Brown speaks out

JohnPage

"distorting the news in a way that was designed to pursue a particular political cause"

Takes one to know one.

Sally Chatterjee

Why didn't he denounce these problems at the time, some of them go back a very long way.

Sorry but as much as I feel sorry for the family as a whole this sounds like classic Brown, harbouring grudges but too cowardly to act unless it's under the cover of others doing the same.

boulay

"there's nothing you can do about it..." er, you were CofEx then PM. surely you could have called for perhaps a Judicial Inquiry? or was that just not important politically then.

2006/2007 son used by NI. status: politically useful for sympathy vote, no complaint.

2011 son used by NI. status: politically useful v tories + revenge, complain.

Dimoto

Cameron had the chance to expose the true extent of Brownite rotteness, and he chose to ignore it.

They haven't gone away you know.
They control the Labour party and their placemen infest the print media and can count on the complicity of the BBC.

As usual, it's Balls who is the master of ceremonies (at least it keeps him quiet).

Cameron is a babe in the wood, when compared to these guys, they will stop at absolutely nothing, any dirty ploy is fair game.

Seriously doubt that the electorate will buy it though.

Jez

"distorting the news in a way that was designed to pursue a particular political cause," among other misdeeds"

Up to this point I have sympathy.

The Guardian and Beeb have a knack of 'distorting the news in a way that was designed to pursue a particular political cause' too.

bigAl

While I have every sympathy for the children of Mr and Mrs Brown the hypocrisy of the bloke is astonishing. He is a proven manipulator of the truth, a party to slagging off others and it takes a decade to come out with this information. How so convenient that all this blows up within a mater of days of a decision on whether to sanction a business agreement the Labour party are against.

Crocodile tears I am sure.........

vulture

Brown and Murdoch are mirror reflections of each other.

Ugly old men with ugly souls who have both left this country a worse place than they found it..

A plague on both their houses.

Simon Templar

Aw come on Tory boys, don't you think all this Guardian bashing stuff is just a wee bit feeble? And the treatment of Brown, and his family, if correct, is despicable.

G Wilson

What politician could have more motivation to chill press coverage of, say, widespread parliamentary expenses abuse?

Watch for Labourites conflating personal intrusion against victims of crime with legitimate investigation into establishment corruption, in pursuit of restricting the freedom of the press.

Holly ......

It is being said that NI are 'leaking' evidence to jeopardize any future court cases.
If this is one of said 'leaks' is Bozo helping NI?

Why didn't Bozo act at the time when in a position to do so?

If the Brown's were so upset why all the parties, sleepovers with RB & Co and, why on earth would Sarah Brown organise RB 40th birthday bash?

I suspect another Smart arse, seemed like a good idea at the time, acts from a Labour bod. For revenge on Gonk Boy for calling Bozo crap in his leadership speech.
This is Baldwin territory.
In who's employ is Baldwin in at present?

Maybe I'm tarring Labour bods with being underhand,vile and, not afraid to stab each other for perceived treachery.
Wonder why?

Tankus

Didn't do anything about it at the time.. eh? ....to busy organising parties perhaps

Nick

Andrew Neil has just tweeted:

"Labour conference 2009. Brown calls Murdoch to stop Sun deserting to Tories. Fails. "I will destroy you," growls Brown, slams down phone."

Trevor

"distorting the news in a way that was designed to pursue a particular political cause" = taking an editorial stance

Nicholas

"Aw come on Tory boys, don't you think all this Guardian bashing stuff is just a wee bit feeble? And the treatment of Brown, and his family, if correct, is despicable."

More feeble or less feeble than the relentless Tory-bashing indulged in by the Guardian, the BBC and the British collective left?

Archibald

The faux shock of politicians is sickening.

They have consistently overestimated the power of an ever-dwindling printed press, blinded by the fact that they've been so obsessed with getting their own message across. This obsession has grown parallel with the growth in PR/spin and the ever expanding power of central offices in the main parties. The politicians have created this situation, and some still can't help reverting to type even with the current media storm.

