Published: July 29th 2011 - at 4:47 pm

The ‘investigators’ after Louise Mensch MP?


by Sunny Hundal    

Conservative MP Louise Mensch has attracted a lot of support today after slapping down an attempt by ‘investigative reporters’ into drug taking while she was younger.

David Jones Investigative Journalists sent her a letter asking about her taking drugs at a party with the violinist Nigel Kennedy, while working at EMI in the 1990s.

She said in response:

Although I do not remember the specific incident, this sounds highly probable. I thoroughly enjoyed working with Nigel Kennedy, whom I remember with affection.

Additionally, since I was in my 20s, I’m sure it was not the only incident of the kind; we all do idiotic things when young. I am not a very good dancer and must apologise to any and all journalists who were forced to watch me dance that night at Ronnie Scott’s.

Excellent response. I wish there were more MPs willing to be open and fearless about past indiscretions.

But who are DJIJ anyway?

This article gives a clue (via @misselliemae):

It looks more than likely that the Daily Mail group is after Louise Mensch MP.

Update - it seems its not the same people. Apologies for that. I blame lots of people on Twitter.

The FT’s Westminster blog reports:

Mensch’s PR man tells me that David Jones emailed from “davidjones1232@gmail.com”. Meanwhile there are no records of David Jones Investigative Journalists at Companies House.


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About the author
Sunny Hundal is editor of LC. Also: on Twitter, at Pickled Politics and Guardian CIF.
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Reader comments


Good on her.

Oh, and I think you may be getting your transgressions and your indiscretions mixed up.

2. Padraig Reidy

Seems odd to put threats in an email.

Anyway, apparently the message came from

davidjones1232@gmail.com

3. Cynical/Realist?

Am I naieve as well as cynical (and bad at spelling)? Is that how investigative journalism works – you send a letter saying ‘Dear Sir/Madam, we believe you were naughty once – is that the case?’

4. bollybolshevik

I can’t stand this bloody woman but really, in this day and age, is anyone bothered by the fact that she might or might not have taken drugs in the past? Hardly crime of the century and a lot less dodgy than some elected officials have done whilst in office. Good on her for slapping this down so well. Maybe we’d all be in a lot less trouble if more of our MPs took a few recreational drugs now and then.

@4

“Maybe we’d all be in a lot less trouble if more of our MPs took a few recreational drugs now and then.

Given the state of the country, I’d say the idea that more than a few are wasted much of the time is worth serious consideration…?

Interesting timings of related post:

http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2011/07/select-committee-louise-mensch#reader-comments

David Green probably read that email on the 22nd (the day he wrote the post), but Louise Mensch only responds to it on the day that she has to apologise to Piers Morgan. It’s becoming a PR Twitter fiasco!

It’s like something out of one of her books!

7. Mr S. Pill

Mensch’s past would only be relevent if drug liberalisation was on the table and she voted against it. And then only tenuously. Good for her as others have said, I’m no fan but more MPs should have the guts to say fuck off to “investigators” like this.

Publish and be damned!

She’s still a nasty little Tory though.

Cool chick!

10. Charlieman

From the bizarre letter from David Jones Investigative Journalists:
“Whilst working at EMI, in the 1990s, you [allegedly did something]”

There were ten years in the 1990s and Ms Mensch was employed by EMI for a handful of them. But in the letter, there are no dates, no vague dates.

I can remember an occasion when Special Branch photographed me, following advice from a Conservative Party activist, but I can’t remember the date. If I took the afternoon off and visited two libraries, I’d know the exact date. Even when you don’t keep a personal diary, you can find out lots about what you were doing thirty years ago.

Fair play to Ms Mensch for being so open, which may be strategically correct in the short term. But it is dumb in the long term because she has responded to an allegation for which no evidence has been demonstrated.

thats better isnt it. Will she campaign for a change in the law for personal possession now then?

Am I the only one who thinks she concocted this? Let’s face it, the queries are pretty softball, there are clearly more scurrilous lines of inquiry that a tab reporter would have gone with, and the timing was very helpful. I smell a rat.

Undoubtedly, the timing is very suspect as discussed here:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/wintour-and-watt/2011/jul/29/piersmorgan-phone-hacking

and in the comments here:

http://jackofkent.blogspot.com/2011/07/who-sent-that-email-to-louise-mensch-mp.html

Political suicide if it comes out she, or someone she knows, wrote it!

