A whole set of new posters is available on the Posters page. The sharp-eyed amongst you will notice that Teh Tory Fear weighs heavily upon our minds.

Quarsan deserves a plug here for a brilliant Blunkett poster. (If you wish to submit ideas for posters, don't feel that you have to make the whole poster. Good ideas and straplines come across just as well as a few lines of text.)

Backing Blair stickers are now available to buy online. Using them is certain to bring back Margaret Thatcher and/or invite a terrorist attack. Please don't buy any.

T-shirts should be available before the end of this week. You shouldn't buy any of those, either.

Guardian Blair is election liability, warn Labour aides: The news follows concern that Blair's personal ratings are clouding the picture. One loyalist cabinet minister has told friends that Blair is no longer seen as an asset, particularly among traditional working class supporters. Another Blairite minister admitted he had been taken aback by the hostility to the leader on the doorsteps: 'There are people shouting "if you get rid of Blair we'll vote Labour", although I think a lot of that is bluff.'

Yes, we're bluffing. You just keep telling yourself that, sunshine...

When you wake, you will 'remember' that we invaded Iraq in order to bring them democracy...



UPDATE - A large version (that you can print onto an A4 sheet of paper) is now available on the Posters page.

It's a doozy, folks! Boing Boing have a wonderful highlight here and you can read the full text via Hansard here.

There are many fine passages in this speech that you may wish to report, repeat or dissect on your own weblog, but the main highlight for us - our most favourite bit ever, ever, ever - is at the very beginning:

Brian Sedgemore: "As this will almost certainly be my last speech in Parliament, I shall try hard not to upset anyone. However..."

We are pleased to announce that Backing Blair can now accept cheque donations.

And, because our campaign fund currently stands at £831.43 GBP, we are very, very close to getting our first truck on the street.

Please send us money if you'd like to see this happen.

The election campaign in Blackburn could prove very interesting, with Jack Straw facing opposition in the shape of a former employee.

Craig Murray is a former British ambassador in Uzbekistan who got himself into no end of trouble for protesting at both the Uzbek regime's regular use of torture, and the British and American governments use of intelligence material obtained by the Uzbek regime. Not to mention their apparent condoning of such behaviour as long as it gives the right results.

Having departed the Foreign Office, Craig Murray now intends standing as a parliamentary candidate in the Blackburn constituency of Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. If Mr Murrary does indeed stand, then the public will be presented with a golden opportunity to question the government on its position regarding torture and the use of intelligence obtained by torture. With this in mind, Backing Blair would ask that the both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats consider throwing their weight behind Mr Murray's campaign should he decide to stand.

You can't say we don't listen. Well, actually you can, but we have listened and made the following updates to the latest versions of the constituency pages. These have now been uploaded and address the following:

1. Boundary changes in Scotland
2. By-election results since 2001.

Furthermore, the advice offered has been updated. In some cases, where good arguments have been made by people in the constituency concerned, the Tactical Voting advice has been changed to reflect more realistic opportunities. So, for example, if Labour holds a seat with the Conservatives in second place, but the Liberal Democrats are close behind the Conservatives, then the Tactical Voting advice would reflect the situation that people from Labour are more likely to vote LibDem than Tory, and recommend the LibDems as the ideal recipient for your vote.

Additional information will be provided on a constituency-by-constituency basis as it becomes available. If you have information that you think would be appropriate to a specific constituency, then please send the details to the team AT backingblair DOT co DOT uk, including the constituency name and url in your message. After review, we will contact you to let you know whether all or just some of the information will be uploaded.

Backing Blair was subjected to a DoS attack yesterday and the site was down for close to 18 hours as a result.

The attack came in the form of an illegitimate copyright violation complaint. We were told by our service provider that the domain was deactivated - without notice - because of:
"Excessive traffic to a potential copyright violating item - london_underground.swf"

We now know the complaint was illegitimate, as only copyright owners can legitimately complain or seek an injunction, but the moment we started questioning our provider about the nature/source of the complaint, the copyright matter was dropped entirely and the issue was reduced to excessive use alone.

