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Daniel Kawczynski: duplicitous or just a bit dim?

By Tom GuiseDaniel

There have been rumblings in the press and on the blogs this week about Daniel "Tallest MP in the House" Kawczynski, the Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham, after he advertised for a new intern to replace the one he allegedly fired, blaming her for handing over a constituent's letter after police raided his Parliamentary office recently.

One might be tempted to regard 6’8” Kawczynski as a follower in the noble and distinguished line of lofty British funny men, in the vein of a sort of modern Rodney Trotter or political Keith from The Office - he's certainly acted as a foil for some of the most stinging one-liners in this parliament and on the blogs.

I give you Bob Grant, in The Spectator, 26th July 2008:

“Mr Kawczynski's first problem is that he is, by general cross-party agreement, the stupidest MP in the present House of Commons, arguably the stupidest ever. His second problem is that, unlike many stupid people, he doesn't appreciate how stupid he is.”

However, having managed to upset everyone from the Speaker of the House to Melanie Phillips and Simon Hughes, Kawczynski would be dangerous if anyone took him seriously.

Fortunately Kawczynski’s public attacks (unfounded, unsubstantiated or incorrect) on members of the police force and the Post Office have twice brought nothing more than the scorn of the Commons and advice from Michael Martin that he perhaps might like to, ‘give himself a breather’ before disparaging professional people.

For brevity, I have whittled my list of Kawczynski Clangers down to a top five, but please feel free to share any memories you have of the man whose judgement seems to be continuously questioned.

1: Daniel Kawczynski voices accusations that Post Office workers are involved in political corruption.

2: Daniel Kawczynski forced to apologise after making a fool of himself with comments regarding Melanie Phillips.

3: Daniel Kawczynski belittles the struggle of hundreds of thousands of oppressed people throughout history by describing Otis Ferry as a ‘political prisoner.’

4: Daniel Kawczynski accuses the police of underhand tactics after they apparently outwitted him by 'making an appointment with him and asking him a question.'

5: Daniel Kawczynski blames his intern (always someone else’s fault, Daniel?) for making a fool of himself in handing over letters to police, then forces his staff to sign a confidentiality agreement and is now advertising for a new intern.

Posted on Feb 19, 2009 at 06:14pm


31 Comments · Show / Hide
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Having house prices rise 15-25% pa for 10 years while wages rise on 2-4%pa is really stupid. Business' go bust. Taxes have to rise for years, people lose their jobs and homes. You may think Mr Kawczynski is a fool but he doesn't harm any one.

And then we have Iraq and Afganistan. Are we really in Afganistan so that girls can go to school. Of course not. So what is the reason.

Why is the number of civillian casualties in Iraq a state secret.

And as for the war on terror. Why are we against the people who want to get rid of the torturing kleptocracy that is Saudi Arabia and have a democratic settlement for palestine/israel based on universal sufferage regardless of race or religion. Oh yes, control and domination of the people who live on the world's oil supplies.

From the invasion of Afganistan onwards labour lost my vote. And judging by the current economic crisis I was right.
andrew benington @ 79 weeks and 1 day ago
Most of what he said about a leftwing bias against the Polish community was in fact opposite to the Truth- it is the right wing xenephobes who have been anti polish. Especially UKIP, but the Tories are just as bad.
Arjun Mittra @ 79 weeks and 2 days ago
You forgot that he claimed that there was an evil liberal elite conspiracy against Poles.

And then - how's this for stupidity? - he actually thinks the first past the post electoral system is a good idea. What a moron, eh?
James Graham @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
He was right about the Poles. There is a lot of anti-Polish racism on the BBC.
And it was wrong of the Police officer to ask an intern to hand over a confidential letter. So he was right about that too. Nor could he realistically keep an intern on who had allowed themselves to be gulled in that way. No other constituent could trust his office. So he's right again. As for corruption in the post office - I see the big banks no longer trust the nail, using couriers to deliver new credit cards instead. But then, what do the banks know?
Tom Hall @ 79 weeks and 5 days ago
The Poles can be a bit cranky and the problem with the intern could've been addressed with better induction training.

