Smeargate shows how corrupted the Brownite moral compass is

JohnAnt

"make sure that no member of the Brown circle succeeds Brown as leader of the Labour party."
The best way to ensure that, James, is to guarantee that the Labour Party is utterly destroyed as a political force at the next elections - of which there's more than a good chance, after the past few days. Labour (old or new) only exists as a tribal tom-tom for the unions and LAs, the NHS and the Teechers, and fewer and fewer can afford to support its ruinous economic policies. It is irrelevant to the lives of all except the deadest dead-beats. Time for a rethink. It must be possible for the progressive left to found a clean-start, creatively forward thinking socialist party, not the milksop middling muddling mush that Blair n' Mandelson tacked together.
That would be a start.
Then the voters could thrash them in the next polls but one. That'd be even better.

Nick

And yet Ed Milliband was on the Radio 4 PM program, C4 evening news and Newsnight yesterday denying totally that Gordon Brown operated in this vicious smearing way.

Does he really think we are stupid enough not to realise that the evidence from so many Labour insiders, over so many years, points to the fact that Brown operates in a systematically dishonourable and nasty manner.

As an aside why is it that when his integrity is called into question Brown doesn't do the decent thing and face the cameras himself but sends junior members of his Cabinet to meet the onslaught ?

AndyLeeds

Why not just let them carry on ? The public are sick of the lot of them and there is a good chance that they will end up destroying the Labour Party. If that happens they will have done us all a huge favour, Brown is no different than many in the Labour Party and on the Left in general: he hates those who oppose or disagree with him. His mind is that of a totalitarian dictator and he has no place in democratic politics. That has always been his problem and frankly ours.

strapworld

But, at least Ms Miles admits the errors of her way, in accepting these lies!

It would be nice if all journalists resolved NEVER to listen to these liars again.

The Laughing Cavalier

The first thought that occurs is why on earth did Ms Miles and all the other "brave" journos not complain earlier? The second is what a brilliant thing it would be if Balls did become Labour Leader. His judgement is appalling, his personal appearance unsuited to TV, his voice unsuited to radio and he is an all round poor media performer. He would be a gift to the Conservative Party, the Michael Foot de nos jours.

Michael Booth

Mmmmmmmm not sure you are right about the 'teechers' - the ones working in the inner city comps might well be labour supporters and Union fodder but most of the ones working in primaries are not... Tories to a woman in fact.

Short the UK

The Daily Telegraph has been a disgrace during Smeargate.

Why is no one writing about Mr Brown's psychopathic tendencies? It is as clear as the sun shines. Would one journalist speak with a shrink and do a serious piece on the man's illness!!!

Faux Cul

That is interesting, the Praetorian Guard are going to be the deciding factor in choosing the next leader.

Has no one read I Claudius?

Sally Chatterjee

It's for Labour Party members to fix. This is a movement the started from the ground upwards, now it is controlled from the top down. Until the Party membership revert to their traditional ways, they will suffer from infighting and leave room for the ogres and bullies who dominate the senior ranks.

Moraymint

It's difficult to avoid wondering if these people really do hold values and beliefs that are not too far removed from the everday workings of the mafia?

And to think, we're letting them run (ruin?) the country. Small wonder this nation is in such an economic, social and political mess if the guys at the top spend so much time and money trying to stuff each other.

Who's going to clear up this mess, and how? The Tories don't exactly fill me with confidence.

Tim Carpenter LPUK

I am surprised it has taken people so long. Gordon Brown's Moral Compass was demagnetised years ago.

The whole cabinet, too.

This story is really about that. The emails are just an outcome, a consequence.

Maguire has already got his "Ceauşescu Moment". How long before Gordon and his Cabinet get theirs?

Stepney

In her article Ms Miles points out "There has long been a “dirty tricks” cabal around Mr Brown that any Westminster journalist or minister could name – Ian Austin, Tom Watson, Ed Balls, Mr McBride and, formerly, Charlie Whelan"

Could this possibly be the same Ed Balls who's just spoken on on Radio 4 on Radio 4 to reveal this astonishing Damascene conversion to purity and truth?

