Brighton Pavilion Conservatives pick former BBC reporter to take on Caroline Lucas
The Conservative Party has chosen former BBC reporter Clarence Mitchell as its candidate for Brighton Pavilion this evening (Thursday 25 July).
Mr Mitchell, who has acted as the spokesman for the family of missing Madeleine McCann for six years, will take on Britain’s first Green MP Caroline Lucas at the next general election.
The election is expected to be held in May 2015.
Clarence Mitchell
Mr Mitchell joined the public affairs consultancy Burson-Marsteller UK as a managing director two years ago.
His previous jobs include being the director of the government’s Media Monitoring Unit and before that he spent 20 years at the BBC.
He worked as a royal correspondent, political reporter and presenter while at the corporation, having trained as a reporter at the Westminster Press Training Centre in Hastings.
Mr Mitchell’s most high-profile role has been to represent Kate and Gerry McCann after their daughter disappeared during a holiday in Portugal.
He has previously worked with the Conservative Party briefly and this evening he beat two other candidates to win the selection.
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I feel sorry for the people of Brighton and Hove. Clearly the Tories there have some sort of death wish.
How much was the Madeleine ‘fund’ depleted by to pay this man’s ‘wages’
How many ‘donations’ to the Madeleine ‘fund’ end up in this man’s pocket?
‘Donations’ given in good faith for the specific purpose of ‘searching’ for Madeleine but ended up instead enriching this man!
It looks like people that ‘donated’ to the McCanns ‘private PLC’ for that is what the Madeleine ‘fund’ is, have been duped because this man was receiving vast sums of money from it, for himself!
Mr Mitchell or the Brighton Conservative Association can always reply in the BrightonandHovenews and refute what i have said.
But will they?
Can they?
I don’t think so . Mitchell has admitted to receiving money, given as ‘donations’ for ‘searching’ from the Madeleine ‘fund’
What happened to the rest of the comments. Has Mitchell already been dictating what we may and my not say ? ? ?
A very sad day. Does he really think he can ‘spin’ his way to power?
So the tories HAVE stooped so low as too hire the man that has consistently spun details of the fate of a 3 year old girl. How disgraceful. How can this man be trusted with anything when he is capable of turning ‘shelved due to lack of co-operation from the parents of said girl’ into ‘cleared of all charges’. A new low for the tories I feel.
Not in my back yard. I know many people in Brighton that feel very strongly about the maddie case and his role in spinning it, this is a big mistake on his part. There is no way they or I will sit idly by and not comment whilst he tries to represent US.
A very angry Brighton resident. Bring on the open constituent Q&A sessions, there will be many questions asked of spinning clarence then.
What an excellent choice; I couldn’t imagine a more honest, decent human being to represent the good people of Brighton and Hove.
The chap has such flair, integrity and fortitude. He is clear, objective and doesn’t have a xenophobic bone in his body.
His sense of style is also very professional… corporate, with a hint of candy blush, in fact, just the perfect balance.
Also, he has lovely teeth, just the right shade.
Where are the other 20 comments ? We do have copies of them. We learned long ago to copy anything involving this man, as sooner or later history will be re-written. He would make a god Minister for Truth, (Orwell, you are about to be proved right)
This was the man who told the public to put money into an envelope and send to K and G, where is the accountability in that!
This was the man who when interviewed on Talk Sport by James Whale failed to correct James when he kept referring to the Fund as a charity. As spokesperson Mr. Mitchell had a duty to correct James who was giving misleading information to the public. Mr. Mitchell however did not correct James and therefore the public were misled into thinking it was a charity.
This is the man who boasted, at a public lecture, of getting a legitimate online discussion forum (hosted by the Daily Mirror) shut down because he didn’t “approve” of what people were saying. If this man gets elected you may as well kiss good-bye to freedom of speech in this country.
I have just been informed that the other comments are on the other report, at
https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2013/07/24/former-bbc-royal-correspondent-shortlisted-by-brighton-pavilion-conservatives/22707
So he hasn’t managed to get at you – JUST YET ! But he will.
