson, after a masked police thug without a shoulder ID number was caught on camera in a sickening unprovoked act of police brutality.

Like many, the Orange Party was taken back by the swiftness of the 'natural causes' result of the first post mortem - the result was too quick.

The video raised disturbing questions for the home secretary over police riot tactics at the G20 summit and once again calls into question the version of events which differs from the one the police gave to the media at the time. 

Wind back one week and if an American tourist had not caught on camera that crucial stage of the unprovoked police assault on Tomlinson, the original falsified post mortem report of a heart attack would have remained. 

So far police statements have been a pack of lies, a view shared by former UK ambassador and legal-eagle Craig Murray, who calls for heads to roll over the increasing roll-call of 'official' lies:

There was no police contact with Mr Tomlinson. Mr Tomlinson died of a heart attack. Protesters rained missiles at police rescuing and treating Mr Tomlinson. There were no CCTV cameras covering the assault on Mr Tomlinson. There were CCTV cameras, but they were not working.

This delayed second post mortem result raises disturbing questions about the government pathologist who carried out the original post mortem examination and the police spokesmen who told lies that there was no police contact with Tomlinson and that protesters threw missiles at police treating him.

Moreover the home secretary has some explaining to do. Why were unmarked and masked TSG officers deployed at the G20 protest and why were senior police officers given the authority to use inhuman 'kettling' tactics and cordons?

The new post mortem was carried out by Dr Nat Cary at the request of Tomlinson's family and the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) who sat on the results for a week.

A statement from City of London Coroner's Court said Dr Cary's preliminary report contradicted the initial findings.

Tomlinson's son Paul King said: "First we were told that there had been no contact with the police, then we were told that he died of a heart attack. Now we know that he was violently assaulted by a police officer and died from internal bleeding.

"As time goes on, we hope that the full truth about how Ian died will be made known." 

Many will share that view, not least the family of Jean Charles De Menezes with disturbing echoes of the lies and cover-ups  thrown up by that shocking killing. 

Picture: Still of Tomlinson assault from Guardian G20 footage

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Two Damians, One Spinning Sorry Brown

After days trying to put a lid on Smeargate, Brown finally played the 'sorry' card to milk it for all its worth, in a feeble attempt to kill two Damians with one spinning stone. 

As a beleaguered Brown belatedly muttered the S-word, many were left wondering if saying sorry was dreamt up on a good day to bury bad news.

The prime minister had finally uttered the S-word but not before the shameful disgrace of trumped up charges against Tory MP Damian Green were dropped and his disposable home secretary Smith was under fire.

As home office leak charges against Green were being dropped and a committee of MPs slated civil servants for "exaggerating" the seriousness of the alleged leaks, which led to the heavy-handed police raid and arrest of Green, a bad hair day for Brown and bad news for home secretary Smith was just getting worse. 

So, out of the blue, up pops the prime minister, with the much-demanded 'sorry' over the smear emails from Damian 'McPoison' McBride in the Tory sex smears scandal.

A tad late in the day for an embattled Brown, in a blatant attempt to distract attention from the Greengate scandal and his beleaguered home secretary: 

No apology then for Damian Green and his family who've suffered the indignation of an anti-terror raid on their home with trumped up charges hanging over his head. 

Instead an apology for just one of Brown's tight cabal of attack dogs lurking in the bowels of Downing Street, dreaming up the next pre-election Tory attack.

Just another piece of good old Brown spin which the deluded prime minister keeps insisting is all behind him but will only go away when his tight cabal of spinners and henchmen have bitten the dust.

Brown and his bunch of amateur reservoir dogs really don't get it. Where news is concerned, big or small there's room for all.

Brown's 'sorry' will linger for a little while but the shameful smears of Smeargate and the disgraceful treatment of Damian Green will leave a bitter taste for months to come. 