If this situation is to be resolved, we need to go to the root of the problem - not voting reform, but a decentralization of party power to local level and much looser control over what party members are and aren't allowed to say - a world where honest answers can be given to simple questions. Isn't it ridiculous that many will see this as a pipe dream? Candidates for election should be local people with local interest, and while they may broadly agree on the key policies of a party and have the same ultimate aim, they should be able to disagree and discuss like adults such disagreements. Career politicians parachuted in by central office singing repetitively from the same hymn sheet in order to have the right soundbite picked up should become a thing of the past. Westminster, the mother of all parliaments, has for the last couple of decades acted like a spoilt little child.

As parties have converged closer together on the centre ground (we now even have 'Blue Labour'), with policies often so similar that few of the electorate can tell the difference between them, we've not seen a growth of consensual politics where people discuss what is in the greater good, rather the parties have gone 'spinning' out of control with pathetic slurs and mud slinging and oh-so-obvious and patronizing 'hymns' being sung to a public who have heard enough.

It's time for the mother of all parliaments to grow up.

YouCannotBeSerious!

Remove the blinkers Nicholas.

I remember a previous anti-BBC rant of yours, complaining that the Labour leadership hustings were shown live on Question Time, an example of pro-Labour BBC bias etc etc. Except that the BBC had done exactly the same with the Tory hustings in 2005.

Show me where the BBC and Guardian have tampered with an ongoing police investigation, given false hope to the parents of a kidnapped teenager, or invaded the privacy of war widows, bomb victim families etc.

You are defending the indefensible.

General Zod

Yes, Simon, the Sun's treatment of Gordon and his family was so despicable that Rebekah Brooks was invited to a slumber party at Chequers, Sarah Brown organised her 40th birthday party and the Browns attended her wedding.

Gawain

Tories also remember how Brown and his henchmen used spin, smear and bullying against all their opponents inside and outside the Labour party. In thirteen years in power Labour corrupted and diminished every institution that we have. Cameron's mistake was to copy the Blair/Brown model of media management.

I am getting very bored with this media soap opera. The investigations now need time and space to do their work in silence. Let's wait to see what the court hearings and public enquiries reveal before we pass judgement. Please can we talk about inflation, sovereign debt and the wars we're fighting as these have more impact on my life than any of the News International tittle tattle.

The Laughing Cavalier

It is impossible to feel sorry for this dirtiest of politicians, the man who sanctioned McBride et al to spread scurrilous lies about his opponents. He consorted happily with News International personnel long after these events. It was only after they refused to endorse him for the 2010 election that he decided they were the enemy.

Stephen Byrne

"Distorting the news in a way that was designed to pursue a particular political cause" - so that was absolutely fine when The Sun supported Labour?

chrisg

Usual behavior from "Courage " Brown. Did nothing at the time because he didn't have the guts and was afraid of getting NI offside with leadership/election on the horizon.

Now at what he considers a most opportune time he comes out with his rightful indignation at his treatment. It's already been mentioned that he thinks he might have won the election if this had all aired before polling day.

The fact that he and his wife decided to fraternise with the evil heads of NI well after this says it all. All is politics with Brown, always has been always will be!

Fergus Pickering

Explain to me exactly what happened to Brown that was so despicable. i haven't been able to understand.

English Radical

Why did Sarah Brown help organise Rebekah Brook's 40th birthday party two years AFTER this story appeared?

How many times did Brown subsequently invite Brooks to No 10? Or to Chequers?

Why has he waited until now to go public?

As a parent I feel sorry for the guy, but something about this story just doesn't hang together.

ollie

It's hard to stomach that this story is now being hi-jacked by Gordon Brown. I just can't stomach this crap much longer!! It's "Tears for Piers" all over again.

michael

"Labour conference 2009. Brown calls Murdoch to stop Sun deserting to Tories. Fails. "I will destroy you," growls Brown, slams down phone."

