Basher for Liberty news 3

The campaign

Labour launched another attack on DD, and again managed not to mention the issues - this time it was Andy Burnham who said that DD should pay for the by-election. He also implied a romantic liaison between DD and Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty. Basher said Burnham was using smear tactics. Shami threatened to sue.

More sinisterly, Spy Blog wonders whether Burnham's description of "late-night, hand-wringing, heart-melting phone calls" between the two shows that the government is eavesdropping on the their phone calls. Burnham has previous form on this kind of thing,  it seems.

Meanwhile DD made a direct appeal to Labour voters with an interview on LabourHome. Report here.

Sparring partners

Donal Blaney reckons that Conservative Home's Tim Montgomerie, a fan of 42 day detention without charge, should stand against David Davis. Sounds like a good idea to me too.

Why did he do it?

Fraser Nelson reckons that there's a lack of mission at Conservative HQ with a number of senior Cameron lieutenants departing. DD may just be part of that trend.

What we're after

Unity at Liberal Conspiracy notes the latest case of left and right trying to outdo each other on tearing up civil liberties.

Comments

[Kit]

I'm amused that Shami Chakrabarti of Liberty would threatened to use our illiberal libel laws. I had hoped the libel laws would be on DD's hit list.

[Bishop Hill]

A bit too much to hope for, Kit. The libel laws have got to go, but, as I've said before, this campaign needs to avoid issue inflation so as to prevent supporters drifting away.