Brown let the dogs out

Another Day

It is very interesting to look at the precise wording used by Gordon Brown's letter to Gus O'Donnell:

"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"

He's only denying the knowledge of the e-mails. He's not making any denials of knowledge of the contents of the mails - the smears, the proposed strategies, the RedRag website etc.

That surely has to be the question to be asked of those around No 10...

BrianSJ

An important question from the politicalbetting.com discussion; have McBride and Draper been expelled from the Labour Party yet?

Sally Chatterjee

A new "code of conduct" shows what's wrong with Labour. You don't need rules to know spreading lies about opponents is wrong. It's the same as claiming bathplugs, third homes and porno films on expenses, you don't need rules, you just need judgement.

If even the PM can't spot this, then he's so far out of touch.

I think Brown is a monster but this story is only a footnote of evidence.

I do understand that this story is exposing the creepy ways of Brown, how he operates and the people he mixes with. It's a shame the media couldn't - or wouldn't - explain this to more people before he became PM.

Oscar

Here's how one cabinet minister described Brown's attack dogs at the time of the 2006 coup against Blair:

"These are the type of guys that don't get out of bed in the morning and break wind without first checking with Gordon whether it's okay".

As Andrew writes - this story still has legs.

Mike, Brighton

If a man owns an attack dog and it bites someone, the dog is not to blame it is the owner. Is Mr. Brown big enough to accept error on his part and apologise? No

golfwidow

You've put into words what others are thinking, Andrew, but will your BBC masters be happy to see you off-message? And can we expect to see Draper back on The Daily Politics to set the record straight?

Ruari Cathmoir

"...the way the police chief in "Casablanca" was "shocked" when told there were Nazis in his favourite cafe..."

Quibbling here, but he was shocked to hear that gambling was going on, at which point a croupier handed him his winnings.

Oor Wullie

Brown's letter starts off badly--"Dear Gus". Such familiarity, but that's what Labour have done by politicising the Civil Service. They're all pals together, with no checks and balances.

Alex

Absolutely right - of course Gordon Brown had "plausible deniability" by not being copies on the emails, but he set the ethos. What a pity that, unlike Richard Nixon, he does not tape the conversations in his office.

By the way, the Vichy police chief in Casablanca was "shocked" to find there was gambling in his cafe, just before pocketing his winnings, not Nazis.

Nicholas

Many good points raised all over the place but most unfortunately a "narrative" (forgive me) against New Labour modus operandi is NOT being articulated anywhere. The small arms fire is falling around Brown's position but it is neither aimed nor concentrated.

Every time New Labour break the rules they say the same thing - that the rules need tightening or changing - even where they devised the rules in the first place. There is a narrative here: New Labour don't comply with the rules that already exist so how can there be any confidence they will do so if they are changed? It is fatuous New Labour speak - a soundbite that is intended to achieve a "That's alright then" response from the people to focus attention elsewhere. It is a gift for the Tories and the media but there are no co-ordinated attack lines. The Tories need to characterise New Labour as the "Break The Rules" party, the "Don't do as we do, do as we say" party, and get those soundbites on message and repeated as often as possible.

Likewise, if you should not have to apologise for that for which you are not responsible why did Blair apologise for Slavery and the Irish Famine? If he was apologising on behalf of all British governments, should not Brown apologise on behalf of his?

Puppy dogs snapping at the heels of a lumbering, roaring giant. Where is David with his slingshot?

Percepied

Captain Renault was actually shocked to find there was gambling going on in the cafe, not that nazis were present. Immediately after closing down the cafe for this spurious reason - closing it down at the nazi's insistence -he received his winnings for the night.

Dave the tory

Neil, Mcbride wasn't fired, he resigned, more than 24 hrs after the story broke while no 10 desperately tried to spin it as a little local difficulty. Now Liebour are panicking trying to paint Gorden Brown as this moral being, disgusted by the doings of a minor functionary who no one knew anything about!

Dungeekin

McBride's gone? I feel a song in my heart. Specifically, this one. Enjoy.

A long, long time ago,
I can still remember
That the PM used to trust McBride
But we knew if he had the chance
He'd lead us all a merry dance,
And use the press for spreading spin and lies,

But Easter Weekend saw him bitten,
For all the emails that he'd written,
Every single fake leak
Has left New Labour up shit creek,

I really hope that Draper cried,
When he had to tell us all he'd lied,
And Gordon's hopes of winning died,
The day he sacked McBride.

CHORUS
So bye, bye Mr Poison McBride
We'll be glad to see the back of all your venom and lies,
And now the Press are gonna eat you alive,
So it's bye bye Mister Damian McBride,
Bye bye Mister Damian McBride...

Did you dirty Nadine's name,
And you thought George Osborne's wife fair game,
And did Gordon tell you so?
And with Draper as your public troll,
You dug New Labour in a hole,
And now you'll pay for all the mud you throw. . .

We know Gordon's in this to his chin,
Though he'd promised us an end to spin
Now the PM's ego's bruised,
As he's had to cut his 'Mad Dog' loose,

You're a cowardly, scheming, lying fuck
And now you're caught, and now you're stuck,
And Gordon was shit out of luck
The day he sacked McBride.

