Archive for April, 2005

Must try harder

Tuesday, April 12th, 2005

Ed Matts learns Photoshop

Tory candidate Ed Matts has been caught using Photoshop to bring old publicity snaps on message.

The original shot shows Matts and Tory heartbreaker Ann Widdecombe protesting for - wait for it - an immigrant family to be allowed to stay in Britain.

Weeks later the same photo has popped up minus the family and plus handy on message slogans.

A Conservative spokesman tried to justify the deception:

“Ed Matts excluded the family who appeared in the original photo by creating a new image in order to protect them from media attention.”

Update: Create your own shabby identikit image here.

ToryScum.com newsletter

Tuesday, April 12th, 2005

Want regular updates on ToryScum.com? Of course you do.

Sign-up to the newsletter in the sidebar. We promise we won’t do anything dodgy with your details.

A few words on our comments policy: anything racist, sweary, incoherent or illegal will be removed. Anything else on-topic is fair game. Simple.

Celebra-tories: Peter Stringfellow

Tuesday, April 12th, 2005

Peter Stringfellow polaroid

Perma-tanned poser Peter Stringfellow hosted a Conservative fundraising gala on Sunday night.

For the 25th anniversary of Stringfellows, the entrance to London’s premier trumped-up brothel gentleman’s club sported Michael Howard’s smug mug in place of the usual legs akimbo lady.

Margaret Thatcher turned up, but failed to enjoy any table-dancing action.

We understand that visitors were asked to buy two £25 raffle tickets on the threat of…

“Two days cruising around the Balerics [sic] for four people on Peter Stringfellow’s 50ft Sunseeker Yacht, skippered by Peter Stringfellow and his girlfriend Bella.”

Second prize was three days, third prize forever (cheap gag shamelessly stolen from Twistblog).

Conservative copywriting: Do it yourself

Monday, April 11th, 2005

Conservative copywriting

Pathetic with a paint can? Help is at hand for those unwilling to deface Tory billboards.

Stuart Langridge has made it easy to make your own Conservative campaign ads online.

Simply enter your slogan, and the site will generate a picture perfect replica ready for download.

Do e-mail us your work.

We also enjoyed this thread about everybody’s favourite Conservative poster campaign.

See also: Make your own Conservative poster.

It’s not just cricket

Sunday, April 10th, 2005

A gentlemanly cricket ball

A group of self-styled ‘anarchitects’ plan to end parliamentary sleaze - by challenging MPs to to a gentlemanly game of cricket.

The match is scheduled for 2pm on 1 May in Parliament Square, opposite the House of Commons.

The Space Hijackers’ invitation reads:

[We] hereby challenge you and your fellow Members of Parliament to a game of cricket. We challenge you to show us that your morals and behaviour are fit to govern this country…

…A decline of our challenge will be seen by us and the entire British Public as acceptance that you are the morally and honourably corrupt government that we suspect. We shall see you at the pitch.

It was delivered to over 600 Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs at the House Of Commons on 4 April.

Observers are invited to bring tea, cucumber sarnies, Pimms, picnics, moral fibre and good sportsmanship.

We hope to see you there.

Subvertising: Do It Yourself

Saturday, April 9th, 2005

Paint brush

Fancy rewriting those pesky Conservative campaign posters? It’s easy*…

  • Choose a slogan - you’ll find ideas here
  • Print it out - use 450pt Tahoma (bold capitals) for footer text, experiment to match body text
  • Stick it up - wallpaper paste will hold, add PVA glue to waterproof

For tips ‘n’ tricks from the pros, try Smashing the Image Factory, a manual of billboard subversion.

*It’s also illegal, kids, so don’t do it without Michael Howard’s express permission. We can’t be held responsible if you end up going down for a ten stretch. But do keep the photos coming of other people’s handiwork.

UPDATE: Readers of a nervous disposition may prefer the virtual Conservative poster generator.

Celebra-tories: Paul Daniels

Saturday, April 9th, 2005

Paul Daniels polaroids

You’ll like him - but not a lot.

Paul Daniels“>Paul Daniels threatened a final disappearing act if Labour won the ‘97 election.

The pint-sized magician said he’d consider taking his cash to Barbados to avoid a Blair government.

Sadly, his word was as bad as his toupe.

Despite a one-way ticket and removal van c/o The People, he declined to leave on election day.

He later claimed his remark had been taken out of context.

Taking it to the streets (part 2)

Saturday, April 9th, 2005

More defaced Tory billboard ads for your delight. Keep the photos coming to toryscum@gmail.com and keep up the good work.

Fuck you you racist Tory pieces of shit
Manchester


It's racist to impose limits on immigration

Longsight, Manchester

It's racist to impose limits on immigration
Picton Road, Liverpool

Are you thinking that we're trustworthy?
Pontllanfraith, South Wales

The law should protect me, not the rich!
Bristol

Are you thinking that we're not?
Nottingham

See also: Taking it to the streets (part 1), ToryScum.com newsletter

Celebra-tories: Jim Davidson

Thursday, April 7th, 2005

Jim Davidson polaroid

Jim Davidson is the classic celebra-tory.

Like many, he threatened to leave Britain in 1997 if Labour won the election.

He finally emigrated to Dubai in 2004, telling Des O’Conner…

“I could change my religion to Muslim and have four wives. Mind you I’d have four mothers-in-law if I did that.”

See what he did there? We can’t help but wonder how he feels about living with, ahem, Johnny Foreigner, but there you go.

Bewilderingly, he was made an OBE for his charity work in 2000.

Two years later he addressed the Conservative Party conference on defence policy, explaining:

“I don’t yet know exactly what I’m going to say, but I reckon it will be controversial stuff.”

Just like Sinderella, we presume. He was clearly the right man for the job - after all, he’d donated £5,000 to Iain Duncan-Smith’s leadership campaign.

Davidson is notably absent from the current Tory campaign, suggesting that their PR people have seen sense.

It’ll be far right on the night

Wednesday, April 6th, 2005

The Conservative Party: It’s not racist, but…

'Not ours' says BNP over 'limits' poster

Thanks to Martin Stabe for the story, and for telling us that it comes from a questionable source: the BNP’s Voice of Freedom paper.