Round 1: Dave v Marc

While it has long been rumoured they don't get on, this week saw the first public salvo between the Post & Echo's Dave Bartlett and Marc Waddington.

Ever the conscientious professional, Dave deleted unpleasant comments from his blog attacking a Lib Dem Councillor's girlfriend. When the Labour poster complained, Dave made the following remark.

I took the view that part of your post was too personal (nothing to do with complaints or otherwise of other people). For the sake of clarifying the rules of engagement vis-a-vis commenting on DSB. You can say whatever you like, so long as it is not libelous, distasteful, or too personal, and while you might call it teasing to bring into the debate the girlfriend of a political foe, that is stepping over the personal line for me.

Nothing to disagree with there, I hear you say. Yet this is widely being interpreted as a swipe at Marc for his recent article splashing Colin Eldridge's girlfriend across the front page.

Well from the public condemnation I've been hearing on the streets, I'd say that Davey B is the people's champ on this one.

Ding Ding!