CHORUS
The Tories singing,
So bye, bye Mr Poison McBride
We'll be glad to see the back of all your venom and lies,
And now the Press are gonna eat you alive,
So it's bye bye Mister Damian McBride,
Bye bye Mister Damian McBride...

Now for years you've handled Gordon's press,
And spun and lied at his behest,
But thats not how it's going to be.
You took the bit between your teeth,
You even smeared a dad in grief,
Your actions were low beyond belief,

Oh, though while your misdeeds have been found,
The true blame lies with Gordon Brown
With all the mud you've thrown,
The PM must have known,
So while Draper claims it was just a lark,
And the PM swears he was in the dark,
You were the dog he told to bark,
And now, your're sacked McBride,

CHORUS
With bloggers singing,
So bye, bye Mr Poison McBride
We'll be glad to see the back of all your venom and lies,
And now the Press are gonna eat you alive,
So it's bye bye Mister Damian McBride,
Bye bye Mister Damian McBride...

This morning I turned on the news,
And saw something to lift the blues,
That you've been sacked and gone away.
And there's bloggers writing posts galore,
We know that you are gone for sure,
And we hope your brand of spin has had its day,

On Labourlist the lefties scream,
The chance of a fourth term a dream,
The lies McBride has spoken,
have left New Labour broken,
And the bit that I enjoy the most,
Despite his spin and empty boasts,
Is you and Draper are both toast,
Because....you're sacked, McBride.

And we're all singing,
So bye, bye Mr Poison McBride
We'll be glad to see the back of all your venom and lies,
And now the Press are gonna eat you alive,
So it's bye bye Mister Damian McBride,
Bye bye Mister Damian McBride!

Kevyn Bodman

No new Code of Coduct is needed in the McBride case.
The rules are already in place about use of civil service time and skills on non-civil service matters.
There should be a prosecution.

However new rules are needed for MPs' expenses, since the existing rules haven't been broken but have allowed the taxpayer to be ripped off.

Leo McKinstry

Brown cannot evade his responsibility for this vile scandal. The Cabinet's Code of Conduct for Special Advisers states (Clause 4): " The responsibility for the management and conduct of special advisers, including discipline, rests with the Minister who made the appointment." That could not be more clear. Brown's letters of regret and his proposed changes in the code are just a desperate smokescreen.

Verity

I am in accord with what Sally Chatterjee wrote, despite how later posters have answered her.

Second, Brown doesn't have to call an election until next year, by which time this incident will be but a Westminster Village memory - and the voters' minds will be focussed on more current events.

I don't think Brown is one iota more venal, dishonest, ambitious beyond his mental and moral stature and just all round disgusting than Tony Blair.

Ken

@Mike:
"If a man owns an attack dog and it bites someone, the dog is not to blame it is the owner"

...and in a court of law said owner is criminally responsible when his beast(s)injure or kill innocent passersby.

Is there a CPS in the house?

DM

Dungeekin - Wonderful.

johnny come lately

Wrinkled Weasel on his blog has this:-

Gordon Brown tries to shut down the European Parliament.

Credit for this story goes in full to Craig Murray. It is just that I had not seen it, until Daniel Hannan mentioned it in passing and I wonder how many people have. It should certainly see a wider audience.

After Hannan's momentus vivisection of Gordon Brown at the European Parliament, Brown, who, if you remember the viral video, smirked like a schoolboy throughout and doodled on a notepad, was so angry that he immediately ordered his flunkies to make sure it does not happen again.

Murray writes:

staff in the UK Mission to the European Union (UKREP Brussels) were horrified to receive an instruction from the FCO to ensure that the situation when Gordon Brown was obliged to hear a speech against him in the European Parliament from MEP Daniel Hannan, could not happen again...

..my friends in our mission in Brussels consoled themselves that Prime Ministerial pique would die down, and with the G20 summit keeping Brown frenetically busy in London, the whole thing would be forgotten. But no! As they opened their offices at 8am Brussels time this morning, there was a missive from No 10, demanding to know what progress has been made.

Read the piece in full here: http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2009/04/gordon_browns_e.html

Brown and New Labour are doing everything in their power to squash criticism at home and abroad. This is a chilling example of just what Labour are prepared to do to hang on, including shutting down debate in the European Parliament.

Brown is already contemptuous of Parliament and when he does attend PMQs he does not answer questions. My reason for posting this is simple: Brown is already an unelected leader and has no greater mandate than the one given him by the people of Fife. In is disdain for public scrutiny he has a long history of simply not being there when it is inconvenient. Now that he has to be present, as Prime Minister, he has set about making sure that all means are used to neutralise dissent, whether it be from a dirty tricks department or brazen requests to change the processes and procedures of the European Parliament.

john miller

Fired? McBride was fired?

I think he was allowed to resign Mr Neil. So he could take a lump sum with him. And keep his pension intact.

That piffling little detail there, Mr Neil.

The political classes, when caught committing a criminal act, mumble a non-apology drafted by their solicitor so as to contain no remorse whatever. They are then immune from prosecution.

Unsurprisingly, this is an avenue of legal defence not available to the common weal.