(To the Editor – Perhaps they should now be merged so that people can judge the extent and the depth of feeling )
So by the standards set by Clarence Mitchell, who has stood by two parents who left their children alone at night in a strange environment in a foreign country night after night whilst out socialising, and has campaigned and begged for money on their behalf to pay into their limited company… Do the citizens of Brighton & Hove wish to vote for a man who condones and supports child neglect?
There are plenty of mothers and fathers in Brighton & Hove on a very low income who, even if they could afford a few pints at the pub. Wouldn’t leave their kids. So if any residents decide to abandon their kids and go to their local, and one of their kids goes missing, at least they have the reassurance if they vote Conservative Clarence Mitchell will be there for them, raising money for their limited company and liasing with the press and tv, and standing outside their home begging for money to be sent in envelopes.
Mr Mitchell has been very involved with the Madeleine McCann case. In October 2007, only months after the child disappeared, he addressed Coventry University. His subject? ‘Madeleine McCann, the Perfect PR Campaign’. Distasteful?
Don’t be fooled by McCanns ‘efforts’ to raise money for charity.
He KNEW Huge Grant would be ‘donating’ £5,000 to his ‘total’
Huge Grant is Gerry’s mate from ‘hacked off’ who would like us minions to not read anything nasty about himself.
He wants the FREE press shut down and nothing to be printed unless approved by C Mitchell!
Are the Tories so stupid they don’t realise this man can never speak publicly without being questioned about his dirty work for the McCanns. He is corrupted.
His first job will be to shut up the local media through shmoozing or if that doesn’t work, threats. He has the McCann lawyers behind him…they daren’t let him loose.
How’s he gonna stop a leaflet drop to his prospective constituents?
Have to research how many voters in that area so i can start printing a leaflet now with a few facts about CM.
It would be interesting to know just how many of these vile and mainly untruthful comments come from actual residents of Brighton and Hove. None at all, I bet.
Clarence Mitchell will make an excellent MP who knows how the real world works.
I am a Brighton resident Ms Mitchell and I am disgusted that such a despicable man with such a terrible reputation is trying to represent my city.
Can I take it that you won’t be voting for him, Ms Scott?
‘Clarence Mitchell will make an excellent MP who knows how the real world works.’
Wow, Elena Mitchell-what are you saying?
Ms Elena Mitchell
It would be interesting to know just how many of those vile comments are mainly truthful.
Mike
July 29, 2013 at 12.50 pm
Ms Elena Mitchell
It would be interesting to know just how many of those vile comments are mainly truthful.
– See more at: https://www.brightonandhovenews.org/2013/07/25/brighton-pavilion-conservatives-pick-former-bbc-reporter-to-take-on-caroline-lucas/22747#sthash.3RKoVpnB.dpuf
If truthful the Mccanns and their supporters deem them vile,if totally accepting of the Mccanns non corroborated and doubtful story then they are deemed GOOD!
This is not about The McCanns. It is about whether or not Clarence Mitchell would be a good MP. And since there are only about six of you who hate him because he helped The McCanns, then I don’t think he needs to worry too much about your opinions.
The voters of Brighton and Hove will decide. Clarence Mitchell has been selected as The Tory Candidate. Suck it up.
Elena Mitchell
July 29, 2013 at 5.54 pm
This is not about The McCanns. It is about whether or not Clarence Mitchell would be a good MP. And since there are only about six of you who hate him because he helped The McCanns, then I don’t think he needs to worry too much about your opinions.
The voters of Brighton and Hove will decide. Clarence Mitchell has been selected as The Tory Candidate. Suck it up.
________________________________________
And how many true blue, dyed in the wool, Conservatives are going to vote for a dyed in the wool LABOUR spin doctor?
VOTE TORY, GET LABOUR!
Elena Mitchell
July 28, 2013 at 10.53 am
It would be interesting to know just how many of these vile and mainly untruthful comments come from actual residents of Brighton and Hove. None at all, I bet.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Every single word I posted here is the truth, and I live in Falmer village. Can you say the same thing?
@ Dr. Shira Silverman. You appear to have made only two comments, both of which are your personal opinion. So where does Truth come into that? Or can you prove that Clarence Mitchell had The Mirror Forum shut down?
