Brown's unconvincing clean-up operation

AndyLeeds

Piffle.

Gawain

The man is a complete creep ! The headmaster of a Primary School writing a letter to year 2 wouldn't get away with this pathetic drivel.

"it is also important to make sure such behaviour does not happen again" -So does this mean that McBride will never have anything to do with the ZanuLabour movement again ? What about Draper, Whelan and all the other ne'er do wells involved.

"I think you will agree that all of us in public life have a responsibility to ensure that those we employ and who are in involved in our parties observe the highest standards." - The problem is that the evidence from what goes on in his own office would suggest that this is not the way he or those around him act in practice.

"My undivided focus as Prime Minister is on acting to make Britain a fairer, safer and more prosperous nation" - Since he's failed in all three aims isn't it time for him to go then or at least to let the country decide ?

Boudicca

McBride appears to have committed the Criminal Offence of Malfeasance (Misconduct) in Public Office. He was a Civil Servant - paid by the taxpayer - and abused his position using Government time, equipment and email account to write and disseminate malicious and libellous stories about members of Her Majesty's Opposition.

Why hasn't Gordon Brown asked the Police to investigate - and if evidence is found - prosecute.

An 'expression of regret' and weak attempt to switch the story to 'tightening up the Code' is insufficient.

Tiberius

Sick bag?

A box of tissues, I think, to wipe away the tears of mirth at the very idea that Brown thinks this effort somehow sets him morally above these insects running around Downing St causing him all this trouble when he's so desperately trying to save Britain, nay the world (and especiallly Africa), from unfathomable dark forces.

Brown is beyond even saintly pity.

Paul Hughes

Yes, it's full of regret and supposed action to rectify a situation he created. Still, it's no apology. He mentions that MacBride apologised but he doesn't.
Still, it will be humble pie enough and any further demands that he utter the word "sorry" will be seen as pettiness.
So, MacBride has gone and Brown has "apologised." Tories should now ferret out the others in the know...

bernerlap

Martin bright maes this point in his latest post.
"This has allowed him to distance himself, if necessary, from their [Brown's lieutenants]activities. But it was always a potentially catastrophic policy because it plunged his court into a toxic game of second guessing what the boss might want."
The historian Ian Kershaw had a name for that when it was tried in Germany. IIRC it was called 'working towards the Fuhrer'.
Now I'm not putting Brown on a par with old Adolf but the point was the Fuhrer set the parameters and his minions attempted to meet what they believed were his desires.
And no one except David Irving believes Hitler did not know about the final solution.
I wonder how many people believe Brown did not know about Red Rag.

Prodicus

Thanks for that. I just threw up all over my keyboard. What a self-serving, hypocritical piece of s^i^e. Risible to everyone who knows the man - did I mention that? Waste of his time dictating it and everyone else's reading it. Sir Humphrey must feel like slitting his wrists, some days.

Fred

He left out the bit about it starting in America!

JJ

But Brown and Labour have made Britain more unfair, ruined the economy and probably made us less safe!

Stepney

How sweet will this read when his sticky fingerprints prove his direct involvement in drafting the strategy and commissioning Draper and McBride to implement it.

The man's a control freak. A SpAd can't even fart in no 10 without his direct permission and direction. Can anyone truly believe that he knew nothing?

He was the brains- McBride merely the scribe. His hubristic hypocrisy will become the stuff of legend.

oldrightie

"to improve the lives and opportunities of those less fortunate than me."
I worked and grafted all my life to get out of a poverty stricken background. This pillock turns up and destroys my life's pension savings. Hypocrite.

Liz Brown

The Civil Service code is explicit on this subject
You're right - sick bags are necessary

GeoffH

Waffle.

David

Utter nonsense from start to finish. No apology, no acknowledgement they were lies. Nothing but a redundant call to tighten up a code that already makes this stuff a sackable offence, and a personal puff about how he is saving the world. The man should be ashamed.

Alex

Gibberish.

Tom Pride

Have been away for the weekend and only just caught up. No one seems to have mentioned the juvenile smear made against John Major (it might have originated from Campbell) that he tucked his shirt into his underpants.

It was juvenile and puerile but it found traction and the pejorative image struck a resonance with the electorate to John Major’s disadvantage. It could not be shaken off.

