What McBride tells us about Brown
Fraser Nelson 1:29pm
I woke up to a text message this morning from a friend in Whitehall. “I see Mc**** is in the doodoo”. An expletive preceded by “Mc” can only refer to one person – and indeed, as James and Pete have blogged, Damian McBride is back in the news with his redoubtable emails. I said a couple of years ago that McBride should be banned from electronic communication. Email is as proving as good for McBride’s career as it was for Oliver North’s. Here are two other things that strike me about the affair.
1. Brown’s Black Arts Strategy. His skill lies is attack, not persuasion. He bullied and plotted his way into No10. No one outside Fife has ever cast a vote for him: he has become PM by destroying potential rivals. This strategy is what led him to assemble perhaps the most lethal attack operation ever seen in Whitehall. But weirdly, he always restricted his attacks to his Cabinet colleagues (hence the affection for McBride in Whitehall). When the Brown attack machine turns to the Tories, things don’t go so well. It seems to be programmed for red-on-red attacks: the red-on-blue efforts seem to misfire (eg, Crewe).
His demotion to the backroom of No10 was never going to mean his demise. He is pretty irreplaceable: to Brown, at least. It’s hard to imagine a more energetic and committed praetorian. It’s not blind loyalty: he wouldn’t die for Brown, but he’d certainly kill for him – and Brown certainly wants these Bullingdon boys whacked (to borrow Godfather argot). But he's going after the Tories with too much energy: he's slipping up. As Corleone said, never hate your enemies. It clouds your judgment.2. McBride is too effective for Brown to axe. I hold no brief for McBride, having had my share of colourful emails (which, to be fair to him, made for great copy) but to put all this in context we must remember: he is very good at his job. Those Whitehall advisers are right to loathe (and fear) him so much: he has a hit rate unsurpassed by any other special adviser. His occasional but spectacular slips mask what has been, broadly, a very successful career not just in character assassination but in building a working relationship with newspapers and journalists not normally supportive of Brown.
Now that No10 is describing McBride’s emails as “juvenile” (which Guido, who has seen the emails, regards as a spin operation to play down a more sinister plot and sap the strength of whatever the Sundays have) it seems he may have to be demoted again. But McBride has the contacts, the imagination and the killer instinct that Brown values. It won’t matter what his official title says - even if he’s sent to sell hot dogs on Westminster bridge, he’ll be a key part of Brown’s shadow team come the election. And will that team play be dirty? Of course. It’s the only way Brown knows how to fight.
Previous
oldrightie
April 11th, 2009 1:46pm Report this comment"And will that team play be dirty? Of course. It’s the only way Brown knows how to fight."
Not just Brown. Socialist are dirty and unpleasant advasaries. So blinded by anything not red. What a way to ru(i)n a Country.
Bear Of Small Brain
April 11th, 2009 1:53pm Report this commentI'm sorry, I don't understand: if McBride is so effective, why is Brown so widely despised and behind in the polls? Would he be more so if McBride were less effective?
kinglear
April 11th, 2009 1:55pm Report this commenter and the third thing is....?????
Scary Biscuits
April 11th, 2009 1:56pm Report this comment"Too effective for Brown too sack"? Yes, that's why Brown is 30 points ahead in the opinion polls. What weed are you journos on? And can I have some?
Anyway, depending on the allegations to come out tomorrow, he may not have the luxury of choice. McPoison has already been found to have broken the Civil Service code on political activity. Does Brown seriously think that future taxpayers are going to be happy to pay his pension? And if the debate is restricted to that he should count himself lucky. We might be happy to pay for his accomodation, courtesy of Her Majesty.
Rhoda Klapp
April 11th, 2009 2:24pm Report this commentIt is to the credit of journalists here that they occasionally mention the texts and emails which emanate from No 10, and the obnoxious crew who send them. It's a shame that we on the outside whose only part is to vote fund the farce never get to hear the whole truth, but one must not let light in on magic.
