Heffer versus Cameron (a continuing series)

This blog has already noted the clashes between David Cameron and Simon Heffer (see here and here).  Mr Heffer whammies Mr Cameron again today in his Saturday column:

"Forgive me if I repeat the advice I gave here last week - that those of you with votes to cast in the Tory leadership contest should hang on to your ballot papers for a while yet. David Cameron's lighter-than-air campaign has started to head south this week, and things don't look quite so rosy for the boy wonder.

His Question Time performance showed how weak he is when confronted by members of the public in search of hard policies. More to the point - and as a PR man himself he will understand the truth of what I am about to say - if someone who is not a natural television performer, like David Davis, gets the better of him in a rather friendly and well-mannered debate, then the emergency services will have to be called out when Tony Blair and his machine get their hands on him.

Tories need to scrutinise him more closely - though since he has, unlike Mr Davis, so far refused to be grilled by Jeremy Paxman next week, I am afraid our chances to find out more might be severely limited."

The point about avoiding the Paxman interview is interesting.  Doers anyone know anymore about that?

Comments

[Selsdon Man]

Simon Heffer, whose views I tend to share on most issues, coached DD before QT. Pass the salt and take a pinch!

[James Hellyer]

Does coaching DD mean he's factually inaccurate, Selsdon, or is that just playing the man not the ball?

Is Cameron being interviewed by Paxman on Newsnight this week? Has he declined the invitation? If so, why?

[Tom]

Every article produced by Heffer should be preceded by the fact that he has a wopping agenda.

DC should definitely be interviewed by Paxman. I hope this is a non-story - or is Heffer trying to ramp up the pressure befre the next TV induction of fire? How many ballot papers will go out between now and any supposed interview? The whiff is certainly damaging to Cameron.

[James Hellyer]

"Every article produced by Heffer should be preceded by the fact that he has a wopping agenda."

Why? It's obvious from what he writes. I don't notice you all clamouring for Boris Johnson, Charles Moore and Danny Finkelstein to come with Cameron propagandist warnings. Double standards, much?

[Selsdon Man]

"Wopping agenda" or should that be Wapping agenda? Unlikely as Mr Murdoch does not won the Telegraph.

[Selsdon Man]

James, I have posted before that Finkelstein articles should point out that he is advising DC. That should also apply to Heffer who is advising DD.

[James Hellyer]

In which case The Spectator should a disclaimer on its cover saying that it's The Cameron Campaign equivalent of Pravda!

[Selsdon Man]

"In which case The Spectator should a disclaimer on its cover saying that it's The Cameron Campaign equivalent of Pravda!"

Apart from Oborne who was supporting Clarke.

[James Hellyer]

And only got the pro-Ken articles printed while Boris Johnson was on holiday. On Boris's return, the pro-Ken articles ceased to appear. Funny that.

[Editor]

What evidence do you have for your contention Selsdon Man that Mr Heffer is coaching DD?

And who are you - hiding behind the cloak of anonymity - to bravely make these accusations?

[Cllr Iain Lindley]

I'm not sure Heffer's comments are newsworthy - we all already knew what he thought of Cameron and he isn't offering anything new.

Has the debate on Thursday changed the minds of any commentators? That would be far more important.

[Selsdon Man]

"What evidence do you have for your contention Selsdon Man that Mr Heffer is coaching DD?"

It was reported in one of the papers that DD was coached by Heffer and Amanda Platell.
I will look for it and give you url.

[Selsdon Man]

Editor, the article was "Cameron comes unstuck in TV clash of the contenders"
By Colin Brown, Deputy Political Editor in yesterday's Independent.

It said "Mr Davis had rehearsed well for the show, being put through questions by Simon Heffer and Amanda Platell and allegedly having speech training to avoid sounding as uninspiring as his speech to the party conference."

[Howard Stevenson]

Looks like DC has agreed to two more head to heads with DD on ITV and Sky news. According to the Telegraph today.

Nothing that happened in the debate on Thursday would make me change my vote. Most of the sentences they spoke begin with "I most say I agree with what David said there."

[Selsdon Man]

Editor. the url is http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/politics/article324659.ece

Please apologise for suggesting that I was making unfounded accusations.

[Selsdon Man]

You would have found the article and sentence by googling "Simon Heffer" and "Davis".

[Tom]

Sorry - I had seen that article too - I thought it was common knowledge. I agree that Finkelstein et al should declare their interests but I cant help feeling that Heffers contributions have become really personal. This is where any editor who gives him a forum should jolly well make sure there is some sort of declaration of interest. To me he is reacting like a spoilt child and reason has been disposed of because Cameron said he was the problem. But I know the background, others may not.

[Editor]

Two of my trusted sources tell me that Simon Heffer has not been coaching DD. I don't want to disappoint you but not everything that appears in the newspapers is true. It's not only bloggers who have agendas.

The laziest way to deal with tough questioning is is to accuse the questioner of having an agenda. That's certainly been the favoured tactic of this blog's Cameroonians every time I've asked fair questions of their candidate.

Simon Heffer is clearly not a Cameron fan. That doesn't mean he's sold out for DD.

[Selsdon Man]

"Two of my trusted sources tell me that Simon Heffer has not been coaching DD". In that case, he should sue the Independent for libel. Is the reference to Amanda Platell correct?

[Selsdon Man]

On reflection, I am a little puzzled. Many newspapers have an on-duty lawyer to check stories for possible libel. Surely Colin Brown must have had a reliable source for printing that part of his story.

The Amanda Platell part rings true because she is a close friend of Nick Wood - resumably one of the editor's trusted sources. I would advise Mr Heffer to seek a public apology at the very least.

[Editor]

I don't know about Amanda Platell.

[Derek]

It is interesting that DD did much better in a big occasion debate on TV, when he was interviewed in Blackpool it was a cosy chat with no difficult questions, and no "edge" to it. He seems to rise to the challenge, when he is up against it he has a survival instinct. It is therefore vital that DC is grilled by Paxman (as well as DD) so that we can see more of the less experienced man under fire. If he ducks that challenge we shall have to draw our own conclusions!

[Selsdon Man]

I would advise Mr Heffer, Ms Platell and the DD camp to sort out this issue with the Independent. Whilst one may not believe everything in the papers, you would expect a serious political journalist to get his facts right. I am probably not the only one who thought the Heffer-Davis connection to be significant. If Mr Brown was wrong, he should publicly apologise for his appalling error.

[Tom]

Thanks editor for that. I am not so good at seeing through "facts" as I would like but I await confirmation either way of whether Heffer is on board the Davis campaign as much as the Indy suggested.

[John Coulson]

I cannot believe how the DC brigade are trying to spin what was a poor performance into a way to criticise DD supporting journalists. For goodness sake, Mathew Parris has been supporting (and probably advising) DC for ages and no DD supporter has held it against him, why should we?