Iain Dale should be ashamed of himself

by Derek Draper

You may have noticed that Ian Dale and myself have been having a row all week about his relaxed reaction to Carol Thatcher’s use of the word Golliwog. He has now threatened to publish details of our private e-mail correspondence so I am doing the same. You can read it in its entirety below and make your own mind up. I think it speaks for itself. I remain angry that Iain has failed to take the honourable step of withdrawing his shameful remarks. I expected better of him. The lesson is that even when they appear nice, the Tories, underneath, are still a backward, out of touch, nasty party. Don’t say we weren’t warned.

From: Derek Draper
Sent: 06 February 2009 21:08
To: Iain Dale
Subject: Re:

Iain,

You are the one who “contaminated” things with your excuses for something quite shameful.

I am proud to have led the fight to hold you accountable, and proud to be righteously angry at you for the hurt you have caused black and asian people this week.

Have the guts to admit you were wrong.

If you won’t then you will be seen for what you are: an apologist for racism.

You have had the web to yourself and you hate the fact that we have come along and are holding you responsible for your offensive views.

If doing so upsets your little online “gentlemen’s club” do you think I care?

This is serious iain, especially when racism and those who collude with it like you raise their ugly head.

Its called politics iain, get used to it.

Derek

We agreed not to publish personal e-mails but if you want to break that agreement then i will do likewise, but it is further evidence of your weakness and guilt.

———————————————————-

From: Iain Dale
To: Derek Draper
Sent: Friday, 6 February, 2009 20:41:28
Subject: RE:

Derek,

I’m afraid it is you who have made a very big mistake. You don’t realize it now. But you will. I genuinely thought you would do well in this medium. Unfortunately you have contaminated it. I don’t interact with people who do what you have done. It’s you who owes me the apology. Not the other way around. But we can both whistle for it.

I hope you can live with yourself, because so far as I can see you have learned precious little from your previous forays into the world of politics. All you’re interested in is playing dirty. That’s not how I do business. And if you continue to behave in this manner your new media career will be as short lived as your lobbying one. And with the same result.

Iain

PS Oh, and I’ll be publishing this email.

———————————————————-

From: Derek Draper
Sent: 06 February 2009 15:24
To: Iain Dale
Subject: Re:

Iain,

Your original defence of the use of the word golliwog to describe a black man was wrong and founded, partly, on it NOT being about a black man.

We now know the black man in question was offended, as was his family and it is reported that Carol Thatcher used the term several times, including calling him a “half-golliwog”.

I quote what I said earlier in the week, which still stands:

You said:

“The logic of the BBC’s argument is that the very mention of the word ‘golliwog’ is considered racist. Utterly preposterous.”

In what way does that not mean golliwog is an acceptable term?

Iain, I have no reason whatsoever to think you are a racist but you are in danger of defending people and terms that clearly are.

The web and blogging are a fast moving business, when we make a mistake we should accept that.

Take this chance to show you really are the nice guy you seem.

Iain, you should admit you made a mistake and move on.

Just say that what she said was wrong and she shouldn’t have said it.

LabourList will tirelessly hold racists and those who use racist language to account – and those whose sloppy old-fashioned thinking excuses them.

It is not a vendetta it is a simple matter of holding you accountable, and it will continue.

On a personal level I believe you know you called this wrong and there would be enormous sympathy for you if you admitted that.

Would you consider doing a guest post on LabourList, looking back on the affair and then i could respond on yours? I think we should…

Best wishes,

Derek

———————————————————-

From: Iain Dale
To: Derek Draper
Sent: Friday, 6 February, 2009 14:38:24
Subject:

Derek, Re your latest twitter.

In my original blog post on Tuesday night (http://iaindale.blogspot.com/2009/02/carol-thatcher-why-cant-bbc-be.html) I wrote this. And the tennis player concerned is allegedly the hideously white Andy Murray.

It wasn’t me who alleged it was Andy Murray – it was all over the internet. I was reporting these rumours, which was why I was careful to use the word ‘allgedly’.

When I found out the next morning, after my appearance on Today (in which I think I also used the phrase ‘reported to be’), that it was not Andy Murray I immediately added the strikethrough and an update at the bottom of the blogpost which read…

UPDATE Wed 9.30: I am now reliably informed that the tennis player concerned was NOT Andy Murray.

Could you perhaps explain how I could a) have acted more quickly and b) been clearer? And yet you persist with calling for me to apologise for something I never did in the first place.

Perhaps you might also look at the comment I have left on Tom Watson’s blog re the West Brom thing. Both Bob Piper and the Ministry of Truth, and indeed the West Brom Fans Forum have accepted the explanation I gave.

If you wish to continue this tawdry vendetta, continually hinting that I might in some way either condone racism or be an apologist for it, then you are far from the man I thought you were. I have neither done nor said anything to warrant this accusation and I’d be grateful if you didn’t continue with it. It’s gone beyond fair political banter now.

Iain