Iain Dale

Infobox Person
name = Iain Dale


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birth_name = Iain Campbell Dale
birth_date = birth date and age|1962|7|15
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nationality = British
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known_for = Political blogger
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alma_mater = University of East Anglia
employer =
occupation = Author, journalist
home_town = Saffron Walden
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height = 6'2"
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party = Conservative
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partner = John Simmons
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website = [http://www.iaindale.blogspot.com/ www.iaindale.blogspot.com]
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Iain Campbell Dale (born 15 July 1962) is a British author, journalist and aspirant politician for the Conservative Party. In September 2003 he became the first openly-gay Conservative to be selected for, and then go on to contest, a Parliamentary election. [Dale, Iain, [http://www.newstatesman.com/200505230012 "Politics - Iain Dale has no problem being an openly gay Tory"] , New Statesman, 23 May 2005] He is the publisher of "Total Politics" magazine and is also well known for his blog, "Iain Dale's Diary", which was nominated for the Political Blog of the Year Award by "The Guardian" in 2005.

Education and career

Dale was educated at Ashdon County Primary School, Saffron Walden County High School, and obtained a 2(i) BA Honours degree in German, Linguistics, and Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the University of East Anglia in 1985. Prior to going to university he spent his gap year as a nursing assistant at the Werner Wicker Klinik in West Germany. During his degree course he spent a year teaching English at the Gymnasium Besigheim.

He was Research Assistant to the Conservative MP Patrick Thompson, 1985-87, Public Affairs Manager for the British Ports Federation 1987-89, Financial Journalist with Lloyd's List 1989-90, and then Deputy Managing Director of The Waterfront Partnership & Managing Director of The Waterfront Conference Company 1990-96.

In 1997, he opened Politico's Bookstore and Coffee House in Westminster, selling a mix of political books, memorabilia and novelty items. The shop spawned sister publishing and web design businesses using the Politico's brand. He founded Politico's Publishing in 1998, and sold it in 2003 to Methuen Publishing. In 2004, Dale announced the closure of the walk-in book shop and relocated the business to Kent as a mail-order operation. Later that year the Westminster premises re-opened as the Westminster Bookshop under the ownership of Methuen Publishing. In 2006, Dale sold the Politico's Bookstore business to Harriman House.

Media work

Dale's blog, entitled " [http://www.iaindale.blogspot.com Iain Dale's Diary] ", is reportedly one of the most widely-read political blogs in the UK. It was nominated by "The Guardian" for the Political Blog of the Year Award in 2005. [ [http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/iain_dale/profile.html Dale's profile as a writer for The Guardian's CommentIsFree site] ] He also authors another blog entitled " [http://westham.wordpress.com West Ham Till I Die] " where he blogs on West Ham United, the football club he supports.

Dale has written a fortnightly comment column for "The Daily Telegraph" since March 2007, and has also written for "The Guardian", "The Independent", and the "New Statesman".

Dale is author or editor of over two dozen political books (for a full listing, see below). This includes co-authoring in May 2006 a book with fellow blogger Guido Fawkes about alleged instances of sleaze from the Labour Party since taking office in 1997.cite book | first=Iain | last=Dale | coauthors=Fawkes, Guido | year=2006 | title=The Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze | publisher=Politico's Media | location= | id=ISBN 1-904734-16-2] . A second edition was subsequently released in June 2007. [cite book | first=Iain | last=Dale | coauthors=Fawkes, Guido | year=2007 | title=The Big Red Book of New Labour Sleaze | publisher=Harriman House |url=http://www.politicos.co.uk/books/167156.htm?ginPtrCode=10410 | location= | id=ISBN 190-5641-32X]

Dale is also the publisher of Total Politics magazine. He formerly presented "Planet Politics" on Oneword Radio, and occasionally appeared on "Sunday Service" on BBC Radio Five Live. He was also chief presenter on the failed internet TV station,18 Doughty Street.

Political career

In May 2005, Dale stood in the general election as Conservative candidate for Norfolk North, losing spectacularly to the Liberal Democrat incumbent, Norman Lamb; Lamb was elected with a 10,000 plus majority as opposed to 483 at the previous election, which he fought against David Prior. Subsequently Dale acted as chief of staff to the losing leadership candidate David Davis in the run-up to the 2005 Conservative Party leadership campaign. [cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4316784.stm|title=BBC news Tory Conference at a glance] In August 2006, it was confirmed that he had been added to the Conservative 'Priority List' of candidates to fight the next general election. [ [http://conservativehome.blogs.com/goldlist/2006/08/the_alist_topup.html The A-list top-up] , ConservativeHome]

Bibliography

Iain Dale has edited/compiled/written more than twenty books:
*"Unofficial Book of Political Lists", Robson Books, 1997
*"As I Said to Denis: The Margaret Thatcher Book of Quotations", Robson Books, 1997
*"The Blair Necessities", Robson Books, 1998
*"Bill Clinton Joke Book", Robson Books, 1998
*"Tony Blair New Labour Joke Book", Robson Books, 1998
*"Dictionary of Conservative Quotations", Politico's Publishing, 1999
*"Wit & Wisdom of Tony Banks", Robson Books, 1999
*"Labour Party General Election Manifestos 1900-97", Routledge 1999
*"Liberal Party General Election Manifestos 1900-97", Routledge, 1999
*"Conservative Party General Election Manifestos 1900-1997", Routledge, 1999
*"Memories of Maggie", Politico's Publishing, 2000
*"Tony Blair New New Labour Joke Book (2nd ed)", Robson Books, 2000
*"Directory of Political Lobbying", Politico's Publishing, 2001
*"Directory of Political Websites", Politico's Publishing, 2001
*"Directory of Think Tank Publications", Politico's Publishing, 2001
*"Memories of the Falklands", Politico's Publishing, 2002
*"Prime Minister Portillo & Other Things That Never Happened", Politico's Publishing, 2003
*"Times Guides to the House of Commons 1906-10", Politico's Publishing, 2003
*"Times Guides to the House of Commons 1929-35", Politico's Publishing, 2003
*"Directory of Political Lobbying", Politico's Publishing, 2003
*"Politico's Book of the Dead", Politico's Publishing, 2003
*"Margaret Thatcher: A Tribute in Words & Pictures", Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2005
*"Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze", Politico's Media, 2006
*"Big Red Book of New Labour Sleaze", Harriman House, 2007
*"500 of the Most Witty, Acerbic & Erudite Things Ever Said About Politics", Harriman House, 2007
*"Guide to Political Blogging in the UK", Harriman House, 2007
*"Little Book of Boris", Harriman House, 2007

Personal life

Dale entered into a civil partnership with his long-term partner John Simmons on Sunday 15 June 2008 at Wadhurst Castle in Kent. [Grew, Tony, [http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-7733.html "Iain Dale to enter into a civil partnership"] , Pink News, 27 May 2008] They have been together since 1995.

References

External links

*" [http://www.iaindale.blogspot.com Iain Dale's Diary] "
*" [http://www.westham.wordpress.com West Ham Till I Die blog] "
*" [http://www.totalpolitics.com Total Politics] "