Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Debate directly related to English Chess Federation matters.
Lewis Martin
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Lewis Martin » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:02 pm

Martin Regan wrote: What pomposity.Why not resign on principle then?
You have also forgotten one of the most famous sayings in chess.

"No-one ever won a game by resigning" - Tartakower

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:12 pm

David Sedgwick wrote:
IM Jack Rudd wrote:My official position, as the ECF Manager for Disabled Chess, is that I am concerned about this potential appointment.
Can you tell us something about the initiatives which you are taking to promote chess amongst people with disabilities?

And can you explain how you feel the election of Dominic Lawson as President would jeopardise those initiatives?
I haven't yet done much in the role, it's true. I got appointed to the role with no job description and no budget, and don't really know what to do with such a position. Most of what I've done so far has been low-level stuff along the lines of putting people in touch with the relevant disabled chess organization, or passing on complaints concerning disability-related stuff.

My concern with Lawson is not so much that he would jeopardise initiatives so much that he might jeopardise participation; the "I don't want to be involved with an organization whose leader thinks it's fine to call me 'mentally handicapped'" concern.

Michael Flatt
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Michael Flatt » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:13 pm

I have just read the article in the Independent given in one of the above links regarding use of the phrase "mentally handicapped".

The first thing I note is that the article is dated Friday 27 January 2006, eight years ago!

The second thing I note is that it is a article about the use of language used to describe disabilities and the offence caused in getting it wrong.

The difficulty is that language does change and that any offence is likely to be unintentional and arise from one's ignorance as to what are currently considered acceptable terms to describe individuals with a disability. Please, excuse me if I describe it as a minefield.

I would suggest that this particular controversy arises from an individual reading the headline and not the article. Headlines are "attention grabbers" and can be found to be highly misleading once the article has been read.

It should be borne in mind that journalists write countless articles so in terms of probability it is almost certain that something they have written might not be well received and cause offence. It is an occupational hazard for a writer.

John McKenna

Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by John McKenna » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:30 pm

Ian Thompson>His background seems very well suited to the role of ECF President to me. I've yet to read anything which leads to think he'd be a risky candidate to appoint.<

Ian, I can see how DL ticks a great many boxes.

The problem with CJ and AP was that they had personal agendas, which they promoted over their remit as ECF President. The risk is that DL could do the same in some respect should the situation present. (I'd hope he doesn't have an explicit personal agenda, like CJ and AP, but his may be an implicit one!?) The way I see it the role really requires someone who is both a sublime diplomat, like Roger Edwards, and a supercharged middleman, like Stewart Reuben. Does Dominic Lawson fit the bill - I can't tell.

Michael Flatt>Rather than leave the post vacant the ECF Board have taken the initiative to sound out some likely individuals with a high public profile who have an interest in supporting English Chess.<

But, Michael, my question is why have the board left it vacant so long?

Is it in order to give pause, or to give a veneer of democracy by waiting until the elections and then holding a minimal version of one for this office?

Michael Flatt>Given that the ECF have identified a media savvy individual willing to accept the Board's nomination and stand against NOTA in the election at the AGM, why is it necessary to denigrate and abuse him before he has even taken on the role?<

I'd say nobody has really denigrated and abused him so far, just strongly questioned his position, and suitability, on a number of topics so that they won't need to do so after the election.

Michael Flatt>Why were there no other nominations?<

That's a very good question - obviously he is the establishment's preferred choice and it doesn't do to have a contested election in case something goes wrong. (Just think of the UKIP leadership's imposition of Douglas Carswell in the Clacton seat - their existing candidate went straight out the window without him or the local rank and file being consulted, it seems.)

Michael Flatt>Is there any reason to believe that the prospective President and Board cannot work together?<

Is there any reason to believe that they can? (Perhaps they should all go on a paintballing weekend together immediately after the election.)

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:41 pm

John McKenna wrote: Is there any reason to believe that they can?
That they nominated him as "the Board" rather than individually rather suggests so, at least for the non-retiring directors. It's a possible question for the two new candidates for the Junior post and for two of the three standing for Non-Exec Director. The support of one of the three candidates for FIDE Delegate can be inferred as his organisation was a nominator, possibly a question for the other two as relationships with other Federations, FIDE and ECU is one of the areas where the President usually gets involved.

Apart from its role in demanding money as a condition of participation, a new player would know little of the ECF or who was its President, let alone the content of past articles written by the President in his day job.

Roger de Coverly
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Roger de Coverly » Sun Sep 07, 2014 6:49 pm

John McKenna wrote: I'd say nobody has really denigrated and abused him so far
As long as you ignore the Streatham blog. That usually takes the weekend off for pieces about art or history, but it's five days and counting. It didn't much like the candidacy of that chess boxing bloke for Marketing Director or AP this time last year, but the sustained aggression has outdone even its hostility to the recycling of columns by the Times Chess Correspondent.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:15 am

Do we really have people here who think "political correctness" is a good idea? It wasn't a good idea in Germany in the 1930s and it still isn't.