Picture: Still from TV Special: 'Gordon Brown's S-Word', with walk-on part by hard hat guy

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Smith Under Fire As Greengate Dropped

Trumped up home office leak charges against a top Tory MP have been dropped as a committee of MPs slated civil servants for "exaggerating" the seriousness of alleged leaks, which led to the heavy-handed police raid and arrest of Damian Green. It's goodbye Smeargate, as Greengate leaves a discredited fag-end of a government trying to close another 'gate' after the pre-election dirty tricks horse has bolted.

The Greengate decision comes as a reeling Downing Street struggles to cover up the Smeargate email scandal against the Tories and raises fresh doubts over the involvement of home secretary Jacqui Smith and her band of political police, already under fire for G20 police brutality. 

Now the CPS has said there was "insufficient evidence" to bring a court case against the shadow immigration minister, adding: "The information leaked was not secret information or information affecting national security," something police must have known before the raid and arrest. 

Many at Westminster expected charges against Green to be dropped weeks ago but instead it dragged on for months since anti-terror police made an unwarranted raid on Green's office in the sanctity of parliament. 

Red-faced cops and officials tried to use the excuse of 'national security' for the raid to hide their embarrassment. Now the home affairs committee has questioned whether police would have got involved if they had not been misled.

The MPs said there was a "clear mismatch" between the "misleading" and "hyperbolic" contents of a senior cabinet office official's letter citing national security as a reason for the raid and the description of the leaks provided by the home office's civil service chief.

The decision to drop charges against Green comes days after the appointment of Yates of the Yard, commissioner John Yates, to head up the Greengate police inquiry after Smith's favourite copper, bungling Bob Quick, was forced to make a quick exit when he exposed anti-terror plans to  the media. 

Green's controversial arrest last November came after Quick sent 20 anti-terrorist officers to search his parliamentary office, causing outrage at the time by both LibDems and Tories: 

Both Green and Christopher Galley, a junior civil servant working at the home office, always denied wrongdoing. Both have had charges against them dropped due to "insufficient evidence". Green says he was releasing information in the public interest.

Key questions remain over why police were involved in this case when it was clear that could have been handled as an internal matter. 

But the Tory MP paid the price of public interest after the heavy-handed tactics of the political police were exposed with his arrest. Yet he was bailed, not under anti-terrorist laws but under common law.

The shameful arrest of Green made a mockery of the pseudo-liberal facade of the New Labour government. Once again it exposed the hidden workings of powerful institutions of political and social control. 

Home secretary Smith and the rest of the gang involved in this disgraceful episode now face fundamental questions at the heart of this scandal, not least why were the heavy mob used for the arrest when clearly this did not involve any state secrets? And who authorised the police search in the sacrosanct precincts of the Place of Westminster?

Downing Street had claimed this was a matter for the police and the prime minister had no prior knowledge of the arrest but the Orange Party smelt a big political rat at work here and some scary heavy-handed Big Brother tactics. A police investigation into a high-ranking politician would have to have been cleared at the very top. 

Speaking after the CPS decision a relieved Green pointed the finger of responsibility at the home secretary: “I believe in the old Italian phrase that the fish rots from the head down.” Smith was “a poor home secretary” who had "shown poor judgement."

The decision to drop all charges over the Greengate affair is a further nail in the coffin for disposable home secretary Jacqui Smith, as the two homes secretary is already under fire over her second homes expenses fiddle. It is difficult to see how she, or speaker Michael Martin can survive. 

Goodbye Smeargate, hello Greengate. The government is spinning out of control as another concerted attempt by Brown's bunch of spinners and henchmen to stoop to dirty tricks in Tory attacks has been exposed in the run up to the general election. 

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Blatant BBC Bowen Bias Blasted

Blatant anti-Israel bias of BBC's middle east editor, Jeremy Bowen, has been blasted in a report by the corporation which has blown away any claims of accuracy and impartiality over its Gaza conflict reporting.  

The BBC Trust has ruled coverage of Israel in an article on the BBC's web site and a radio broadcast by Bowen was partially inaccurate and that aspects of the internet article lacked impartiality. 