Mr Balls described Damian McBride's smear emails as “vile, horrible, despicable", and said such politics needs to be stamped out.
He described the smear emails as, “vile, horrible, despicable. There’s no place in politics for that kind of stuff. I can’t explain or excuse this. We all need to work to raise standards and stamp this out."

I can only think there must be two Balls.

John Page

I commented on The Times site criticising her - which is not what they want, of course.

She still doesn't get it. She writes that We knew what he was up to, and we knew that he was being paid more than £100,000 a year of public money to do it – and we did nothing to stop it.

It's not up to the fourth estate to "stop" that stuff. It's up to them to do what they're paid for - to report it.

David Ossitt

James;
would there be any milage in reporting the exact opposite of what they say as fact?

Probably you will then be telling the truth most of the time!

Austin Barry

The Bard is wrong: there is an art to find the mind's construction in the face: and Brown's visage these days is frightening. It reflects the corruption, venality and decadence of his squalid government. He has become the portrait in the attic.

Forlornehope

Draper is quoted in the Times today as stating that he did not discuss web sites with Brown over lunch. One wonders what else the two of them would be discussing. Of course, Brown may have been enquiring about Draper's services as a clinical psychologist.

James

Problem for Labour is that if one of Brown's guys doesn't get the leadership they will work on destabilising the person who does.

For the good of the Labour party it is better that Balls gets it, reveals himself to be as rubbish as his boss and takes the Brownite wing of the party with him into oblivion.

For the Tories - it is win win - either Balls gets it and is rubbish or a Blairite gets it and faces the bitter infighting from the Brown bully boys.

Chuck Unsworth

Define the membership of the Brown Circle - and define 'they'.

It's about time some clear lines were drawn.

The Preston Park Panther

Excellent description of the Blair'n'Mandelson party, JohnAnt, except you left out the word 'meddling' from your list. Or maybe that was always primarily McBroon's department.

The Laughing Cavalier

The first thought that occurs is why on earth did Ms Miles and all the other "brave" journos not complain earlier? During the past 12 years they have been complicit in this sleaze. The second is what a brilliant thing it would be if Balls did become Labour Leader. His judgement is appalling, his personal appearance unsuited to TV, his voice unsuited to radio and he is an all round poor media performer. He would be a gift to the Conservative Party, the Michael Foot de nos jours.

Oscar

Excellent article from Alice Miles. Isn't it peculiar how so much of the McBride school of smearing centres on emotional instability, incipient depression and breakdown? It really does make you wonder about their own mental health. It seems to prey on their minds like some projected apprehension of their own sickness.

WH

"it is slightly ironic that a column that is so critical of the culture of anonymous briefings has so many blind quotes in it."

I left a (polite) comment under the article saying as much, but it didn't make it through the Times censors. What does that tell you?

Susan Hill

One of the worst things Labour has done in 12 years has been to destroy the faith and trust of the general public in ALL politicians. They no longer believe them, trust them, care for or about them or think any of them are worth the time of day, let alone voting for. So people will not bother to vote - this is precisely the way democracy is eroded. This more than anything Labour has brought about by its money-wasting, patronising, lying, deceiving, expenses-fiddling, self-serving, greedy, stupid, politically correct years of power. When I talk to people - and virtually all my friends and acquaintances have nothing whatsoever to do with politics in any form - they are totally cynical about the whole lot, believe they have only their own interests at heart and I can tell you that most people`s agendas for the future do not coincide with those of the politicians at any point. To have destroyed the faith of a nation in parliamentary democracy is beyond despicable.

Andy Carpark

Balls also delivered his speech at Conference with all three buttons of his jacket done up.

He is so bereft of social poise he makes his baleful mentor look like Lord Chesterfield.

Publius

I see that Guido's site has gone down. His latest post blaming the gutless Lobby journalists ends with:

"You knew and did nothing, you failed your readers, you failed the truth. Hang your heads in shame."

Bravo Guido!

PS. He singles out Mr Nelson as a noble exception to the pusillanimous pack. So bravo Mr Nelson too!