It's easy to diss and sneer perceived opponents but this just grows misunderstandings and hate. This is quite useless and anti-social. I'm no big fan of that so I'm not leaping on the get Kawczynski bandwagon.

Change comes from within.
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 4 days ago
Actually, there's very little difference in outcome between the first past the post system and proportional representation. One or the other may make people feel better but it doesn't necessarily deliver better politics. Want a better world? Be better people.
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 5 days ago
'Those of us who - despite all our best instincts - remain as Party members for reasons of nostalgia even though we know that there's little chance of any Labour, social justice, redistributive or even basically fair values ever surfacing again can only look on and shake our heads.'

Feeling like a martyr today Nick? The tagline to LabourList is 'Where Labour minded people come together'

not

'where sanctimonious 'true lefties' come and moan at people making fun of tories when they should be discussing serious politics'
Chris Blewitt @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
Nobody who knows me would call me a lefty. In fact, I'd make some lefties turn white. The thing is, the Tories are such a bunch of clowns it's hard to discuss them in any other context. They're rudderless and nasty. Laughing at them might seem a bit cruel but they seriously need to wake up.
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
"'where sanctimonious 'true lefties' come and moan at people making fun of tories when they should be discussing serious politics'"

No its where Borg-implanted little yes-wonks come to moon at the internet whilst the country goes down the toilet. Oooh, look! Tractor production in the east of the country is up 150%!
Charlie Farley @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
It's good to know industrial production is increasing in Parts of the Country.
Arjun Mittra @ 79 weeks and 2 days ago
So in all but name he accuses Post Office workers of tampering with letters without a shred of evidence. I've got friends in the Post Office and they would never dream of doing this sort of thing, and I can't believe I am only just hearing about this. Does anybody know if he ever produced any facts or if he was made to apologise?
tom matthews @ 80 weeks ago
Tom

You are joking about the Royal Mail and letters, want the latest DVDs get down to the pub where postmen drink after finnishing their walk, trusty postie all ways has a spare new DVD or two to flog.
Joe Fraud @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
How about adding the fact that he campaigned against gaining £60m in funding to co-locate the towns two colleges! Who turns that down!!

Living in Shrewsbury I'm thoroughly embarrassed to have this idiot as our MP, the number of gaffes he's made could give George Bush a run for his money.

I feel that anyone living in Shrewsbury, and the wider area, should be on the case to make people aware of how ridiculous this guy really is.
Clare Parsons @ 80 weeks ago
Mr Guise, It is not difficult to upset Melanie Phillips: that sanctimonious woman seems to have it in for the whole world. She is terminally offended, like an outraged Mother Superior.

But back to handing letters over to the police: is that something you approve of?. Just wait until PC Plod turns up and takes one from a Labour MP.

The police are too politicised now (especially in London) than they have ever been. Remember when they turned up at 6.30 one Friday morning for Ruth Turner with the press in tow?. It is not to be welcomed.
Alan Giles @ 80 weeks ago
Melanie Philips is awesome. I dig Melanie. She's a babe.

*sigh*

Born too late...
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
I agree with 5 particularly - blaming people who work for you is very shabby, a bit like Mr Speaker blaming the Serjeant at Arms.
Mister Jabberwock @ 80 weeks ago
It doesn't look great. I put it in the same box as CEO's who happily grab the bonus on the back of company profit and blame getting caught out on shaving the law by blaming some fall guy. So, the guy ruins someone's life so he can look good? Can't see how that fits in with the Tories being the "party of change". People make mistakes and if nobody forgave Kawczynski the guy would never have survived getting out of nappies.
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
What is this nasty personal attack doing on this site? Say something about the Labour party.
Charlie Farley @ 80 weeks ago
"What is this nasty personal attack doing on this site? Say something about the Labour party."

Nasty personal attacks are rapidly coming to typify this site. It does indeed say something about the Labour Party ... at least, about those who try to personify it.