There is something similar in these emails. You cannot predict what smear is going to find traction. It is almost random so fire off any number of stories in the plausibly written terms McBride used and see what happens.

As with the Damien Green affair, I just do not believe that Mr Brown was unaware of these proceedings. He shames the High Office which he seized underhandedly from the elected Prime Minister.

DM

Agreed - code is tight enough. McBride knowingly broke it. He's even apologised for it. It should not end there. He should be pursued for prosecution.

Jupiter

The PM really is a numpty. Everyone with even half a brain knows that you never start a letter with the words "I am writing".

Argie

This is such nonsense. The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers is clear enough now: Paragraph 6 says, “Special Advisers should not use official resources for Party political activity. … They should avoid anything which might reasonably lead to the criticism that people paid from public funds are being used for party political purposes.”

Moreover, Paragraph 3.3 of the Ministerial Code reads, “The responsibility for the management and conduct of special advisers ... rests with the Minister who made the appointment.”

Brown must not be allowed to avoid his personal responsibility for this mess.

Dr Blue

Brown employed McBride. He knew what McBride was like. Brown has made a very bad appointment entirely for his own good, and not that of anyone else or the country.

Brown's protestations of ignorance ring false. Or he has lost control of his staff.

Either way Brown's incompetence is no longer in doubt. Brown must resign.

jon dee

"Mr McBride has apologised and done so unreservedly."

Has he? When, to whom and what was the wording?

Steve.W

Quote -
“Mr McBride has apologised and done so unreservedly”.

And -
“they will automatically lose their jobs”.

But does this mean that having apologised they (he) can come back in time for the General Election and another job?

Trumpeter Lanfried

"My undivided focus as Prime Minister is on acting to make Britain a fairer, safer and more prosperous nation."

No it isn't. Much of your time is spent identifying and undermining your enemies in the Labour party and also (when time permits) in the Tory party.

Nicholas

Cowardly. And outrageously disingenuous.

So many unanswered questions but the BBC is all about Gordon Brown's letter and not about the disgraceful conduct of the government.

Nicholas

PS And they have previous for this. So many mistakes and wrongdoings - all followed up with "tightening" the rules as though it is nothing to do with them.

Every person in England should embark on a campaign of civil disobedience and give the reason that the rules need "tightening" and that what is good enough for a criminal government is good enough for them.

TBF

"I entered politics because of a sense of public duty and to improve the lives and opportunities of those less fortunate than me."

Pity he didn't enter politics to improve standards in English.

kevin

there be no whitewash at the white house anybody?

Oscar

The code does not need tightening up - it just needs to be enforced. Why isn't that being done? Gordon's unconvincing response has gone down badly in both BBC and ITV news reports. Hats off to Laura Kuenssberg for some incisive reporting for the BBC - and thank God Nick Robinson is away.

Oscar

"unsubstantiated claims" - how contrite is that? This isn't remotely an apology - it's a provocation.

TrevorsDen

How do we think 'Gus' will take to being patronised in this way.

Just how supine do our top civil servants have to be?

Perhaps 'Gus' should reply saying it is not his job to take instructions on codes of conduct for civil servants from politicians and he is going to implement his own inquiry into the whole affair which would include interviewing the PM.

He might also add he is fed up of sticking his arse high into the air so Brown can er... kick it.

J. Wright

Whwt did the saintly white haired Rev Brown teach little Gordy about responsibility ? When he became PM he promised that all the dishonest scumbag tricks of Blair and Campbell would go. HE LIED.Therefore he should go NOW.Compaired with Brown, Richard Nixon was as pure as Mother Teresa.and when his two boys grow up how will they cope knowing what a universally hated scumbag their father is.

Chris lancashire

Brown is a liar.

IF he didn't know about it he has certainly created the atmosphere in which this type of culture can flourish.

GO.

Thomas Cussans

'My undivided focus as Prime Minister is on acting to make Britain a fairer, safer and more prosperous nation and, in particular, on guiding the country through the current economic difficulties.'

No, Mr Brown, it isn't. Your 'undivided attention' is on winning the next election.

Anyone who ever thought that your 'moral compass' consisted of anything other than the brutal exercise of power politics at its crudest and most vengeful has, I hope, been disabused.

Silent Hunter

Am I allowed to say L I A R to Mr Brown here?

