North East Lib Dem apologises for blog post

Dec 21 2009 by Richard Fletcher, The Journal

AFTER attacking the way MPs were dressed and making sexual references to people speaking in Parliament, an aspiring North East MP has been forced to apologise for his embarrassing behaviour.

Liberal Democrat Greg Stone, who is hoping to become Newcastle East MP at the next General Election, said he has learned ‘a hard lesson’ after being exposed as the author of the rude internet blog posts. Writing under the pseudonym Inamicus on the Guido Fawkes website in live chats during Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Stone made personal comments about the MPs involved.

He wrote that Foreign Secretary David Miliband looked ‘monged’, wondered ‘how much botox is Hazel Blears on?’ in reference to the Communities Secretary, and said another MP looked drunk.

He also called Labour MP Sharon Hodgson ‘the thickest MP in the House’ and hoped rival Nick Brown ‘might not be around after the GE[General Election] :)’.

The comments were exposed yesterday and according to the Guido Fawkes website were made over the course of more than a year.

Speaking to The Journal, Mr Stone said he apologised and was remorseful for any offence. He said: “I have learnt a hard lesson. I have made some silly comments on a political gossip chatroom.

“Given a pre-election period when everyone is very closely scrutinised it would be wise to keep my nose clean and I would be wise to do that in future. I’m sorry for any offence caused.”

Saying that the election should be fought on political issues rather than personalities, he also said he had made more generous comments towards other MPs which were not reported.

The comments have caused embarrassment for Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg according to reports yesterday he has ordered Mr Stone to apologise for the “lewd and offensive” comments.

However, the Guido Fawkes website seemed less apologetic. It says the live chat is a ‘blokey bar-room, profanity strewn critique of PMQs participated in by hundreds of co-conspirators every Wednesday’. It says: “Pretty tame stuff by the standards of some of the co-conspirators who post on the live-chat”, and adds that “the most embarrassing thing about this for Greg Stone is that it shows an unhealthy obsession with William Hague’s neck-wear”.