Guido has an update which implies that there will be names. Names of No 10 staff and sympathetic journos who are on the copy list of the muckraker's emails. Who will not be able to plausibly deny that they know what is going on and are complicit. Maybe not just McBride will go, perhaps some of his useful idiots will be strung up too. Hope so. Pending that, can we be assured that if, when, the displaced McB starts again from whatver bolthole he is sent to, we will be told what is going on?
I'm not entirely at ease with politicians and journos conspiring to deceive the public.
Proud Dundonian
April 11th, 2009 2:30pm Report this commentThis is a hugely saddening report by Fraser Nelson; people like McBride et al should be sacked today. Gordon Brown disgraces his office by employing these people.
The Tories must set out some clear policies on healing Britain's broken politics.
Denis Cooper
April 11th, 2009 2:39pm Report this commentBut what exactly is his "job", am I helping to pay for him to do it, and if so why?
David Alexander
April 11th, 2009 2:57pm Report this comment" Email is as proving as good for McBride’s career as it was for Oliver North’s"
What on earth does that mean?
kevin
April 11th, 2009 3:06pm Report this commenthe is a public servant who,at our expense,is denigrating the democatic process.this is called corruption and following the next election I hope they are brought before the court to answer for there actions.
Faceless Bureaucrat
April 11th, 2009 3:45pm Report this commentFraser,
All credit to you to take a balanced view of Damian McBride - oddly enough, Cameron and Co. should be so lucky to have someone with his 'special set of skills'.
"And will that team play be dirty? Of course."
‘Of course’, indeed - because this is Politics, my friend and the biggest charge levelled against Cameron's PR and Government attack machine is that it is virtually non-existent.
Come the General Election (assuming Marshall Law hasn't been imposed before then) the Conservatives will need to have raised their game in the area of attacking skills by several thousand percent if they hope to take on Brown effectively.
Of course, nobody likes dirty politics, but if it wins Elections, who's the patsy?
And if McBride does have to be sacrificed, perhaps Cameron should make a call - after all, McBride was always a skilled operator, never a blindly-obedient New Labour Apparatchik - now wouldn't that be a turn-up for the book?...
Rob C
April 11th, 2009 3:48pm Report this commentWhat does it tell us about Brown?
Well, I'd start with self-interested, devious, distrustful, scheming, conniving... In short, unfit to govern and thoroughly undesirable! A.S.B.O. anyone???
I cannot understand why Labour hasn't disowned him yet - even a return of Blair would surely give them a poll bounce at the moment? At this rate, the Lib-Dems will be the main opposition to Cameron next year.
John Moss
April 11th, 2009 3:48pm Report this commentLike Alan Milburn at the time of the last election, McBride is paid by the taxpayer to help Labour win the next election. His post is blatantly political and it should be deleted forthwith.
The hoped for incoming Conservative Government should set out a clear position. No "political" posts on the taxpayer's payroll.
That will include all the "researchers" working for MPs and the "Constituency Secretaries" sending out election material as well as the "Civil Servants" employed purely to generate good news stories ofr Government politicians.
It will hurt us as we will be Government, but we have to hose out the Augean Stables once and for all!
Ian McIntyre
April 11th, 2009 4:11pm Report this commentThis story will die as it's the Easter break and no-one really cares about spin doctors and their dodgy emails. Does anyone really believe that Draper has any clout?
David Ossitt
April 11th, 2009 4:49pm Report this commentWhat McBride tells us about Brown.
Nothing that we did not already know or suspect.
I have a saying that's served me well 'you can't get any shit from a wooden horse' Gordon Brown is not a wooden horse and so it would appear that it is all that we can expect from him.
OC
April 11th, 2009 4:54pm Report this commentAs a civil servant, he is bound by the code of conduct - it says so in his terms of employment - to "political impartiality".
If there is one thing McRaker can't be accused of, it's impartiality. In the private sector, he wouldn't be out of the building fast enough. In the world of ZaNu Labour, he will, probably, be promoted.
