Tory Grant Shapps resigns

Indeed, some people are simply horrible, but is it not worth asking the question: Why are the Conservatives known as "the nasty party?" a term coined by the Home Secretary, herself, about the party to which she belongs. The party that apparently was willing to tolerate Mark Clarke's appalling behavour.

That would be Theresa May then:

'There's a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies. You know what some people call us – the Nasty Party.'

Again however, I'll point out how the Labour party were willing to tolerate bullying claims against Gordon Brown, doing their utmost to discredit the sources, including a bullying helpline charity. Brown even went as far as to smear Tessa Jowell 24 hours after she told Gordon that he was likely to lose the general election, seemingly in a pointless act of revenge.

Bullying in politics is not limited to one party, no matter how much spin you try and put on this. I'm sure that antics like this are just the tip of an iceberg across all the parties and down through each branch of the civil service and into local councils.

[quote=the_bloke;11226546

Bullying in politics is not limited to one party, no matter how much spin you try and put on this. I'm sure that antics like this are just the tip of an iceberg across all the parties and down through each branch of the civil service and into local councils.

Are you saying - if everyone does it that's okay then?

Every social group have tensions to a greater or lesser degree. And certain behaviors have become socially unacceptable as the society has evolved.

Like smoking in public, attitudes to women, gays, etc. These changes occur when people oppose them.

So this time it's the Conservatives who have the chance to change their party, do the right thing and root this out......or deny it, deflect it or ignore it.

At the moment they have defended and deflected until the evidence has become overpowering. Then they have sacked a couple or made them resign. Hardly a wholehearted effort to do the right thing.

The man is a politician, I would be more surprised if the story was that he had been found out to be telling the truth. There is something of the night about our Westminster parasites, of any colour.

Are you saying - if everyone does it that's okay then?

No I am certainly not; where did you pluck that conclusion from? What I am saying is that this is not something exclusive to the Tory party as much as people desperately want it to be. Bullying should never be tolerated in any aspect of professional or personal life.

No I am certainly not; where did you pluck that conclusion from? What I am saying is that this is not something exclusive to the Tory party as much as people desperately want it to be. Bullying should never be tolerated in any aspect of professional or personal life.

It wasn't a conclusion it was a question, hence the question mark.

Hogg's Question was "Why are the Conservatives called the nasty party?"

Your answer seemed to say - They are all as bad as each other. And to offer no opinion on the bullying.

The above seems to say the Conservatives (amongst others) are bully's and this should not be tolerated.

. . . . . . . or am I jumping to conclusions ;0)

Thanks for the clarification.

Shapps will be OK for work, he's got two amazing references from Michael Green and Sebastian Fox.

It wasn't a conclusion it was a question, hence the question mark.

 

Hogg's Question was "Why are the Conservatives called the nasty party?"

Your answer seemed to say - They are all as bad as each other. And to offer no opinion on the bullying.

 

The above seems to say the Conservatives (amongst others) are bully's and this should not be tolerated.

 

. . . . . . . or am I jumping to conclusions ;0)

 

Thanks for the clarification.

I think you were jumping to a conclusion. Just because bullying in politics happens in all parties - as the abuse given to pro air strike Labour MPs proves - it doesn't mean it should be tolerated.

As for why the Conservatives are called the Nasty Party, I answered his question with the quote from the person he said coined it.

Elliot Johnson's father believes his son was further intimidated by the head of the party’s inquiry into allegations of bullying by Mark Clarke. He told the Guardian that letters from Simon Mort further contributed to his son’s distress. In the letters, Mort insisted that Elliott Johnson persist with a bullying complaint against Clarke.

After Elliott tried to withdraw his complaint, Mort wrote back to him saying: “Having sent a two-page complaint to the party chairman and already occupied some considerable part of his and my time with this, you have put these facts into the debate along with information provided by many other people. Therefore I believe that you should have the courtesy to meet me for 20 minutes ... Please confirm that you will be there. Simon.” Mort also sent an email saying: “I trust most earnestly that I am going to see you tomorrow because 1) I have fixed to come up to London to continue this investigation and your component is just part of a bigger mosaic involving other people [and] 2) Even if you do decide that a formal complaint is not appropriate, I still need more information to explain to several very senior members of the party, who have absorbed your submission, why you have come to this position.” Correspondence leaked to the Guardian reveals that the tone of Mort’s responses left Johnson distraught. He wrote: “I’m very worried about what I will be thought of by the central conservative party”, “I feel I must go and argue for no further action on my part. Not going will get myself and Mark into further trouble”, and “The way that email is written makes it unacceptable for me not to attend”. Johnson did subsequently attend the meeting with Mort, and was told he could withdraw his complaint.

Ray Johnson said: “Having been bullied by Mark Clarke to withdraw his complaint, he was then pressured by Simon Mort. This is the language of an army officer to a squaddie. He felt cornered by everybody and it all worked against him.”

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/dec/04/father-of-elliott-johnson-believes-son-was-intimidated-by-head-of-inquiry