This appears to be the service provider saving face (and you can't really blame them after pulling the site so quickly without checking the legalities first) but it flies in the face of reason when you consider that our service is supposed to include unlimited bandwidth.

(For the record, The London Underground Song is still offline, but we plan to bring it back today with the SWF file called up from a different provider.)

We still don't know who made the complaint, but whoever they were, they certainly scared the bejesus out of our service provider. 'Nervy' doesn't begin to describe their manner.

Many already hold the suspicion that the attack came from Labour HQ. We cannot confirm this at this stage. However, we do know that well over 100 individual visitors have viewed this site from government servers. Our tracking shows the bulk of them originate from the all-purpose HMG server gis.gov.uk, but there are also many council-level servers in the stats including surreycc.gov.uk and brighton-hove.gov.uk

There have also been a dozen or so visitors accessing the site via Telewest, who are a major service provider for the Labour Party.

Now, all this proves is that certain people are taking an interest, but the factor of motivation needs to be considered. Unless the attack originated from a deranged Paul Weller fan, the only people we see who would have cause to disable the site would be ardent (and/or paid) supporters of Tony Blair.

If it's not someone from the Labour Party then they should be feeling pretty stupid right now, as the site was downed for less than a day and - as we have pointed out - the result is that many suspect Labour was behind this cowardly attack.

Great favour you did them, buddy. Congratulations for not having the guts/ability to take us head-on.

We would first like to refer you to our FAQ, which begins as follows:

What exactly is it that you want from me?
We want you to register to vote. Then, when the election comes around, we want people who live in 'safe' Labour seats or marginal ones to vote for the candidate most likely to beat the Labour candidate. Not the anti-war-person, or the seems-like-a-nice-person, but the candidate most likely to beat the Labour candidate.

You'll note the Tories aren't mentioned in the core aim, but the negative charge most often levelled against this site is that we're all about getting people to vote Tory. In fact, there are a few people out there who are well and truly freaked out about that:

To paraphrase Marcellus Wallace; "That's fear f*cking with you. F*ck fear. Fear only hurts, it never helps."

We'll try to come up with a better quote later in the piece. In the meantime, we'd like to point out that there are a number of parallels between the Tories and terrorists, in that Blair has been using our fear of both to stay in power and get away with all kinds of things the public would never tolerate without the presence of a serious boogey-man. Or two.


Remember September 11th = Remember Margaret Thatcher

Dark times. Spectacularly dark times for many. But you can't let it blind you to the reality of the actual current threat, which in both cases is not as pronounced or as immediate as Blair would have you believe.


Blair: back me or the terrorists win = Blair: back me or the Tories win

Blair has used both arguments to convince the electorate and members of his own party to back and/or tolerate all sorts of things that actually work towards the aims of both. In the case of terrorists, Blair has the whole country running scared over phantom threats. Our logistical and political support for the US has actually sparked terrorist activity in Iraq (where previously there was none). The terrorists hardly need lift a finger. In the case of the Tories, Blair is adopting/hijacking all sorts of Tory policies in order to edge them out of the game. The Tories also hardly need lift a finger.


You're supporting the terrorists! = You're supporting the Tories!

This ends all sorts of debates. Just trying to get folks to consider the motivation(s) of terrorists brings you dangerously close to the use of empathy (*gasp*). For some people, empathy and sympathy are the same thing, especially when fear and outrage are involved. This is where the parallels are not exact, but the linear pattern in very similar. In the case of the Tories, we have asked people who live in 'safe' Labour seats or marginal ones to vote for the candidate most likely to beat the Labour candidate. For some people this involves voting Lib-Dem, SNP, Plaid Cymru, etc.- but for others this involves voting Tory. Fear and outrage turns the focus on this one single aspect and turns our strategic (and quite reluctant) use of some Tory candidates into outright support for the Tory party.