Apparently not at the Red Box where I originally left the same comment; subsequently removed.

Bluebottle

"I am assured that no Minister and no political adviser other than the person involved had any knowledge of or involvement in these private emails that are the subject of current discussion"

"I am assured..." By whom for God's sake? McBride worked for Brown; he was Brown's creature, and yet he refers to some unspecified third party assuring him! What sort of idiots does he take us for?

..."had any knowledge of or involvement in these private emails..." Nothing about having no knowledge of the smear campaign or black op of which they were a part then. In making this omission, we can draw the obvious conclusion. then.

Isn't this similar to the way Blair confused the cash for honours scandal as a defence: suddenly it became a story about the state funding of political parties. Brown is using the same tactic: the code of conduct needs tightening. The scandal has absolutely nothing to do with the way Brown conducts himself or the completely corrupt crew he chose to be his advisers with which he has surrounded himself

John Page

Not lies, then - "unsubstantiated claims". Could be true, then, they just couldn't be stood up. This despite McPoison himself acknowledging some poetic licence!

Nadine Dorries is likely to be well impressed.

A commenter at Red Box points out that McBride had already broken the code (this was clear on WATO). Given his nickname of McPoison, it's obvious everyone knew that fine and well.

The disclaimer of ministerial involvement is also narrowly drawn ... I am assured that no Minister ... had any knowledge of or involvement in these private emails that are the subject of current discussion. No disclaimer about the rumour-mongering itself, notice, just about the emails.

So it's a reasonable assumption that Watson's paws can be found somewhere in this.

Now plenty of political journalists have some interesting body-swerving to do. They know what stories they were fed by McPoison - presumably some they used and some they didn't. They need to find a way of laying out a trail of stories he started (or tried to start). Then it will become clear just how ineffectual Brown's attempt to distance himself from McPoison is.

David Ossitt

Any activity such as this that affects the reputation of our politics is a matter of great regret to me and I am ready to take whatever action is necessary to improve our political system.

Not one of the scandals of the past twelve years (and there have been many score) has had this horrid man do anything.

One must never ever listen to what he says; or read what he writes, rather look for what he does and what he does is nothing.

The never do man; the cardboard cutout, the imposter.

George Laird

Dear Boudicca

I have read your post about various offences which allegedly
may have been committed by Damien McBride.

I am disappointed in you.

Not one mention of the theft of electriciy.

If Damien McBride wrote these emails in Number 10 Downing Street then surely this aspect should be investigated?

I think you will agree that the important thing here is to secure a conviction.

There is scope under S13 of the Theft 1968 to do a bit of sniffing about by the Police and his employer.

If McBride has stolen electricity what steps is Gordon Brown taking to recover the money?

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University

Ben Elford

Does Brown really expect people not to recognise that the existing code of conduct is already, as far as one can see, perfectly serviceable; that common sense, decency and good management practice, if they had been in place, would have prevented these disgusting smears reaching gestation?

Does Mr Brown really imagine that anyone believes he had nothing to do with encouraging this gutter culture to grow within Downing Street?

Marian C

Oh for God's sake, someone please pass the sick bucket.

We don't want non existent apologies or phoney regrets we want

GENERAL ELECTION NOW!!

RW

Gordon says "I am ready to take whatever action is necessary to improve our political system."

At last! P45 for Mr Brown, please. This resignation will transform our political system for the better.

It will be a far, far nobler thing that he is about to do than he has ever done. Nothing in his political life will become him like the leaving of it.

I'm so glad that I have lived to see this momentous day. BTW I've taken the precaution of forewarning Messrs Pickfords.

Denis Cooper

A jury should decide whether McBride's actions constituted the common law offence of "misconduct in public office."

http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/l_to_o/misconduct_in_public_office/index.html

and if so he should receive whatever punishment the judge decides is appropriate.

JDR

"I am assured" is ambiguous. Does it mean "I am certain" or "someone who ought to know has told me" ?

Prodicus

Dennis Cooper -

All it takes is someone to make a formal complaint to the Met citing the relevant law. They are legally bound to investigate.

Brown/McBride would confirm that. cf. Greengate.

Mitch

Gordon you are deluded! look you fool we know and you know that McBride was following your orders and you knew full well what those emails contained.
just go!