Those of us who - despite all our best instincts - remain as Party members for reasons of nostalgia even though we know that there's little chance of any Labour, social justice, redistributive or even basically fair values ever surfacing again can only look on and shake our heads.

Nick Weeks @ 80 weeks ago
Charlie - here is something about the Labour Party...how do you thing the press would have reacted to any/all of the above if he was a Labour MP, field day springs to mind.

He only gets away with it because he is Conservative. Could you imagine what Guido and his grime or the CCHQ comics The Mail or The Express would have said if he was the Labour MP for say Walton in Liverpool.
RED RAG ! @ 80 weeks ago
. . . . . . " field day springs to mind."

Well yes and seeing as all the links in the article were to the press, this has been covered. Perhaps a good comparison is our allegedly thieving Home Sec., I don't see anything about that here.I wonder why?

This man is obviously a nasty little tory creep and fair game, so lets have him on some of the other blogs. This site is more 'official' and already has Derek's Big Book Of Grudges to get over. This sort of article just seems to be the Labour Party Two Minutes' Hate.
Charlie Farley @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
No need to imagine what Guido would do, Guido did him:

http://www.order-order.com/2009/02/kawcznyski-irony.html

http://www.order-order.com/2009/01/polish-politician-provides-police.html?showComment=1233136500000

http://www.order-order.com/2009/01/polish-politician-provides-police.html

http://www.order-order.com/2009/01/kawczynski-whining.html

http://www.order-order.com/2009/01/has-oxygen-deprivation-brain-damaged.html

Just as Guido did Conway and Spelman. That is why my blog is so successful. It goes after them all.
Guido Fawkes @ 80 weeks ago
Your blog isn't successful. It's niche. Nobody takes it seriously.
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
Spot on Charles. I would be interested on his stance on people who have repetative drink driving charges, but it may be too close to home for him to comment on.Throwing shite about when you are as white as pee in the snow is a bit, to sum him up nicely,rich.

"I'm as much of a believer in Capitalism as the most earnest of Young Conservatives, but couldn't we put acid in the punch at the YC ball and then really have a party?"

Enough said.
RED RAG ! @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
I can't say what I think of Paul Staines without tripping over a few libel laws but his pitch and his delivery have a wide gap. I agree, he needs to sort himself out before lecturing other people. The guy needs a chill pill before he cracks up.
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
It seems Mr Staines(if ever a person deserves his name) has lost the use of his fingers.....hope he has had a double or ten to get over the above posts....Hic!
RED RAG ! @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
It is an unfortunate name.

Unless Staines has his moment with his "higher power" I can't see the guy ever climbing out of the world of pain he's in.

Still, he makes me feel happier about being me. (And that's some trick.)
Charles Hardwidge @ 79 weeks and 5 days ago
Beware of making remarks about people with the name Staines. I well recall the late Oliver postgate once threatened to sue Victor Lewis-Smith (a now forgotten TV critic, who came up with spoof names for Captain Pugwash characters. as I recall they were Roger the Cabin Boy, Master Bates and... Seaman Staines.


Well God knows we could do with a laugh in the current climate!
Alan Giles @ 79 weeks and 5 days ago
seaman staines- wasnt he navy chief under bill clinton?
Arjun Mittra @ 79 weeks and 2 days ago
Guido..........is it because you have to live your life in a dark room?Does it make you feel at home?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r5d2Ccpo3I
RED RAG ! @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago
Guido.....did you come up with the names of the multi-millionaires your dear leader partied with on his holiday. You know the holiday I'm on about. Not the PR one in Cornwall, but the one your dear leader had with all his chums.

Did you expose the fact that a few of these holiday chums are the bankers your dear leader publically derides but privately goes on holiday with.

I assume you are proud that the BNP point to your site as one of their own ilk?

Why do you hide behind a cartoon, everyone knows who you are.Still hiding in the shadows when going on Newsnight....I know your ugly, but there are uglier people on the TV and they don't hide in the shadows.
RED RAG ! @ 79 weeks and 6 days ago