The truth of the matter is that The Mirror Forum could not handle the vast welter of Libel that was being posted against The McCanns. I was there, so I know what happened. The Moderators just couldn’t keep up with it all.
But Clarence Mitchell is a tough cookie and an experience man in the ills of society. Exactly what any constituency needs to fight their cause in Parliament. And I very much doubt that he cares of what a hand full of hate filled bigots think of him.
I certainly don’t.
My ancestors didn’t just bog off to Australia. They were deported for the crimes of trying to feed themselves and their families. Read some history.
@elena mitchell
So you are not even a resident yourself, but you presume to tell us what we need. And you hope to add to the support for Clarence Mitchell by insulting and threatening the voters. Very clever. Do carry on.
@Elena Micthell. As my original comment was removed, I will post part of it again. I heard him say it himself at a lecture at LSE in 2008. And your ancestors have zero relevance to this debate, thank you.
Oh Gosh, comments being removed. Well, they always will be when people like you start posting up Libel. Haven’t you worked that one out yet?
Libel is not Free Speech. Libel is only ever an opinion. And some opinions are just not acceptable. Okay.
Please show me where I have posted any libel. He said it, he cannot un-say it, and people cannot un-hear it. People in this country are still free to repeat what they heard with their own ears. Unless of course, you know different.
I know that Libel stated by one person and then repeated by another person is still Libel on the part of the repeater. This is The Law of Libel. Look to Sally Bercow. It cost her a few bob.
Not that I think that Clarence Mitchell could be bothered, if the numbers of libellous comment here are anything to go by.
There aren’t very many of you, are there.
And what do you know of him, personally? Other than the fact that he defended The McCanns.
Is that what has so discomposed you?
why are you on here threatening people? You do not scare me. In fact you are perfectly demonstrating the Stasi-like conditions we will all have to live with if Mitchell and his ilk are elected. Well done.
I have not threatened anyone. Libel is Libel. That is simply a fact. I don’t need to threaten anyone.
Or do you think that I have no right to defend someone against whom there is nothing?
And there was me thinking that you believe in Free Speech. Or is it only for the likes of you?
You want me to go away and leave you to Libel Clarence Mitchell unhindered?
No chance. When I can be bothered.
According to your lites, I have as much right to say as I please as you do.
You are out of your depth, little girl, and are making yourself look foolish. Carry right on. It makes no difference to me.
You think I am a little girl? But I obviously know more about The Law than you do. That makes you both ignorant and stupid. A combination of genetic disadvantages beyond which you will never grow. But then that is probably not your fault.
I am still waiting for you to show me the “libel” I am supposed to have posted. You, however, have just written plenty.
Sue me.
Why don’t you get your loveable Clarence to come on here and sue me, instead. As you are such an expert on libel and the “Law.”
I very much doubt that Clarence Mitchell could even be bothered. Who do you think you are?
More importantly, who do you think I am? That you are so anxious to have me shut up? It does not work like that. Stamp your feet and scream, and insult the good people of Brighton, all you like. I am sorry that the Moderators removed your earlier obnoxious comment, saying that you did not give a hoot about us, or that you would not set foot in this city even if you were paid. They should have left it, so that everyone can see exactly what is going on here. No matter, enough people probably did see it before it was removed. Are you quite sure that you are a supporter of Clarence Mitchell? It seems to me that you are doing a sterling job of destroying any chances he has here. This will be my last post addressed to you as I am bored with you now. I am not interested in the MacCanns, Australia or your “Law” degree from the University of Wikipedia.
HA! Do I need to worry about who you are? Does Clarence Mitchell need to worry about who you are? Almost certainly not.
You have all been suggesting that this man isn’t fit for purpose, and by implication libelling him.
But there are only about half a dozen of you.
elena Mitchell ,there is one of you and that is quite enough,
implication libelling him.
only libel if it aint true
Mr Mitchell once gave me a T-Shirt with “Ace Number One Kid” written on the front, so I won’t have a word said against him
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-559675/Portuguese-police-accuse-McCanns-spokesman-Clarence-Mitchell-lying-teeth.html#ixzz2ezkdtq00
This is your candidate