Henry Crun
April 11th, 2009 5:13pm Report this commentkinglear,
The third thing is surprise and fear.
chris
April 11th, 2009 5:23pm Report this commentI'm starting to hate the Scots; a pity - i'm 50% Scot myself
Stop Common Purpose
April 11th, 2009 5:35pm Report this commentMcBride has resigned. Who's next?
A very happy Easter indeed!
Auld Reekie
April 11th, 2009 5:39pm Report this commentSo... how exactly did the emails "fell into the possession of" Paul Staines? Surely some enterprising public servant could have the egregious Guido lifted on suspicion of hacking and confiscate his computer, which would of course be returned with profuse apologies a year from now?
Ian E
April 11th, 2009 5:45pm Report this commentHow appropriate that a Damian, McBride for McDoom, has sealed the NuLab pact with the devil! The seamy Heart at the centre of NuLab is clearly one of Darkness: Conrad knew what happens to your soul if you get mired in corruption!
Fraser Nelson
April 11th, 2009 5:56pm Report this commentDavid Alexander, you're evidently as young as I am occasionally accused of being by CoffeeHousers- :) Oli North was done over the Iran-Contra affair over an intercepted email - one of the first such cases.
Bruce Burniston
April 11th, 2009 6:01pm Report this commentBrown denies knowing anything about McBride's emails. Really?? Like Hitler and Stalin before him, Brown gets others to do his dirty work.
Stephen Lark
April 11th, 2009 6:59pm Report this commentI'm enjoying this!
anne allan
April 11th, 2009 8:05pm Report this commentWhat I love about all these Labour pratfalls is that they are the result of their own Big Brother tactics. They watch us, bug us and try to stop us expressing any form of dissent.
Draper whingeing about his correspondence being made public! A taste of what his beloved party has inflicted on the rest of us. This blog will be recorded the moment I press send.
How long before spyware will be introduced to spot words like freedom, Conservative etc....
The first job for the incoming Tory government must be to repeal this appalling measure.
Hysteria
April 11th, 2009 8:52pm Report this commentanne - indeed - and how long before we all start adding trigger words in white font into our email signatures !!!
Denis Cooper
April 11th, 2009 8:52pm Report this commentThanks, John Moss.
I was trying to remember who it was, and yes it was Milburn who was the Cabinet Minister "paid by the taxpayer to help Labour win the next election", and in fact the Tories did complain about it:
http://www.julianlewis.net/cuttings_detail.php?id=86
"Mr Lewis said:
"They have raided the public purse to give a Cabinet salary to a man who is primarily concerned with running Labour's election campaign.
"When you factor in the ministerial car and driver, the special advisers and the private office staff, the total cost is colossal. It could be up to £400,000. This is an abuse of public money."
Mr Milburn's use of a Cabinet job for his work as Labour's election mastermind has angered MPs and senior civil servants. Whitehall chiefs have complained privately that Mr Blair is stepping "perilously close to the edge of propriety" by putting Mr Milburn on the Government payroll."
Isn't it time we saw some criminal prosecutions?
Michael Booth
April 11th, 2009 9:01pm Report this commentThe greatest service an incoming Tory government can do for this country is to sweep away the army of special advisers, root out those members of the civil service who crossed the line into political intrigue and legislate to prevent MPs from taking the piss when it comes to claiming money from the taxpayer. The next best thing they can do is to take stock, realise that we cannot afford to prance about on the world stage as we have done, that we need to take serious steps to address the genuine concerns over immigration, the NHS, education, the squandering of taxpayer's money... one could go on.
I for one believe the present government have acted dishonourably from start to finish: they have exploited and denigrated the offices they hold and should be held personably accountable in the same way that anybody else who lies, cheats, commits fraud is held accountable. There should not be one law for politicians and another for the rest of us.