So The Times WAS listening in eh?

dirtbox

So what ? Is this not the same crazy Brown who employed Whelan and his bully boys to destroy his enemies (in and outside the Labour party). I frankly could not give a toss about Brown and his strange wife, they played the game and are in it up to thei eyeballs (or in his case eyeball)

Richard Marriott

When Gordon speaks, truth is the first casualty.

He tried to claim in his interview with the Beeboid that he did not "cosy up to News International".

I am sorry Gordon, but the facts of the case speak otherwise. If NI were out to get Brown in 2000, it was as part of the TBGBs, the civil war in Labour's own ranks!

Fatbloke on tour

PH

When are you going to get the history element into this story?

Papers and the media doing bad things to get a story is not really news is it?

However the story changes when a newspaper group does hard and soft to get the plod on their wavelength.

Hard = they jiggle a bag of beans in a CP styled - I mean who would want their affairs given the tabloid treatment?

Soft = brown envelopes and retirement opinion columns?
Just for the record which plod got the NI gigs?
How far up the tree did the nice little earners reach?

You have to hand it to Monkey Glands and his NI machine, they took the tools of the tabloid trade to a whole new level.

Plod on-side like never before.
Politicians dancing to your tune like never before.
I mean who would ever want to be the new NK?

That then returns me to my main point, politics in a tabloid style - 1992 - and how the same game was played in the run-up to the 2010 election.

1992 - the Tories played every dirty trick in their very large dirty trick playbook. Poor PA ridiculed, sorry destroyed when Sha**er was given a clean bill of health.

No remind me how the PA story got out?
Straight forward villainy.

Consequently when all the hand wringing stops about the press hopefully the focus will turn to what the Tory party is capable off when they have a sniff of power.

And before the usual suspects start venting of steam about "Red Rag" that little exercise was amateur and derivative compared to the Dave the Rave rat f*ck exercise that is "Spunky Spunky".

You have to hand it to the Tory Party, they do have a whole catalogue of loveable rogues willing to do their bit for the cause.

Remind me, whatever did happen to the person who stole PA's papers from his lawyer?

NI today, CP and his Tory reptiles tomorrow.

Tiberius

It is still not possible to predict quite where all this is going, but yesterday evening's Newsnight moved the Met's problem on from officers being bribed to being blackmailed.

ollie

The spectacle of Gordon Brown hawking for public sympathy after the way he conducted HIMSELF in politics is truly, truly shocking.

Is this whole exercise about letting Labour off the hook?

Private Schultz

So, Gordon had evidence of illegal practices being carried out by and/or on behalf of NI hacks over his flat purchase in 2000 (years before ANY of the illegal activities currently under investigation apparently took place). Despite being one of the most powerful people in the country, he did absolutely nothing about it at the time. Just maybe, had he shown a little more courage then, some of the dodgier NI behaviour since might never had happened.

Perhaps not, but even so, far too late to start bleating about his own woes now.

Sir Everard Digby

Let's diffuse the febrile atmosphere a little shall we?

Firstly Mr Hoskin,what evidence to you show in your piece that this is anything to do with medical records? Could someone who knows Brown not have remarked about this to the press perhaps?

Before the responses arrive saying NI have form for this,so does Brown -for lying.

Based on previous,I would give neither the benefit of the doubt.Doesn't get hits for the site though does it?

If indeed he and Sarah were 'incredibly upset,to the point of tears' why wait until
now? Surely any parent would have taken action at the time?

At what point in your piece does Brown say it was gained by illegal methods? Your quote says he does not know -nothing more.

'But there's nothing you can do about it' au contraire-the PM could have taken action either as a parent,or a politician. He did neither. Why?

Still, let's not allow the facts to get in the way of a good story then?

The way you have presented this piece is a good demonstration of the reasons why the media are held in contempt. Lazy journalism pandering to popularity.

Whilst the screeching left might love your piece,the rational amongst look on in despair.

Dimoto

Curious that it took the sleb, idiot savant Jeremy Clarkson, to point out the obvious about the BBC "move to Salford".

