Tomorrow the News of the World will reveal the sensational details in the shocking email smears sent by Gordon Brown's top aide. The PM's spin-doctor, Damian McBride, and Derek Draper, who heads Labour's internet campaigning, outlined a dirty tricks war of highly personal stories about top Tories.
The plan was far more sophisticated than McBride or Draper have claimed and was close to completion.
Emails seen by the News of the World show McBride and Draper schemed to spread false malicious stories that:
o Opposition leader David Cameron had an embarrassing illness
o Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's wife was "emotionally fragile" just because she appeared upset at parties
o A Tory MP used his position to get publicity for lover’s business
o Involved allegations about female Tory MP Nadine Dorries and another named MP.
In the emails, McBride says: "We've got to keep up the momentum."
I hope to have more during the course of the evening.
Stories had been drafted and pictures selected to run alongside them.
McBride spoke to the Prime Minister this afternoon and formally resigned from his post as senior media strategy adviser.
"Opposition leader David Cameron had an embarrassing illness"
ReplyDeleteHa, ha, ha.
You could not make this stuff up.
It feels like a General Election. C'mon Gorgon stop teasing! Let's have an election.
ReplyDeleteShame that he was allowed to resign - he should have been sacked - but it shows that he still has more self respect than Brown.
ReplyDeleteGuido's site is down. It's started.
ReplyDelete*sound of beer can cracking open and my chair slowly creaking into the recline position*
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be good.
Really good.
Draper was on C4 claiming he doesn't see why he should step down.
ReplyDeleteWhat odds will people give me?
Guido's site is down. May be only temporary, or ...
ReplyDeleteI hope I'm not going over-egging this and I don't know the content of the emails, but in my view there's a real danger for Brown of a leadership challenge momentum here.
ReplyDeleteAfter last year's leadership challenge that never was, here's now another opportunity, when Brown is weak, of some in the cabinet to resign en masse citing 'principle' - 'bringing shame on Labour etc - so not looking treacherous.
PB.com is down too.
ReplyDeleteAssume it is overwhelming interest in this 'blogger spat non-story'
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH
I think perhaps this is our watershed moment.
Isn't it bizarre that there are so many people who want to read about this that it's crashed the two biggest political blogger sites?!
Draper has been 'retired' by Gorgon already, he just doesn't know it yet.
ReplyDeletePoor Derek, you tacitly attacked your leader. Not good! This career is over old chum :) Back to the psychobabble.
Michelle Ryan was good in Dr Who - slow news day?
ReplyDeleteI noticed Guido's site was down? Wonder if it's been sabotaged? I can't wait for tomorrow now! Dolly and Co. are up the preverbial for sure!
ReplyDeleteIain, info on Tom Watson running scared please.
ReplyDeleteIf he emerges from this anything other than a disgraced backbench MP i'll be very disappointed :-(
LoL
ReplyDeleteI just listened to Derek Draper on channel 4 Plus One "I am not lying on purpose"
LO000000OL!!!
The "embarrassing illness" thing is particularly vicious, actually.
ReplyDeleteI reckon the only reason McBride and Draper pulled-out of this sick plan was because of the tragedy that was the death of the Camerons' son.
How inconvenient for the smear machine that must have been.
McBride and Draper have given all the arguments we ever need for not having an elected head of state. Things have come to a pretty pass when people such as these are so close to those people in power.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame that the country did not see the Labour Party for what they really are at the last 3 elections.
Guido is up again. Nothing seems to have changed at first glance. Panic over, I hope. But these are alarming times.
ReplyDelete"...in my view there's a real danger for Brown of a leadership challenge momentum here."
ReplyDeleteThat'd be like a mutiny on board the Titanic as she slid beneath the waves. Who'd be dumb enough to believe they could steer it to victory in a GE?
How do they know he has an embarrasing illness?
ReplyDeleteWhy are they picking on Georges wife?
This is looking like the last defence of Berlin. With Draper as the the youth facing the onslaught. Watson as the general in charge of the last defence. Question is whether Brown will be dragged out of his bunker or resign before he is humiliated in public.
Knob rot's not a laughing matter I can tell you... err...perhaps i've said too much.
ReplyDelete"Shadow Chancellor George Osborne's wife was "emotionally fragile" just because she appeared upset at parties"
ReplyDeleteHAHAHAHA, that really is absurd! Mr Draper's professional opinion perhaps?
"Michelle Ryan was good in Dr Who - slow news day?"
Yeah, pity she's not staying as companion.
Boiling Frog,
ReplyDeleteYou *are* indeed over egging it.
Now the nations attention turns to a man blowing up a hot water bottle, and tomorrow to eating vast amounts of chocolate.
"I noticed Guido's site was down? Wonder if it's been sabotaged?"
ReplyDeleteHe knows too much. In fact he's probably been killed.
Had they not been thankfully caught out, maybe they could have been spun back?
ReplyDeleteOpposition leader David Cameron had an embarrassing illness - get the sympathy vote, the votes of fellow sufferers, lots of press; remember the fictional illness in Absolute Power? Electoral goldmine.
Shadow Chancellor George Osborne’s wife was “emotionally fragile” just because she appeared upset at parties - she’s upset about climate change, poverty and the economy because she cares passionately, lots of votes there.
A Tory MP used his position to get publicity for lover’s business - as part of a commitment to helping small business during the recession?
Involved allegations about female Tory MP Nadine Dorries and another named MP - just deny that one, no publicity is bad publicity?
David T Breaker