Pierre
April 11th, 2009 10:00pm Report this commentBit by bit the Brown Bunker is being dismantled. The saviour of the world and the banks and the UK from terrorism is slowly being decapitated. He doesn't know it yet because he's stupid. He has his eyes on the main chance, the election. And he doesn't know and no one is telling him - he's Naked and he's BUST. He should resign now on the basis that he has criminally wasted enough of our money ALREADY
gabi
April 12th, 2009 12:06am Report this commentThe government spin is in full flow, a 'juvenile' prank is what they want us to believ. This from a government that thought 9/11 was a good day to hide bad news, that 'sexed up' the reports of Sadam Hussein's arsenal so we followed the US into an illegal war. Brown can do his Lady Macbeth hand washing but the stains will still be on them
RayD
April 12th, 2009 3:07am Report this commentFaceless Bureaucrat
I think you'll find it's "martial law". State education, was it?
Auld Reekie
You need have no fear. Guido is an Irish national and so is his computer.
Fraser Nelson
April 12th, 2009 6:46am Report this commentchris, McBride isn't Scottish - nor is he a civil servant. He became a special adviser prior to Brown's takeover.
Ailna Watt
April 12th, 2009 12:12pm Report this commentIs there anything in this idea that Smeargate was broken to suppress another story? http://www.redboxblues.wordpress.org
MarcusL
April 12th, 2009 12:54pm Report this commentNot a day goes by without more revelations, lies, slease and spin. I do hope somebody is keeping a diary of events. It would make for a sickening read, but would serve to inform voters.
Robert Jackson.
April 12th, 2009 7:48pm Report this commentC'mon - get real.
Do you lot seriously think the Tories aren't up to the same smear tactics.
Don't be soo naive.
The one good thing that this has brought about is the knowledge that the Tories won't dare to smear Labour in the future (Pot,kettle balck etc)
Once again you people who've passed your comments on Gordon Brown "wake up and smell the coffee"
We have the best government this counytry has had since the secon world war.And the alternative ? it doesn't bear thinkimg of !!!!!
Shameron and his crew would work cesalessly for working people - right
logdon
April 12th, 2009 8:41pm Report this commentRobert Jackson.
April 12th, 2009 7:48pm
We have the best government this counytry has had since the secon world war.And the alternative ? it doesn't bear thinkimg of !!!!!
Shameron and his crew would work cesalessly for working people - right
Sorry, but what was Blair's big soundbite? Education. Education. Education. Is literacy included these days? Or judging by 'best government since the second world war', sanity?
Chris Harrison
April 12th, 2009 10:22pm Report this commentRobert Jackson.
April 12th, 2009 7:48pm
We have the best government this counytry has had since the secon world war.And the alternative ? it doesn't bear thinkimg of !!!!!
Shameron and his crew would work cesalessly for working people - right
==========================
Well they might work to educate Britains working people then so they can spell and write in english.
AMC
April 12th, 2009 10:33pm Report this commentEducation,education.education! Bovine excrement, I work with kids who have been failed by the education system in this country. It is tragic the numbers of scholl leavers who are illiterate.
Dennis
April 13th, 2009 2:56pm Report this commentbrown knew nothing of these "e-mails", do not talk rubbish, "not knowing is no excuse. He said he knew nothing of the decision to invade Iraq. He is supposedly in charge and is therefore as guilty as his dogs of filth.The quicker he quits politics the better for the U.K.
Paul East
April 13th, 2009 5:48pm Report this commentWhen ideals atrophy, personal attacks fill the vacuum. I wonder if 18th Century Tory/Whig viciousness was like this and for similar reasons, i.e. there are only the spoils of office to fight over. And we wonder why people think "a plague upon both your houses".
David Davis
April 13th, 2009 6:45pm Report this commentWhat I don't really understand is why a "Prime Minister" __of a G4 country__ (no less) needs all these "advisers"?
If he is a "Prime Minister", the he is the Sovereign's First Adviser" himself. He bloody ought to know what the hell he is doing, or else he'd not have been elected (HAS he been elected, or was it some mirror stuff?)
If he needs advisers, especially "political" or "PR" or __anything to do with philosophy__ , then he's the wrong man to be in number-10. He was a "student activist" for goodness sake. He must have known what he was doing when he went for the PMship.
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