Actually, it would be good if the whole shebang moved there, especially the news departments.

The metro crowd would all resign, and the BBC would be cut off from it's over-cosy relationship with the spinners and spivs of Westminster and Fleet St.

But of course, Fatty Pang would never wear it.

RCE

I posted yesterday that it wouldn't surprise me if this is the point when it all starts to backfire on Labour. This particular chapter has more holes than a Swiss cheese.

Jonah Brown strikes again!

RCE

Ollie @ 11:51,

Is that the same Piers that whilst editor of The Mirror published fake photographs of British soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners and went on to become good friends with Gordon Brown?

strapworld

Guido has a very interesting historical perspective on this story.

General Zod is spot on.

I hope The Sun gets back at him big time tomorrow.

Sir Everard Digby

More facts to fan the flames:

The Beeb’s website reported this on 29/11/06 with quotes from Gordon’s spokesperson. The Sun is mentioned but not as having uncovered the story. There is also a Nick Robinson sympathy piece on the same date,posted 2 hours before the story itself.

How does that work -who tipped Robinson off?

The Sun’s piece appeared on 30/11/06. So the information was in the public domain and being discussed by Gordon’s staff before it was a Sun headline.

So Gordon must have made sure the Beeb were briefed before the Sun published anything? How else would his spokesperson be involved?

If he was ‘in tears’ this is a strange manifestation of grief?

Archibald

As further evidence of the bubble politicians have created and need to remove themselves from (like turkeys will vote for Christmas), this whole business doesn't even make it in to the top 10 trending topics on Yahoo. Outrage indeed.

The top topic? Charlotte Church apparently got a knee-trembler from her boyfriend out the back of a charity bash. This is the NOTW audience, they couldn't give a flying whatsit about politics, and the politicians have created a monster having convinced themselves they did.

The most telling footage I've seen, before the end of the NOTW, was a BBC vox pop of public opinion. A respectable middle aged woman, the face of middle England, expressed disgust about the Dowler revelations, as one would. Asked about if she'd stop buying the NOTW, she paused for a bit too long, then said yes, she probably would. It was pretty clear that she didn't mean it. All evidence points to a diminished printed press, but the politicians, so desperate to get their central office mind-numbing propaganda over to a public whose minds are numb to the spin, couldn't see the wood for the trees.

Anyway, let's all get back to being utterly shocked and dismayed, shall we?

Nicholas

John McEnroe squeaks from the top of his moral dung heap: - "You are defending the indefensible."

I'm nor "defending" anything. I'm highlighting the blatent hypocrisy of the collective British Left, that parasitic, debilitating virus infecting the country, although goodness knows not much highlighting is needed it's so bleedin' obvious to anyone with half a brain.

Previous anti-BBC rants of mine are irrelevant to this and for every example of BBC non-leftist bias or pro-Tory bias you might be able to cite there are thousands of examples of pro-Leftist bias. In fact the BBC's pro-leftist bias is legendary, has inspired websites and is even admitted by the BBC themselves, so you take the blinkers off you silly pseud-onym.

(PS I like the way you did that despicably slippery leftist thing of implying that I support the nasty activities of tabloid journalists in order to undermine my post. It demonstrates what complete tossers you all are)

Liz Brown

McBruin thrust his children into the public - and whilst it is inappropriate to have a child's medical records open to public scrutiny, Mcbruin is not without fault himself. I spill no tears

Cameo Parkway Kid

The PM could have taken action either as a parent,or a politician. He did neither. Why?

Hmmm, from what I heard on the radio this dinner, because the NI lied through their back teeth and the Met decided that there was nothing further to answer to. According to the OB heirarchy anyway.

Still, let's not allow the facts to get in the way of a good story then?

The facts are a good story old top - and by continuing to do defend the increasingly indefensible, your lots stock as a huge laughing stock gets higher by the day. And unfortunately for your party, at least 3 roads lead to Cameron. Do not got past Go etc etc

And as for the increasingly shrieking Holly. I'm tarring Labour bods with being underhand,vile and, not afraid to stab each other for perceived treachery.
Wonder why?

