To think that smearing a politician through his dead father is taking political debate too far?

[pointythings]

Yes, of course we have a free press. That's great. But smearing a politician you don't agree with by hanging an entire article on something his dead father wrote when he was an angry 17-year-old is just beyond distasteful. Attack the man's part and his politics, that is part of robust and free political debate, but leave a dead man out of it.I'm looking at you, Daily Mail.

I hope that papers on the other side of the political spectrum won't follow suit, although there is probably a wealth worth of sh*t to be dug up on the parents of current Conservative, Lib Dem and UKIP politicians...

I am that it has come to this, and I am naive to have thought that even the Daily Mail would not stoop so low.

I knew before I'd opened this thread that it would be something to do with the Daily Mail. Awful, scaremongering newspaper.

It's not taking political debate too far, because it's not political debate. It's filthy Daily Mail racist shit.

Also because the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the Exchequer and Mayor of London (and potential future leader) were members.

Yikes. If I was judged by my father's thoughts, I would come across completely differently on here. I am a product of him, yes. Some of my beliefs are the same, yes. Some are wildly different though.

So going back to Cogito's post.
Upbringing, yes.
Influence. Think Ed is on a tricky one there. How much is he influenced by his dad?
Inspiration. Can be taken in different ways.

So I think Cogito has got part a point.

I suppose it's a measure of the Mail's desperation, but judging by the comments on its website it's done itself no favours amongst its readers. It rather looks like they've actually helped Miliband's poll ratings.

It'll blow over unfortunately and they will continue to write equally disgusting smear stories and a good proportion of their readers will continue to drink it in. Storm in a teacup, unfortunately.

I suppose what I really despair of is the implication that to be left wing means one is somehow un-British (which I am), uncivilised and opposed to democracy (which I am not) and lacking in moral character (which I shall leave others to judge).

You can argue about complete free market economics versus a more restricted model versus a totalitarian communist economic model, but saying 'your Dad was a rampant commie and therefore so are you because you haven't explicitly said that you aren't' is just not mature political debate.

And Damian McBride should be shot, by the way. With skunk juice, because obviously I would not advocate actual homicide.

see Ed Milibands response here....

www.labour.org.uk/my-dad-was-a-man-who-loved-britain

I would hate to be judged on what I said as a 17 year old let alone what my father said. People are allowed to grow up, learn and change after all.
Sins of the father much?
(Actually I lie, my father was probably far nicer than I am)

They are a hateful nasty organisation but I think they've shot themselves in the foot this time. And EM coming out and simply saying it's a lie has been right on the money. Politician's rhetoric would not have been as effective. Also, if a father's views are so important how do they account for the fact that although both Milliband brothers are left-wing, EM's politics are undoubtedly more left-wing than his brother's. Maybe they're asserting that old Mr Milliband tended to ignore poor David. and how do they account for Tony Blair's father being a Tory mayor?

On that point, I'd like to see DC come out and condemn this in the way that John Major was openly critical of attempts to smear Tony Blair using his faith. I think open condemnation of this would earn DC a lot more brownie points than he realises.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but I think the Daily Mail has achieved exactly what it set out to do.

Teacher's Strike?
Both Jeremy Hunt and Michael Gove addressing the Conservative Party conference?

The smears in the Daily Mail were so outrageous they were bound to hit the headlines - it's diluted the headlines that might have been printed otherwise.

Oh, I know

I'm just sceptical about the timing, so I took a look at who was making speeches today. Lo and behold...!!

It's the DM. Why on earth is anything their nasty pathetic little rag does a surprise to anyone? Surely everyone knows what they are about by now, nobody is that naive anymore surely?

It's also a week before the whole Leveson and press regulation argument will be dragged up again. They will spend the rest of the week going on about freedom of the press and how Red Ed wants to curb it blah blah

Ed Miliband has gone up in my estimation for his response to what is the Daily Mail shitting themselves because there seems to be something of a move back to the old Labour values, with growing popular support.

The DM are has beens and are on their way out.

Ed,on the other hand,is proving his worth day by day.

I don't think it was designed to take attention from the conference. They aren't that clever.
The DM are simply scum - end of.

Well it's done wonders for Ed's popularity, people of all political persuasions are clamouring to support him!

In your face DM.

Law of unintended consequences, squoosh. I have to say that the Tories must be fuming about the way this has dragged attention away from their conference. Silver linings and all that. Let's hope the old-fashioned British sense of fair play takes off here.

It's still depressing though that anyone could think this is acceptable, all that 'oh well, his father might have influenced him so we need to know' stuff... Fine, then let's have some expose pieces about the ways in which the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister have influenced them. We need to know, don't we?

Just had an email off Ed urging people to support him. If you have not already please write a few words of support for him. It is on the link someone posted above.

I don't much like Ed Milliband but now I know more about it I definitely support him over this business. I think there might be something in this trying to take the focus of teacher's strike and the conference.

i've finally lost my interest in the daily mail. it was the most readable onlne paper,"a guilty secret pleasure" in spite of the sidebar of shame,but its really not good for your soul. writing this piece, and compounding it by going on the attack again is poisonous.

There is apparently a Twitter hashtag (I don't do the Twitters) #mydadhatedbritain where folk post subtle ways there dads hated Britain. Like, My dad liked garlic that much he's practically French #mydadhatedbritain. Saw it on Facebook.

YANBU, this is not journalism, it's random character assassination and I hope it backfires. I'm glad to see that Cameron and Clegg have both come out on Ed Milliband's side. There is no place in politics for this sort of crap.

Yanbu. I will never buy The Fail or The Scummy Sun for that matter. Total disgrace