James Forsyth is former political editor of The Spectator.
The New York Times carries a really important piece today on how the Taliban are exploiting social grievances in Pakistan. I would urge all Coffee Housers to read it. Here are the two key sections: “In Swat, accounts from those who have fled now make clear that the Taliban seized control by pushing out about
Charlie Whelan’s column in his local paper is an attempt to divert attention from the actual scandals. He wants us to think that the Tories also indulge in dirty tricks and that the big issue is email hacking. But one line in it is disgraceful and as disgusting as McBride’s original emails: “the gossip contained
From Kevin Maguire’s blog: “I can’t help thinking that if the Prime Minister was going to issue an apology, he should have done so in the “regret” letters to David Cameron et al a few days ago instead of during a visit in Scotland. Either the PM’s reinforced the Government’s problems, created a double-whammy, or
The statement from the CPS explaining why Damian Green and Chris Galley will not be prosecuted shows just what a scandal it was that Green was arrested in the first place and that his Parliamentary office was searched. Here’s the key section: “I have concluded that the information leaked was not secret information or information
There are few things that Brown puts before political advantage but his pride is clearly one of them. How else to explain his refusal to apologise for Damian McBride’s behaviour? As Jonathan Isaby blogged the other day, a sorry from Brown is a pre-requisite for Labour being able to begin to move on from this
The civil service must be impartial and seen to be impartial. So, there should surely be a rule that stops permanent secretaries co-authoring books with SpAds. Sir Gus O’Donnell’s decision to write Microeconomic Reform in Britain: Delivering Opportunities for All (note the highly political title) with Balls and another civil servant, the book has an
The Evening Standard reports this morning that: “Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell appeared unlikely to launch a probe after one of the ministers linked to the affair, Tom Watson, made a statement through solicitors stating categorically he knew nothing about it. Whitehall experts suggested to the Evening Standard that Mr Watson’s denial meant Sir Gus
Alice Miles, who has been a consistent critic of the Brownite way of doing politics has an excellent column in The Times on smeargate. (Although, it is slightly ironic that a column that is so critical of the culture of anonymous briefings has so many blind quotes in it.) One quote in it is the
This story from Steve Richards’ column takes the breath away: ‘On one occasion shortly before a presenter was about to interview a cabinet minister McBride texted him with the message: “Ask him about his drinking problem.” Again even if the attempted assassination of a minister was clever politics – and it was not – for
Rachel Sylvester’s column in The Times tomorrow is a damning indictment of the way that Brown central does politics. This section gives you a flavour of the piece: “Rumours have been spread that James Purnell is gay – something that is totally untrue. Alistair Darling has been reshuffled countless times by unnamed advisers. When the
Another interesting post from Tony Blair’s spin man about what Gordon Brown should do about his cocking up so badly: “So, on doing the right thing, there is the question of Cameron’s call for an apology. There may be politics attached to it, but it is worth asking the question – if a Tory spin
Alan Johnson is busy claiming that “Gordon Brown had nothing to do with this. You apologise for the things you are responsible for”. But the Prime Minister should apologise because McBride was his adviser and the smears arose out of a culture that Brown had either fostered or allowed to develop. As Trevor Kavanagh says
In her Guardian column, Jackie Ashley writes: “[McBride] was regarded as the heart of a Brownite shadow operation, based around a Wednesday afternoon meeting of just five or six people, which spent far too much energy plotting against ministers.” I would hazard a guess that this might be the same meeting that Kevin Maguire described as follows
It is immensely cheering news that the US ship’s captain who was being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia has been rescued by the US Navy. When one considers the resources and firepower the US was prepared to send to the area to free this citizen one can’t help but be reminded of
In a post on LabourList, Derek Draper writes: “So I am sorry. I am particularly sorry to the individuals mentioned in those juvenile emails, and especially sorry to Nadine Dorries, George and Frances Osborne and David and Samantha Cameron. I can understand why they – and others – may be sceptical but all I can
No one can publish the full contents of McBride’s emails because they contain potentially libellous statements. Any newspaper or blog who did would open themselves up to being sued. This, ironically, is working to McBride’s advantage. Having been told what was in the emails, I can tell you that the damage to McBride’s reputation would
From Campbell’s blog this morning: ‘It is not through any attempt at distancing, merely a statement of fact, to say that I barely know Mr McBride. I was vaguely aware of him being around the Treasury when I was in Number 10, and vaguely aware that he was closer to the Charlie Whelan school of
On top of the whole McBride business, this story in the Mail On Sunday’s diary suggests there is yet more damage to come on the expenses front for the government: The prospect of ministerial mayhem when full details of MPs’ expenses receipts are published in the summer may force Gordon Brown to delay the Cabinet
Everyone interested in the McBride story should read the Sunday Times’ account. It offers a revealing look into the mindset of the Brown bunker. One thing the emails show is just how obsessed with George Osborne Labour are. Here’s how McBride thought Osborne could be smeared: ‘McBride goes on to suggest that the website should
Here are some of the early emails exchanged between Damian McBride and Derek Draper about Red Rag (email addresses and phone numbers have been removed). Note who else is copied into the emails: On 13 Jan 2009, at 18:34, “Damian McBride” wrote: Gents A few ideas I’ve been working on for Red Rag. For ease,