Because dear, I imagine working deep in CCHQ you are surrounded by loads of lowlife, scumsucking dog-boilers. Creatures of the night, Freddy Kreuger type people. So therefore, I imagine, you tar everybody with the same brush. By the way, how many hard-drives and USB sticks have you shredded today??

arnoldo87

Yes, This is all very distressing for Brownites and Tories alike.

Doesn't it make you yearn for the halcyon days when we had a true statesman and man of integrity as Prime Minister, who also had a press secretary (Alastair Campbell)who was as clean as a whistle?

pottsy

'Brown in tears'.
Do you know what makes me weep? The car crash of an economy Gordo bequeathed the nation, which my generation and the next will be paying for with our deflated wages and worthless pensions.

Fatbloke on tour

PH

Love the way the Scum / NI are now trying to work the angle that it was a "friend of the family" that provided the story.

Would that be in the same manner that a couple of radio hams provided the PoW / Camilla story?

You know, the journos got the info by nefarious means and then washed the story through a couple of patsies to make it acceptable?

I mean just how far could the concept of "friend of the family" be stretched in the fevered world of tabloid journalism?

Were they given the story or only confirmation after a series of loaded questions?

The bottom line on all this is that the press had no right in running with this story, private tragedy is not something to be made public by intrusive journalism.

All the froth and bile from the usual suspects above, SpeccyLand GIB'bies who know no better cannot take away the fact that the tabloid press in this country led by the NI threesome are a disgrace and need to be brought back into a civilised orbit.

Matthew

But he was ok blubbing in front of Piers Morgan to try and get a few more votes?

So it's ok to use your child to get votes, but not to sell newspapers?

What an awful, awful man.

Nicholas

"All the froth and bile from the usual suspects above, SpeccyLand GIB'bies who know no better cannot take away the fact that the tabloid press in this country led by the NI threesome are a disgrace and need to be brought back into a civilised orbit."

Indeed, and all Fatbloke's froth and bile cannot take away the fact that New Labour were cosily entrenched with the same "scum" and exploiting the relationship for all their political worth for 13 long, miserable, national socialist years.

Phil

I suggest you Look at Guido's column today
Brown may very well have leaked it himself prior to the Sun's publication!
You really cant make this up.

Baron

have said it on another blogg, it fits here, too.

on a purely human level, Brown should seek medical help before he does harm to himself, to those close to him, this is meant seriously, it isn’t supposed to be ironic, his brain must be deficient somewhere, what he’s doing is beyond pathetic, it pains even me and I dislike him as much as I dislike the other B, this, however, may destroy him not only as a politician.

am minded of RCE’s warning that the Left cannot be appeased, has to be destroyed, here, am afraid is a man imploding in front of our eyes, I suspect he may have been persuaded to do it so that he’ll be finished, kaput, no more embarrassment for Labour, abit of public sympathy, clean sheet from then on. Awful.

Archibald

"I've not made any allegations about how it has appeared. I've not made any claims about how it appeared. But the fact is it did appear."

A bizarrely careful choice of words given the situation, are they not, when you look back at what was going on at the time, read what was a very sympathetic story, consider his dealings with NI subsequent to this and read Andrew Neil's views and the very strong refutal from NI.

The judicial inquiry needs to rigorously question politicians and not just focus on the press.

Baron

What did I tell you, Brown getting on the act was the first good news for the Senior, let’s hope the dour Scot keeps at it.

Fatty, you lose weight, talk sense, as the authority on common sense RCE says: Google Translate doesn’t do shite into English, will you please elucidate.

Reed

boulay @ 10:12am
2006/2007 son used by NI. status: politically useful for sympathy vote, no complaint.

2011 son used by NI. status: politically useful v tories + revenge, complain.

...and there you have it. Brown's intervention neatly summed up. No more needs to be said.