Review 2009: April – June

From @LabourList

In the second of four posts running up to New Year’s Eve, LabourList looks back at the three months from April to June 2009: the drip-drip of revelations on expenses continues, LabourList’s first editor steps down in the wake of the McBride email scandal and a dramatic European election night sees another cabinet resignation and the BNP win its first seats in the European Parliament.

April

• 1st – The Daily (Maybe) reports from the G20 protests in London.
• 4th – Himmelgarten Cafe brands anti-terrorism posters “lies or propaganda”.
• 11th – After a dogged pursuit by Guido Fawkes, Revelations around emails sent by Damian McBride finally culminate in his resignation with the focus now turning to former LabourList editor Derek Draper.
• 12th – Alastair Campbell blogs on the real lessons from Damian McBride
• 23rd – Anonymous police blogger Nightjack wins the Orwell Prize for Blogging.
• 24th – Iain Dale tells left wing bloggers to get a sense of humour.

May

• 1st – Defence of the Realm blogs on a shortage of Chinook helicopters in Afghanistan and other procurement difficulties.
• 6-7th – As Derek Draper resigns from LabourList, Jessica Asato looks to the future of a site which “we might all be able to claim as our own” and Alex Smith plots course for a new direction.
• 16th – Mark Reckons highlights the relationship between the expenses scandal and the electoral system.
• 21st – Labourhome blogs on what would become the icon of the expenses scandal: Peter Viggers’ duck house.
• 28th – With more resignations yet to come, Sunny Hundal runs down the list of MPs who had stood down.

June

• 3rd – 5th – A wave of cabinet resignations including Hazel Blears, James Purnell and Caroline Flint blight the week of the European Election as Gordon Brown’s premiership appears to stumble.
• 5th – Soul searching and recriminations begin as Nick Griffin and Andrew Brons are elected as the first BNP members of the European Parliament.
• 5th – Blogger and former ambassador and blogger Craig Murray announces he is standing as an independent in the Norwich North by-election.
• 11th – Oxford University Conservative Association covers itself in shame when racist jokes are told at an event; Michael Howard pulls out of an OUCA dinner.
• 16th – Next Left ponders whether The Times was right to unveil Night Jack (more here).