In reporting about Israel, the BBC's internal complaints panel found Bowen has breached the corporation's guideline on accuracy and impartiality.

Confirming what many already knew, the Zionist Federation said that the findings show the BBC has an anti-Israel "bias" and that the position of Bowen, is "untenable". Claims rejected by the corporation. 

The Trust was responding to complaints filed separately by a London-based barrister and by the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).

Taking up the claim, journalist and author Chas Newkey-Burden, said: "It is extraordinary to think that the BBC entrusts a man such as Bowen with coverage of such a monumentally important issue. As we saw during Operation Cast Lead, anti-Israel distortion contributes to the atmosphere of hate that leads to violence against Jews on the streets of Britain."

Time and time again the BBC distorted and twisted its coverage of the Middle East and Gaza conflict, hghlighted by the Orange Party and others at the time fed up with a pseudo-liberal bias which verged on the anti-Semitic. 

But the BBC continued its bombardment of the UK media with Iran-backed Hamas propaganda, as Israel tried to strike back in vain to explain their side of the conflict.

The Orange Party became heartily sick of the blatant pro-Hamas bias from the BBC, most notably the highly skewed reports from middle east editor Bowen and his band of Iran-backed Hamas apologist thugs disguised as "journalists".

The Zionist Federation of the UK said that Bowen's position as Middle East editor of a public service broadcaster "is untenable in the light of the ESC's findings."

The report vindicates what many thought at the time of Bowen's reports. Viewers and listeners had to put up with his relentless attacks on Israel, delivered with an almost religious fanatical zeal, hardly able to contain his hatred and contempt coupled with fawning yawning support for the Palestinian cause.

Not quite the style one would expect from an objective BBC reporter.

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End Of An Affair? Draper's Desk On eBay

The future of the former New Labour spin doctor turned blogger at the centre of the Smeargate scandal is in doubt, with calls for him to quit the Party. Now his desk has appeared on eBay, in an ominous sign of the end of a sordid affair.

Former spinner, Derek Draper, embroiled in the e-mail smear row is reported to beconsidering quitting because of the fallout from the 'dirty tricks' scandal, amid calls for him to end his links with the Labour Party.

Draper famously emailed the now defunct Brown aide 'McPoison' McBride, to say unfounded sex smear claims about Tory leader David Cameron, George Osborne and Tory MP Nadine Dorries were 'absolutely totally brilliant'.

The leaked emails, caused a public outrage over 'dirty tricks', throwing the spotlight on how the Downing Street propaganda war room operates under the Supreme Leader as plans for a scurrilous New Labour attack dog webite, Red Rag, were exposed.

The sad description accompanying Draper's Desk (above) for the eBay sale is fitting testimony to his demise:

"Due to a current clear out of old useless junk that nobody wants, we have a slightly soiled almost unused desk for sale. Only a couple of months old

On the plus side, we have managed to clean most of the shit off ( it was hit by a fan last weekend. And some Nokia mobile phones) but it does have some bad points:

1. It appears to be cursed. Every time Derek actually sat at it, he just produced utter nonsense. Reams of it. Lies, spin, deceipt and a couple of books so appalling Amazon staff use them as toilet paper

2. Some tooth marks are visible, and some dandruff flakes. Also totally and completely "Stained"

Winning bidder will need to collect as no one here wants to go anywhere near it."

At the time of writing there have been no bidders.

Tories have called for a probe into the part played by cabinet office cyber minister Tom Watson over plans for the Red Rag site, which was due to carry the salacious claims in the run up to the general election. Watson has denied any involvement.

Over four days of a Downing Street nightmare, the "nest of vipers" at the heart of a corrupt government was exposed and laid bare as Smeargate slowly unravelled and the Tory sex smear email scandal rocked the rotten government to its core.

Draper was a bit player in the viper's nest of Brown's "reservoir dogs" in the relentless round of sleaze, spin and corruption which has left the rotten government spinning out of control, decent rank and file Labour Party supporters "staring into the abyss" and the rest of the country wondering when it will all end.