But what if terrorists attack? = But what if the Tories win?

And what are you willing to give up to stop this happening? Do you want to be unable to get permission to fart without an ID card? Are you willing to risk detention without trial? Lord Hoffmann said it best; "The real threat to the life of the nation... comes not from terrorism but from laws such as these."


Refuse to stand up to Blair and we sleepwalk into a police state. Refuse to stand up to Blair and we continue with a de-facto Tory government.

And in both cases many cannot see the threat Blair poses because of the overwhelming fear of terrorism and/or a return to Tory rule.

We repeat: we will not be cowed and we will not be diverted.

The policy stands.

In 'safe' Labour seats and marginal seats we want you to vote for the candidate most likely to beat the Labour candidate. Sometimes this will involve voting Tory.

Some of our supporters may only support us partially in that they will never ("Never! Do you hear me? Never!") vote Tory, and may instead opt for another party - perhaps even Respect or the Greens. Fair enough. Your call.

But we want all Labour MPs to know that there are many people who would fully support them were it not for Blair... and that we're so unhappy about Blair's leadership that we would not only consider voting Tory as a protest vote, but also voice this intention publicly.

1. Well, here we are, Tony. We're this angry. We'd like to ask you to pull your head in, but we've seen what you're capable of, and we have no intention of trusting you again. You can soften your position on detention without trial or downplay the possibility of a pre-emptive strike against Iran, but we know that the moment your survive the election you'll be back at it again.

2. Well, here we are, Labour MPs. We're this angry. Get rid of Blair and get Labour back on track. Don't make us do anything you might personally live to regret.

3. Perhaps we'd best make it clear that many of us directly involved with the campaign think that the Tories are complete and utter bastards. Except for Boris Johnson. Boris rules.

Backing Blair is not about voting for the Conservatives, but voting against Tony Blair. In the most effective way possible. In many cases this will mean voting for the second place candidate who may well be a Tory. Now that's a tough call, but it's something you're going to have to get over, and something those of us behind Backing Blair have already had to face.

Because as long as Tony Blair is leader, voting for Labour is effectively voting for a Tory government anyway.

Who made the bigger commitment to private investment in public services? That's right, under Tony Blair, Labour has given more support to PFI than the preceding Conservative government, support to a policy that mortgages the future of improved public services in order to give "apparent" short term benefits.

Who committed British military forces to 9 war zones in 8 years? Right again, Tony Blair.

Who is attempting to pass laws suspending habeas corpus and seriously eroding civil liberties? Bingo, Tony Blair.

So come polling day, we want you to get out there and vote. Strategically. Without compromise. Vote for the person most likely to take the seat from Labour.

In many constituencies their lead is so large that the chances of unseating Labour is virtually zero. But still vote against. Our protest needs to be visible, ruthless, and visibly ruthless.

Now, onto that slightly better quote we were promising you...

"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." - Franklin Delano Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address, March 4 1933

We would do well to remember this quote in today's context. Because Tony Blair wants you to be afraid, to live in fear of terrorists and Tories.

Yesterday, Blair likened his relationship with the electorate to a troubled marriage. He's asking for one more chance.

We couldn't think of a more appropriate comparison. In fact, we would ask you to stare in the mirror and consider your fresh and faded bruises. Are you really so reliant on Blair that you're afraid to walk out the door? Are you really so blind to his abuse of your trust that you're willing to believe he can change?

New Statesman - Revealed: Blair's six election pleadges

Originally Tony Blair was going to announce Labour's five election promises at the Labour spring conference. Five pledges that would show the electorate that Labour was following a progressive path in the areas of the economy, health, education, childcare and crime. This would hark back to their 1997 manifesto which also made five pledges, an attempt maybe to forge links in the minds of the electorate between the soiled government of 2005 with the heady days of May 1997.

But then comes a last-minute update of almost Pythonesque proportions, as five promises become six.


John Prescott: Trouble at Millbank

Tony Blair: Oh no - what kind of trouble?