John Page

Terrific piece by Boris in tomorrow's Telegraph. This is exactly what's needed - laying bare McPoison's track record so that Brown can't claim he didn't know nuffink.

john miller

Couldn't read it all. Blood pressure 290/110 by the fourth sentence. Off to a swearblog to reduce it. Back later.

Alan Douglas

Brown says "those less fortunate than me" - that would be all the rest of us now that he is PM ?

Alan Douglas

bernerlap

Note the monocular one says he 'is assured' that no other SpAds or ministers knew. A bit of wriggle room there I think.

Dave

Nadine Dorries who was one of the proposed victims of this scandal is having none of it by the look of it -

"I think the sharks are circling. I think Gordon’s own side are out to get him.

That’s why he has written the letter, that’s why he wants Watson in place. Without him he is totally exposed.

I think smear gate may be the end for Gordon"

http://blog.dorries.org/blog.aspx

Heironymous Bosch

"I have also written personally to all those who were subject to these unsubstantiated claims."

Hmm. I wonder if the recipients will perhaps publish their personal letters. Contents may be illuminating.

Moraymint

If something looks like rot, smells like rot and reads like rot, then probably it is rot. This is rot.

I would have expected no less from this hideous little man. It still beats me, but probably says a lot about the Labour Party and/or the British political system, that such an obnoxious, disingenuous and sinister man could ever have made it to the office of Prime Minister.

On the other hand, he didn't really. Which makes him an imposter - and even more dangerous than so many citizens fail to realise. We Brits can be such a gullible lot.

Michael Booth

Well now, nobody has yet called for a mass demonstration in London/Westminster for open and fair government, anti-sleaze and corruption and a total Root and Branch Reform of politics. About time we did. I'd be there... anyone else?

Cameron

"I am assured that no Minister and no political adviser other than the person involved had any knowledge of or involvement in these private emails". What matters more is whether they were involved in the overall strategy, rather than in the specifics of these emails. Beware the weasel wording.

Michael Booth

Prodicus
April 13th, 2009 8:16pm

Dennis Cooper -

All it takes is someone to make a formal complaint to the Met citing the relevant law. They are legally bound to investigate.

Brown/McBride would confirm that. cf. Greengate.

What law Prodicus? Wouln't might writjng that letter of complaint...

Steve.W

John Page – 8.31pm – Yes, the Boris comments (DTelegraph tomorrow) are very good. I read then about two hours ago but its only just sunk in. McPoison is beyond hope, like his Boss.

Michael Booth – 9.28pm - If Lord Ahmed promised 10,000 to protest (or so he said, or is alleged to have said) it would be interesting to see how many would turn up for your idea. The risk is the latter demo would have the crap beaten out of it by the Met TPG thugs.

TGF UKIP

Note well who the recipient/accomplice of this ruse is. The always compliant Head Civil Service Stooge himself.

If Cameron does by some accident undeservedly win the next election then O'Donnell's resignation should be required on day 1.

J Donovan

Aren't civil servants supposed to just enact the will of the current government? And, therefore, be non-political?

However I find it hard to believe that Gordo did immediately sack this idiot since he spent a day trying to save him.

Additionally by him resigning is the fastest way to his gold plated pension and no more work....

Has anyone looked at his pension and why he mad himself so vulnerable?

Bet he will be sunning himself on the taxpayer as is Fred Shred and anyone else resigning early?

Wow what a perfect copout if you don't want your job anymore?!

Hysteria

Michael - I admire the sentiment - "Aux barricades....!"

but I suspect things are not bad enough (yet) to get the man off the Clapham omnibus..

Paul B

Browns handwritten apologies to those subject to the smear emails, show a man without a shred of remorse, but when viewed alongside the letter quoted above, written to the Cabinet Secretary and (as TGF) rightly points out, head of the Civil Service, show a man totally duplicitous, and intent on deflecting all blame away from himself- "its the system guv` not me".

It stinks, he stinks. He is the source, the cancer, of all that is wrong in our politics today. He sits in his bunker festering,spreading poison. Like in Hitlers days, acolytes strive to please, and although he may not be directly involved in all the vicarious wrong doing, his fingerprints are everywhere. He sets the tone, makes the demand.He is Fagin, to McBride & Drapers Dodger. I have total contempt for him, he brings shame to the office of PM.He works for the benefit of himself and not the people. Shame on Brown, shame on you.