Alan Duncan attacks Sunday Telegraph journalist's "shoddy" work

I was on Sky News again last night to preview the newspapers.  My fellow previewer was Alan Duncan.  Whilst we were waiting to go on the show we started talking about Melissa Kite's speculative Sunday Telegraph story about a shadow cabinet reshuffle.  The story talked about demotions for William Hague and Liam Fox.  Alan Duncan was very unimpressed.  He called it “shoddy journalism" which showed "very poor judgment".  "If she really thinks this is authoritative then I doubt she will soon either enjoy much respect or access,” he concluded in a quotation that he authorised me to publish.

The Shadow Secretary of State for Trade and Industry wasn't the only senior Tory angered by the story.  Another Conservative frontbencher who contacted ConservativeHome dismissed the story as "complete rubbish" and continued: "Why does Patience Wheatcroft [Sunday Telegraph Editor] allow this nonsense to be published?"  Melissa Kite did not have the range of contacts within the Conservative Party to establish the truth of stories fed to her by people with axes to grind, my source told me.

Earlier this year Melissa Kite attempted to derail the launch of the social justice policy group with a spurious story about Iain Duncan Smith's view of gay parenting.  I suggest future Kite stories are consumed with a healthy dose of salt.

Comments

[Felicity Mountjoy]

Posts like this are one of the best things about a blog like ConservativeHome. Previously we could write to The Sunday Telegraph and hope that a letter of complaint might be published seven days after the event. Today blogs like this one with its readership of activists, MPs and commentators quickly unpick dodgy stories.

[Graeme Archer]

I hate to be all "Mike Giggler", repeat letter-writer to the Telegraph (as reprinted by Private Eye), but did you notice that "Melissa Kite" is an anagram of "Its Make Lies". Neither amusing nor clever, Archer...

[Klamm]

She also writes all those stomach churning eulogies of the A-List (see last Sunday) trying to make out that the new Conservative candidates are normal, not posh (a few exceptions aside)and have won their seats through merit not positive discrimination.

[TomTom]

I have stung Melissa Kite with criticism in the past - she is a bit lightweight

[ravel]

It rather nails the myth that she writes Tamzin Lightwater. Clearly written by somebody with much much better inside contacts than she has.

[Justin Hinchcliffe]

Felicity Mountjoy - what a fab name!!!

[Paul Oakley]

And "mistakes lie" Graeme. Hee hee hee.

[Umbrella man]

Melissa Kite got too close to Camp Davis at the start of the leadership contest in 2005. She authored puff pieces that she hoped would buy her long-term access to the likely next leader and his advisers. She miscalculated and her relationship with other Tories has never really recovered.

[John Findlater]

I hope Alan Duncans critisisms are widened to include the socialits supporting interviewers on the BBC and the Sky interviewer/puppets who plainly have Murdoch,s fingers up their backsides.
It would be nice also to see Tory cabinet members and MP.s get stuck into these interviewers instead of, in most cases, meekly letting them get away with murder.
William Hauges performance on Question Time was disappointing, especially his admiring words about Blair, a prime minister who prosecuted a war on the basis of lies.
So Tory spokespersons, no more apologising and no more meek answers to hostile questions, get up and fight back hard, just like Lord Bell did on the daily Politics last week.

[Londoner]

"Felicity Mountjoy - what a fab name!!!"

Down, Justin, down.

[Tapestry]

Alan Duncan went on the attack here but Iain Dale wrote the script on Kite's latest laughable misfires first...a case of the blogs feeding the front line politicos.

[X Trapnel]

You have plumbed new depths of (unintentional) hilarity and pomposity by approvingly citing the hissy fit of Alan Duncan, perhaps the most ludicrous politician in the country, along with the rider "he concluded in a quotation that he authorised me to publish."
Grow up.

[Michael Hewlett]

I found the post from X Trapnel rather bemusing. As with all outspoken remarks he/she decides not to post under their real name. Maybe this is because they will lose credibility by using the phrases 'hissy fit' and 'ludicrous' in describing an elected member of parliament. One of the unfortunate side effects in the growth of blogs is unattributed remarks which add little to the debate.

[Mark Clarke]

I think that this post and others on the blogosphere on this subject are unfair.

I have no idea about whether the article is right. Fraser Nelson at the Spectator seems to think is it. Iain Dale is divided on the subject.

However, I am surprised by the personal level of abuse shown in the article and more so in the comments. Normally, people who write columns receive abuse; this time a normal journalist is singled out.

I think that the comments have united an unusual coalition. Some, perhaps including our editorial team, are still a little wounded from Melissa Kites hatchet job on IDS over "gay" comment a few months back. Some are upset that the Sunday Telegraph is robust in its criticism of the perceived fluffiness (obviously very unfair) of the Cameron project. Some are upset (Mr Duncan perhaps...) that they were not mentioned as potential promotees...

Regardless, my broader point is that this site is normally very good at playing the ball not the man. I believe that this coverage has arguably pushed those boundaries.

Of course, it will be interesting to see the actual outcome. For sure someone (Iain/Tim or Melissa) should be eating humble pie. It will be an interesting test of whoever it is to see if they have the courage to do so...

[Steve Bubb]

So Alan Duncan believes that journalists who write things he doesn't like should be deprived of access to party news sources.

I seem to remember that this kind of control-freakery was one of the most excoriated features of New Labour. Is it going to be OK now we're on top again?

New Con - No Change?

[X Trapnel]

Perish the thought that "an elected member of parliament" should ever be called ludicrous or prone to hissy fits. Practically actionable one would have thought.