Few in the Labour Party will mourn the demise of either Draper - or his desk.

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Where Were We Before Smeargate Saturday?

Smeargate seems to have run its course for now as Downing Street tries to nail down the lid of sleaze, spin and corruption, trying desperately to change the agenda and move on. But Smeargate is not the only nasty haunting Brown and the spinners as they slither down the slippery slope and dig themselves into a deeper hole. 

Smeargate exposed the rotten heart of a government spinning out of control as Number Ten battled against the odds to keep a lid on their four day nightmare. Today there's some banging on about McPoison and a defence of the SpAds - just part of the spin to deflect and close it down. 

The sordid saga has run its course because no hard evidence has emerged linking to government cyber minister Tom Watson and hence to Brown. The Orange Party along with the Sun, Tory Francis Maude and some others got in quick yesterday, before Watson's lawyers moved in, repeating his denial of involvement.  

But the Times has managed to nudge it on a bit today with reports the planned scurrilous New Labour 'Red Rag' was registered to the House of Commons. 

Now civil service chief, Sir Gus O'Donnell, co-author of a book with Brown boy Balls, has apparently refused calls by Tories for a smear inquiry into whether Watson was involved in a dirty tricks operation that cost the job of Brown's henchman, McBride. No surprises there then. 

Many were caught on the hop. The Orange Party was thankful not to have set off for a regular Easter holiday to IT starved Cuba, which thankfully bears no resemblance whatsoever to the knocking picture painted by David Aaronovitch in the Times. 

The Orange Party believes this rotten matter should be settled in the commons with a no confidence vote. But for now it seems the public has had enough of Smeargate already, already. Time for a reality check. 

Slowly cabinet ministers were being picked off one by one as the disgrace of commons two homes expenses fiddle was being exposed, with two homes secretary Smith in the front-line. 

The quick departure of Smith favourite copper, bungling Bob Quick, raised a few eye brows, not least the amazing coincidence when an alleged terror plot to blow up Britain was played out in the full glare of the media spotlight. 

Now it seems most of the alleged plotters will end up with a ticking off and deportation back to their Pakistan tribal homelands. 

That raises questions about just how real the threat was and whether police were trying to cover up embarrassment over Quick's quick departure. 

The outrage of a masked and unidentified TSG police thug over death of G20 bystander Ian Tomlinson pales into insignificance compared with the brutal assault by a second TSG officer caught on camera (right side-bar). 

With no shoulder number, beating the hell out of a defenceless woman with what can only described as an armoured gauntlet, there's no word on this outrageous thuggery from two homes secretary Smith. A high price to pay for deluded Brown's G20 glory moment.

And then there's the budget, put back until next week so Brown could bask in the glory of his G20 save the world summit sham. A greenwash budget for green people. Brown's army of little green people creating a New World Order - not now when it's needed but in years to come.

The B-day message is still being worked on. The 'green' budget may turn into an austerity budget. Only time will tell. The cupboard is bare. Bankrupt Britain up to its eyes in debt. Without a loan from his IMF pals dragging the country deeper in debt, a non-budget is the likely outcome. 

Smeargate had its moments of car-crash TV. But at the end of the day it was just the final nail in the coffin of a fag-end of a rotten government spinning out of control. 

Thank goodness for journalists not part of the New Labour media elite like Peter Oborne, Martin Bright and  Fraser Nelson - and a guy called Guido.  

No doubt there'll be plenty more instalments from 'Gordon's reservoir dogs' in the relentless round of sleaze, spin and corruption in the weeks to come, leaving decent rank and file Labour Party supporters "staring into the abyss" and the rest of the country wondering when it will all end.

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Walkabout Watson Key To Brown's Downfall?

A feverish spinning battle to put a lid on Smeargate is showing signs of paying off. But at the rotten heart lies the antics of key cyberminister, Tom Watson, strangely silent over the whole sordid affair. 