Robert @ 8:

“She’s still a nasty little Tory, though.”

Not that little – about 5 foot 8 inches, If she was 6 foot tall, would she still be a little Tory? My interest in semantics has prompted this comment.

15. hannah slade

When the privileged get cought out red handed , they have no chose than to admit their wrong doings, so please don’t brand them as fearless,honest & brave!!!… rubbish

14. Trofim

Robert @ 8:

“She’s still a nasty little Tory, though.”

Not that little – about 5 foot 8 inches, If she was 6 foot tall, would she still be a little Tory? My interest in semantics has prompted this comment.

As a sixfooter yes she would still be a nasty little Tory – little empathy, little compassion, little decency.

17. Charlieman

@15. hannah slade: “When the privileged get cought out red handed , they have no chose than to admit their wrong doings…”

Ms Mensch’s alleged misdeeds were part of growing up. Twenty year old women working in the music industry make such mistakes and as forty year olds can reflect on them.

It is true, also, that Ms Mensch comes from a privileged background. But her background is irrelevant to social rehabilitation; there is room in the House of Commons for council estate ex-junkies; and nobody needs to apologise for living on a council estate.

Ms Mensch’s alleged misdeeds were part of growing up. Twenty year old women working in the music industry make such mistakes and as forty year olds can reflect on them.

True, but does Ms Mensch make the same allowances.

“Ms Mensch’s alleged misdeeds were part of growing up.”

Having watched her CNN performance I think that’s one thing no-one can accuse her of doing.

20. Charlieman

18. Guttmann: “True, but does Ms Mensch make the same allowances.”

We have to wait. If Ms Mensch fouls up in future we may be able to judge.

“She’s still a nasty little Tory, though.”

I think anyone who makes such a statement is both ignorant and stupid and almost certainly nasty themselves.

@8
She’s still a nasty little Tory though.
Is she? She seems alright. What’s nasty about her other than being a Tory?
I felt she might have got it wrong when I saw her on Channel 4 News. A worried look came over her face when Piers Morgan told her she had made a big mistake.

I hope she hasn’t manufactured this story about her taking drugs to make herself look good and deflect attention. That’s an implication I’ve picked up from some people.


Reactions: Twitter, blogs
  1. Liberal Conspiracy

    The 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  2. Tamsin

    Bollocks -> RT @libcon The 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  3. sunny hundal

    Who are the 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP? A bit more here… http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  4. overhere

    RT @libcon: The 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  5. Superlative

    Who are the 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP? A bit more here… http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  6. poorbastardmarvin

    Who are the 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP? A bit more here… http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  7. Catherine Neilan

    @sunny_hundal CFP takes it to parody level "readers need newspapers like t Daily Mail where the truth comes unvarnished" http://t.co/p4GOlBY

  8. Guy Walters

    Woeful piece by @sunny_hundal re. 'David Jones'. http://t.co/TkPp03R This is not the Mail's David Jones. You only had to phone.

  9. Ross

    Woeful piece by @sunny_hundal re. 'David Jones'. http://t.co/TkPp03R This is not the Mail's David Jones. You only had to phone.

  10. Pam Nash

    Woeful piece by @sunny_hundal re. 'David Jones'. http://t.co/TkPp03R This is not the Mail's David Jones. You only had to phone.

  11. Pam Nash

    Woeful piece by @sunny_hundal re. 'David Jones'. http://t.co/TkPp03R This is not the Mail's David Jones. You only had to phone.

  12. Gael

    @catherine_mayer : Louis Mensch **PR** emailed @sunny_hundal with David Jones email address : http://bit.ly/qnk97L

  13. Kevin Donovan

    The 'investigative journalists' after Louise Mensch MP http://bit.ly/q5h5sg

  14. Sensible Stu

    Nothing but credit to @LouiseMensch for this brilliant retort! | Liberal Conspiracy http://t.co/OE87wDr via @libcon

  15. MJJJusticeProject

    and yet THIS comes as no surprise – http://liberalconspiracy.org/2011/07/29/the-investigative-journalists-after-louise-mensch-mp





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