Lenny Bruce had a good routine about that, (“We agree to be offended by certain words.") but if I publish it here, people will start foaming at the mouth...

Michael Flatt
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Michael Flatt » Mon Sep 08, 2014 8:47 am

Kevin Thurlow wrote:Do we really have people here who think "political correctness" is a good idea? It wasn't a good idea in Germany in the 1930s and it still isn't.

Lenny Bruce had a good routine about that, (“We agree to be offended by certain words.") but if I publish it here, people will start foaming at the mouth...
To my mind it is more a question of good manners and what might be considered acceptable behaviour.

Why would anyone want to take on the presidency if all they can expect is to be bad-mouthed by those that one seeks to represent as a figurehead and ambassador?

If members of the ECF are so concerned about who becomes President, why have they not nominated a single candidate themselves?

It is all too easy to be negative and complain about the actions of the Board without offering any viable alternative. What is your alternative?

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Peter D Williams
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Peter D Williams » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:07 am

Michael Flatt wrote:
If members of the ECF are so concerned about who becomes President, why have they not nominated a single candidate themselves?

It is all too easy to be negative and complain about the actions of the Board without offering any viable alternative. What is your alternative?
I am still willing to be your new leader and have no worrys about being bad mouthed.

Well its time to walk the dog but first i must put on his tick collar.This year has seen record numbers of ticks and fleas.
when you are successful many losers bark at you.

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IM Jack Rudd
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by IM Jack Rudd » Mon Sep 08, 2014 9:55 am

Kevin Thurlow wrote:Do we really have people here who think "political correctness" is a good idea? It wasn't a good idea in Germany in the 1930s and it still isn't.
Yay, Godwin's Law in action. It's been a while since I've seen such a great example of that.

Kevin Thurlow
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Kevin Thurlow » Mon Sep 08, 2014 12:10 pm

"Yay, Godwin's Law in action. It's been a while since I've seen such a great example of that."

It doesn't stop it being true! You can spend so long worrying what to call a person who can't see, you forget to offer help...

"To my mind it is more a question of good manners and what might be considered acceptable behaviour.

Why would anyone want to take on the presidency if all they can expect is to be bad-mouthed by those that one seeks to represent as a figurehead and ambassador?"

I agree. Already, people are so desperate to criticise Dominic, they scream about some allegedly unpleasant comments, and then you discover he never said anything of the sort. I don't agree with everything he says, but he was perfectly pleasant when I met him.

A work colleague is an ardent socialist who used to be a local councillor. He got on very well with one of his political opponents, to the extent that they would argue heatedly in the council chamber and then meet for a friendly dinner afterwards - a refreshingly mature attitude.

Ian Thompson
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Ian Thompson » Mon Sep 08, 2014 6:02 pm

IM Jack Rudd wrote:I haven't yet done much in the role, it's true. I got appointed to the role with no job description and no budget, and don't really know what to do with such a position. ...

My concern with Lawson is not so much that he would jeopardise initiatives so much that he might jeopardise participation; the "I don't want to be involved with an organization whose leader thinks it's fine to call me 'mentally handicapped'" concern.
So do you think disabled people would want to be involved with an organisation that has allocated no budget for their specific needs and has appointed someone to a role relating to them who doesn't know what to do?

Ian Thompson
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Ian Thompson » Sat Sep 13, 2014 4:27 pm

An interview with Dominic Lawson about his candidacy has appeared on the Chessbase website. It includes reference to Jack Rudd's negative comments above, and links to some articles he's written about disabilities.

Michael Flatt
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Michael Flatt » Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:54 pm

Ian Thompson wrote:An interview with Dominic Lawson about his candidacy has appeared on the Chessbase website. It includes reference to Jack Rudd's negative comments above, and links to some articles he's written about disabilities.
I think that Jack Rudd's ill-considered remark arose from falling into a bear trap set by an earlier poster who had provided a hyperlink to the 2006 newspaper article and misrepresented what Dominic Lawson had written.

I believe Jack's mistake was in believing an accusation which he would have found to be inaccurate if he had checked the original newspaper article.

Michael Flatt
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Re: Dominic Lawson: Presidential Candidate

Post by Michael Flatt » Sun Sep 14, 2014 12:23 pm

I've just come across a feature on the Chess and Bridge website which gives access to recordings of Dominic Lawson's interviews on radio 4 and the games he has played with his guests.

http://www.chess.co.uk/acrosstheboard/