Damian McBride weighs in over Brown's 'apology DVD'

Friday, 13th February 2009

Funny what senior Downing St staff find time to do during the biggest economic crisis for 100 years.

Here's a charming text message I received from Damian McBride, former frontline spinner turned backroom strategy man. It doesn't really need much explaining except to say that ME is Mike Ellam, the PM's mild-mannered official spokesman.

Rather disconcerting how yr 'GB orders obama dvd' tale keeps being rehashed as fact elsewhere - despite being utter garbage, as ME told you yesterday. Shouldnt you at least update yr blog with the categoric denial frm No10? - Damian

It's astonishing to me that this piece of relatively uncontroversial information should have disconcerted anyone but so be it. Let's clear this up.

For starters, I didn't say that Gordon ordered an Obama DVD. But it's the oldest political trick in the book to deny a story that was never written.

My original source has gone to ground, presumably for fear of retribution. But I have been able to establish that Downing Street was indeed interested in the media coverage of the Obama apology. If I go any further than this I risk compromising my sources.

The denial of the existence of a compilation DVD is pretty strong so maybe the officials never got round to making it. Maybe they had better things to do.

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Chuck Unsworth

February 13th, 2009 3:55pm Report this comment

Who the hell does McBride think he is? Tell him to sod off. It's your blog - not his. Blogs are not part of the Government spin machine - yet. No doubt they soon will be if the odious McBride has his way.

Hawkeye

February 13th, 2009 4:48pm Report this comment

Nearly PMSL when I read that. You know why you have upset them Martin? By publishing this you have made it almost impossible for Brown to issue the apology.

OK, there was a lot of debate in the blogosphere over whether Brown actually *could* apologise - did he have it in him? Now if he does apologise the DVD incident's ghost will hover over him and the rumour will be that he is merely copying Obama and probably had to have practice runs.

Blair "didn't do" God and Brown "doesn't do" mea culpa.

I do not know how much, if any, sincerity we would have got in the apology, but you have taken the option away

Gordon Musgo

February 13th, 2009 5:46pm Report this comment

Since no 10 seems to care what you write, any chance of calling him out on a few 'brownies'?

Chris

February 13th, 2009 7:26pm Report this comment

You said that "I am told that Whitehall officials have been ordered to make a compilation DVD of Obama's various apologies". In what way does that square with "I didn't say that Brown had ordered an Obama DVD"? Stop flogging this one - it's dead.

David Boothroyd

February 13th, 2009 7:33pm Report this comment

How exactly is it unfair to characterize your story as claiming that Brown ordered an Obama DVD compiled? That was exactly what you reported.

If your source (and I always thought you were supposed to have two independent sources) is no longer standing by the story, oughtn't you to get the compilation made for yourself, and then apologize for reporting something that didn't stand up?