Ivan Lewis pays the price
Fraser Nelson 12:47pm
Poor Ivan Lewis. Previously we only heard from this health minister when he cropped up to criticise Gordon Brown through some coded newspaper article. Now he's on the front page of the Mail on Sunday, exposed for sending inappropriate texts to a former female aide. So where did this story come from? Strikingly absent from the Mail on Sunday’s story is any detail from the woman's side. No text message is reproduced, or any basic content alluded to. If she had sold her story (and the Mail on Sunday has the deepest pockets on Fleet Street for this kind of thing) you'd expect some personal detail even if not in quotes. They also fronted up her parents, another sign that she is not the source. No, this story appears to have come from Whitehall sources. "It is understood No10 was told about Mr Lewis's behaviour" says the Mail on Sunday. Coincidence, I'm sure, but lightening does tend to strike Labour enemies of our Prime Minister. So tonight, like a long line of Gordon Brown irritants, Ivan Lewis sleeps with the fishes.
UPDATE: So much for my conspiracy theory. Turns out the girl’s story was known in Whitehall and there was a race on to reach her – a race won by the News of the World, which got her quotes and her picture for their first edition. She then scarpered, before the Mail on Sunday or anyone else could reach her.
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Comments
Fred
September 7th, 2008 1:03pmNotice how Lewis tries to shift the blame to the woman - suggesting he was merely responding to her bubbly nature. It is always the woman's fault with these people.
Labour Member
September 7th, 2008 1:28pmWell, Gordon should learn. What goes around, comes around.
Nicholas
September 7th, 2008 1:29pmThe Gordfather resonates. Crime and extortion empire. Scottish Mafia. Lots of plotting and counter-plotting. Mafia WAGs. Talentless bullies and musclemen surround the boss. Fingers in every pie. State sponsored protection rackets. Corrupt police chiefs on the payroll. Offers we can't refuse.
Steve Garner
September 7th, 2008 2:13pmHad Lewis been a Tory Harman and the rest of the NuLab sisterhood (together with Bob Piper and Maguire) would have been shrieking about sleazy, bullying, sexist Tories who never learn. Such rank hypocrisy.
jon dee
September 7th, 2008 2:54pmBet Lewis regrets his recent outburst demanding that government tax the rich to win the next election.Labour MPs must be thick if they havent realised that Gordon doesnt do forgiveness.
Harry T.
September 7th, 2008 3:05pmSurely there are enough skeletons in Brown's cupboard that the coup plotters could strike back with?
TGF UKIP
September 7th, 2008 3:14pmGuido at order-order.com has a similar interpretation that it is the Brownies' revenge for Lewis stepping out of line and openly criticizing Gordon. More than that, though, is that it's meant to be a warning to others.
Guido also highlights that it all took place last year and provides a link to the News of the Screws for details. There's also more from Guido on Lewis and his previous straying.
Frank Pulley
September 7th, 2008 5:00pmLet them shaft each other into Oblivion.
David M
September 7th, 2008 6:15pmIf it was the Brownites, Lewis had it coming. You don't criticise your boss if you know he has something on you. What a pillock! Politics is a rough old game, if you don't like it or can't hack it, you should get out of it.
Marian C
September 7th, 2008 6:21pmFerrets in a sack springs to mind
Max Kaye
September 7th, 2008 7:55pmThey're all slime. Some just float above the others.
Alex R
September 7th, 2008 9:20pmDoesn't this episode just tell you all you need to know about the Brownites: they humiliate a young woman and her family purely to get revenge on someone who had dared to question the direction of the government.
I bet they didn't even consider what the effect on her would be from this becoming public.
Oscar
September 8th, 2008 1:44pmI agree with Steve Garner if this was a Tory minister the media would be full of it. As it is it has been a rather quiet story. Nevertheless the nastiness and crudity of the Brown machine is horrible to behold. Balls was ominously talking about 'unity' at the Labour party conference on the AM show - and not in a nice way. i.e. 'get in line or else'. Looks like we're in for another Ceausescu style conference this year.
Dirty Euro
September 8th, 2008 3:23pmThe PM has no skeletons in his cupboard he is not some cocaine tory LOL.
Commondog
September 8th, 2008 9:17pmPedantry it might be, but please: it's 'lightning' not 'lightening'.