John Prescott: One on't foc's gr'ups reports var'nce in the intent'ns of swing voters

Tony Blair: Pardon?

John Prescott: One on't foc's gr'ups reports var'nce in the intent'ns of swing voters

Tony Blair: I don't understand what you're saying.

John Prescott: One of the focus groups reports variance in the intentions of swing voters.

Tony Blair: Well what on earth does that mean?

John Prescott [becoming irritated]: I don't know - Mr Milburn just told me to come in here and say that there was trouble at Millbank, that's all - I didn't expect a kind of Labour Manifesto.

[FX: Jarring Chord]

Alistair Campbell: Nobody expects the Labour Manifesto! Our five main policies concern the economy, health, education, childcare, crime...the economy, health, education, childcare, crime and asylum and immigration...asylum and immigration, the economy, health, education, childcare and crime. Our six main policies relate to the economy, health, education, childcare, crime and asylum and immigration...and an almost fanatical devotion to George Bush... Our seven... no... amongst our policies... are such elements as the economy, health... I'll come in again.


Being serious for a moment though, this hints at a degree of confusion within Labour which we haven't seen yet. And the cause is very interesting. You might think that adding immigration and asylum is a response to the Conservatives, but Alistair Campbell and the flying pigs have shown that Labour are pretty solid on dealing with the Tories. And the Tories seem already resigned to defeat, so why the addition to the pledges?

The reason, of all things, is the LibDems. Not their actual policies, but the fact that many floating Labour voters actually consider the LibDems as an alternative recipient of their support. And the justification given by these voters is the LibDems stance on crime, asylum and immigration, regardless of the actual policies. Yet in all honesty the LibDems are less of a threat than the Tories.

The problem is that with Campbell back in the fold, the campaign will almost inevitably be dragged down to gutter levels. And regardless of Labour's actual intentions on immigration and asylum, they want to cover their backsides when the sh*t starts flying.

So at least one of the pledges is intended more as a means to placate the waivering voters than a real policy commitment. Another item of spin to be pushed down the electorates throat; another demonstration of the arrogance of the Blairites and their contempt for the electorate. It's less about doing what they think is right for the country and more about perpetuating power. I'm not going to tell you whether Labour's policy is right or wrong, but if you're uncertain of your support for Labour then just measure the reality of this latest promise against the yardstick of WMDs, Iraq, Ecclestone, Hinduja and numerous other lies, deceits and evasions.

As Perfect.co.uk points out, Labour chose today to get all touchy-feely on Teh Interwebs. Their timing couldn't have been better.

They have invited us - the great unwashed - to put a question to Tony via this page or by texting 84402.

We would like you all to ask the following question:

Why don't you f*ck off and apologise for Iraq you tw*t?

That is all. You may go about your business as soon as this task is completed.

UPDATE: Oh, go on. If you want to be boring, you could ask this instead:

When will the Prime Minister publish full and comprehensive details of the advice he was given by the Attorney General regarding the legality of the invasion of Iraq in 2003?

PRESS RELEASE

Source:
http://www.backingblair.co.uk/

Online version of this release:
http://www.backingblair.co.uk/2005/02/mp-titles-in-domain-names.html

Date:
10 Feb 2005


UPDATE (11 Feb 2005): We've been advised by the Electoral Commission that only Parliament can address/enforce this. In other words, only Parliament can address a matter that only arises when Parliament dissolves.


UPDATE (23 Feb 2005): A little bird tells us that:

Once parliament is dissolved in advance of a general election, Members of Parliament become "ex-Members" and under the rules of the House of Commons are no longer entitled to use the support and facilities of the House. Upon dissolution, the Clerk of the House provides guidance to ex-Members on the use of facilities, including any web pages established while individuals were sitting Members of Parliament. Specifically, this guidance is likely to include advice about the use of disclaimers on websites to explain the position of former Members during an election period.

