Wikipedia has blocked a user account "on suspicions that it is being used by the Conservative party chair, Grant Shapps, 'or someone acting on his behalf'", The Guardian reported today.
.@jimwaterson it is, for the record, another false smear from the Guardian. Without any truth whatsoever.
Whoever was responsible for them, these were among the edits by "Contribsx" highlighted by The Guardian and Wikipedia.
1. This edit to Conservative MP Michael Fabricant's page to say that Shapps sacked him as party vice chairman rather than strategist Lynton Crosby.
2. This edit about Steve McCabe, a Labour MP who had called for a police probe into Shapps' business activities.
3. This edit highlighting former transport secretary Justine Greening's opposition to a third runway at Heathrow.
4. The creation of a page for a parliamentary candidate.
5. This critical paragraph about Karl Turner, a Labour MP.
6. Two edits drawing attention to cabinet ministers who abstained on the vote over same-sex marriage.
As the Wikipedia user who investigated the edits pointed out, "Unlike many others in his party, Shapps is a big supporter of gay marriage and got into a spat with several other politicans (c.f. here)".
7. An entry absolving Shapps of blame for a widely criticised Tory poster.
As The Guardian reported, relations between chief Tory strategist Lynton Crosby and Shapps "reached an all-time low in March 2014 when the Tory chairman tweeted a now infamous bingo and beer advert that managed to ruin what looked like perfect coverage of the coalition’s fifth budget. Widely derided as being patronising to the poor it was a PR disaster that reportedly almost cost Shapps his job."
The edit stresses that Crosby and George Osborne should also take their share of the blame.
8. The removal of a whole load of other criticisms from Grant Shapps' Wikipedia page.
9. Edits from anonymous accounts.
The Liberal Democrats have released a statement in support of their coalition partner.
Oh. Hang on.