As a disreputable bunch of cronies rally round a beleaguered Brown, still refusing to say sorry, his spinning pack of cards could still come crashing down around his ears. 

A week is a long time in politics - four days a nightmare. The "nest of vipers" at the heart of a corrupt government was exposed and laid bare as Smeargate slowly unravelled and the Tory sex smear email scandal rocked the rotten government to its core.

The sordid scandal is showing signs of running its course for now but not before a bunch of second-rate spinners and special advisers have been forced to crawl out of the woodwork and into the full glare of the media, ruining their Easter holidays. Shame.

But Brown's pathetic non-apology for McPoison's muckraking has done nothing to satisfy Tories blood lust and left many rank and file Labour supporters, "staring into the abyss" according to back-bench Labour MP Frank Field. 

Time for a reality check. There were always three people in Smeargate's murky marriage. It was always about the tight cabal run out of the Downing Street propaganda war room. Brown and his two henchmen, the now defunct McPoison and cabinet office cyberspace minister, Tom Watson. 

Dirty tricks were bound to come out sooner or later but the Orange Party believes it dragged on for so long because of a bunch of sad, second-rate spinners playing at being the big boys. A bunch of amateurs, copying the tough-talking, bully-boy Blair years of Alastair Campbell - but without the charm. But like Campbell, enjoying the full confidence of their permanently plotting Supreme Leader.

For probably the only time, the Orange Party earlier had to sort of agree with Campbell - why the hell didn't they just get it all out into the open in one fell swoop? A press conference, with staged Cherie-gate crocodile tears, the full monty. Say sorry. Put a lid on it. Move on. 

But the brutal fact is that they couldn't. Lurking in the background has been a burning question - where's Watson, what's he been up to? 

After all, this cyber spinning MP, cabinet office minister and ruthless Brown enforcer famously delivered a Postman Pat video to Brown's son while plotting to knife Blair in the back. 

Shadow cabinet office minister, Francis Maude, is demanding answers from the country's top civil servant. Number seven on the long list is the most revealing: 

7. In the case of Mr Tom Watson, who is both Minister for the Civil Service and Minister for Digital Engagement, did he have any knowledge of or involvement in the Red Rag website? Are you satisfied that he has complied fully with the Ministerial Code, given that he was referred to in one of the e-mails published yesterday? What action have you taken to assure yourself that this is the case?

The Sun today urged Brown to sack the "poisonous" Watson, who "is a stain on the Prime Minister’s judgement and his government’s credibility."

But, apart from his early denial of involvement, Watson seems to have gone walkabout. 

As the Orange Party pointed out on Saturday, when the Daily Telegraph plunged in feet first with a Downing Street backed pre-emptive spoiler, SpAds and spinners are one thing, a government minister, quite another.

Thanks to Paul Staines aka Guido, we now know the PM was dining with Derek Draper at Chequers only a couple of weeks after McPoison and Draper had started plotting their scurrilous Red Rag website. So just who else was having a freebie lunch and the ear of Brown? 


The Sun doesn't mince words: "Treacherous Tom Watson, — a tub of lard who is known without affection at Westminster as 'Two Dinners' Tommy — is suspected of being in this up to his bloated and bulging neck." 

An apology is the least Brown could have offered Tory leader David Cameron who along with his shadow chancellor and other Tory MPs and their families have been smitten by wilful, disgraceful and totally unfounded sex smears. 

Today Cameron piled the pressure on Brown to explain exactly what he knew, when he knew it and who else was involved, calling for a change in culture, leadership and government. 

As the Sun says: "Two dinners Tom is behind this sick plot." Follow Watson and all roads always lead back to Brown. 

What was Watson's last offering before he disappeared up his own cyberbottom? 

A cute little video wishing everyone a Happy Easter. You can't make it up. 

UPDATE 5.23: Fraser Nelson reports Watson is due to make a "personal statement"

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