So it appears as if a simple on-site disclaimer is all that's going to be required for candidates with 'mp' in the page code/copy or in the domain name.


-

Close to 100 incumbent candidates may be in breach of Electoral Commission guidelines once Parliament is dissolved for the election and they lose the right to call themselves MPs.

Despite giving a clear warning to MPs prior to the 2001 General Election that they not include the title 'mp' in their domain names, the Electoral Commission failed to address the matter in their 2003 report on online campaigning.

Electoral Commission - April 2003 - Online election campaigns - Report and recommendations:
http://www.electoralcommission.gov.uk/media-centre/newsreleasereviews.cfm/news/182
http://www.electoralcommission.gov.uk/templates/search/document.cfm/7286

Currently, 92 serving MPs have websites with 'mp' in the domain name, including:

- Michael Howard, leader of the Conservatives (michaelhowardmp.com)
- Charles Clarke, Secretary of State for Home Affairs (norwich-labour-mps.org.uk)
- Derek Wyatt, former Director of The Computer Channel at BSkyB and Chairman/Founder of the All Party Internet Group (derekwyattmp.co.uk)
- Andrew Miller, President or Computing for Labour (andrew-miller-mp.co.uk)
- Andrew MacKay, Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Party (andrewmackaymp.com)
- Stephen Timms, former Minister of State for Energy, e-Commerce and Postal Services (stephentimmsmp.org.uk)
- Ian Taylor, former Minister for Science and Technology (iantaylormp.com)
- Dr. Brian Iddon, member of the Science and Technology Select Committee (brianiddonmp.org.uk)
- Des Turner, member of the Science and Technology Select Committee (desturnermp.co.uk)
- Nick Hawkins, former member of the Parliamentary Information Technology Committee (nickhawkinsmp.org)

And, finally, Anne Widdecombe (annwiddecombemp.com) who was advised to shut down her main website during the last election because of this same issue.

The non-partisan online action group Backing Blair has called for the Electoral Commission to clarify their position on the use of the title 'mp' in domain names following the dissolution of Parliament and requests an appropriate level of enforcement should any use of this title during the election be in breach of the guidelines.

A list of offending domains names appears below:

http://www.adrianbaileymp.org.uk
http://www.alancampbellmp.co.uk
http://www.alansimpsonmp.co.uk
http://www.andrewmackaymp.com
http://www.andrew-miller-mp.co.uk
http://www.andrew-mitchell-mp.co.uk
http://www.andrewsmithmp.org.uk
http://www.andylovemp.com
http://www.andyreedmp.org.uk
http://www.angelaeaglemp.co.uk
http://www.angelasmithmp.org
http://www.annemcguiremp.org.uk
http://www.annettebrookemp.org
http://www.annkeenmp.org.uk
http://www.annmckechinmp.net
http://www.annwiddecombemp.com
http://www.bobblizzardmp.co.uk
http://www.briandonohoemp.co.uk
http://www.brianiddonmp.org.uk
http://www.bridgetprenticemp.org.uk
http://www.chrisbryantmp.co.uk
http://www.chrismolemp.org.uk
http://www.daritaylormp.co.uk
http://www.davidcameronmp.com
http://www.davidruffleymp.com
http://www.davidstewartmp.co.uk
http://www.derekwyattmp.co.uk
http://www.desmondswaynemp.com
http://www.desturnermp.co.uk
http://www.gavinstrangmp.co.uk
http://www.georgefoulkesmp.co.uk
http://www.giselastuartmp.co.uk
http://www.gordonprenticemp.com
http://www.grahambradymp.co.uk
http://www.iantaylormp.com
http://www.islandmp.org (Andrew Turner)
http://www.ivorcaplinmp.com
http://www.jacquilaitmp.com
http://www.jacquismithmp.labour.co.uk
http://www.james-sheridan-mp.org.uk
http://www.jimfitzpatrickmp.co.uk
http://www.jimmurphymp.com
http://www.johnbarrettmp.com
http://www.johnbattle-mp.org.uk
http://www.johnhealeymp.co.uk
http://www.johnhuttonmp.co.uk
http://www.johnlyons-mp.com
http://www.johnmannmp.co.uk
http://www.johnmaplesmp.com
http://www.johnpughmp.com
http://www.johnrandallmp.com
http://www.johnrobertsonmp.co.uk
http://www.kalimountfordmp.org.uk
http://www.kerrypollardmp.co.uk
http://www.kevanjonesmp.org.uk
http://www.lauramoffattmp.co.uk
http://www.mariaeaglemp.com
http://www.markfieldmp.com
http://www.marksimmondsmp.org
http://www.marktamimp.org.uk
http://www.mconnartymp.org.uk
http://www.megmunnmp.org.uk
http://www.michael.fabricant.mp.co.uk
http://www.michaelhowardmp.com
http://www.michaeljackmp.org.uk
http://www.michael-wills-mp.co.uk
http://www.moraymp.org
http://www.nickharveymp.com
http://www.nickhawkinsmp.org
http://www.nigelmp.com (Nigel Evans)
http://www.norwich-labour-mps.org.uk (Ian Gibson and Charles Clarke)
http://www.oliverhealdmp.com
http://www.paulflynnmp.co.uk
http://www.paulmarsdenmp.com
http://www.prestonmp.co.uk (Mark Hendrick)
http://www.richardspringmp.com
http://www.robertsymsmp.com
http://www.robertwaltermp.com
http://www.roybeggsmp.com
http://www.shona-mp.com (Shona McIsaac)
http://www.simonburnsmp.com
http://www.stephenhesfordmp.labour.co.uk
http://www.stephenobrienmp.co.uk
http://www.stephentimmsmp.org.uk
http://www.stuartbellmp.org
http://www.tonycunninghammp.org.uk
http://www.tonylloydmp.co.uk
http://www.tonymcwaltermp.org.uk
http://www.vernon-coaker-mp.co.uk
http://www.wingriffithsmp.co.uk

ENDS

(Note: you can learn more about emailing the PM by clicking here.)

Dear Tony Blair,

You had this to say regarding The Butler Inquiry (it's on record at Hansard): The inquiry is certainly not going to address the issue of whether it was right to go to war or not. That is a question for the Government first, then for Parliament and then, ultimately, for the people to decide.

Yet you like to pretend that the reports presented by Hutton and Butler put you in the clear.

You also like to suggest repeatedly that - on Iraq - the people will be able to judge you at the polls.

Yet here you are during the recent by-elections asking voters to put their feelings about Iraq aside when they vote.

So we're calling you out, Tony.

During the campaign season for the upcoming general election, we will be fighting to keep Iraq on the agenda.

Following the recent Iraqi elections, everything could (maybe, just possibly) go swimmingly, but we did not invade Iraq to bring the Iraqis democracy or free them from a brutal dictator, now did we?

We were assured that Iraq presented a very real and current danger. We were assured that there were WMD. We were assured that Saddam was pursuing a nuclear capability and/or building a 'dirty bomb'. We were assured that long range missiles could be fired within 45 minutes. It was suggested throughout the affair that Saddam had links to al Qaeda and that this was a vital part of the war on terror... when in truth the invasion of Iraq created a playground for terrorists and even swept tonnes of munitions right into their waiting arms.

And while we're on the so-called 'war' on terror, just where in the hell do you get off detaining people without trial?

During the campaign season for the upcoming general election, we will also be fighting to keep your manipulation of the 'war' on terror on the agenda.

We will also be highlighting your continued swing to the right, your reliance on right-wing media magnate Rupert Murdoch and your inexplicable devotion to George W. Bush.

We are going to hammer and chip away at your teflon coating until our hands are bloody and raw.

While we do this, we will also be urging people to register protest votes that are visible, strategic and ruthless.

We will not be cowed and we will not be diverted, because we know that we won't have our country back until you are kicked out of office by the electorate or your own party.