Monday, July 20, 2009

McBride Starts Auction for His Diaries

For some unfathomable reason, disgraced Brown spin doctor Damian McBride is launching a rehabilitation campaign today. He's done an extended interview with the Guardian media pages and a pre recorded interview for the 5 Live Victoria Derbyshire programme this morning.

Why?

His reputation is beyond saving. Some may think the only reason for this sudden burst of faux contrition is because he wants to build a career as a media commentator. But that can't be right as it would surely conflict with his new job as business liaison manager for a Finchley school.

In the interview McBride reveals he kept a diary and hints he will publish it. That can be the only reason for this sudden bout of publicity. It's an opportunity to hold out the begging bowl to the Mail on Sunday. Kerching!

57 comments:

simon said...

If anyone was prepared to pay for Alaistair Campbell's diaries then McBride should be innundated with offers. Whose diaries are next for publication? Mengele? Peter Sutcliffe? I'd rather have that tw@'s diaries whose trying to get elected for Labour in Reading when Salter retires. What a complete tw@ he is.

stuart said...

And I fear he may succeed, sadly.

Anonymous said...

The blog appears to suggest that you are concerned, Guido!

Are you?

He will try to get even.
As they say, Revenge is a dish best served cold!

Hope you have good lawyers standing by!!

Doug said...

What's worse is that the BBC are happily allowing him to spout lies and without fear of being brought up on it by the soft touch that is Victoria Derbyshire.

McBride claims that as soon as the e-mails came out Brown said he had to go. But that is not true. They spent the weekend and a Telegraph spoiler trying to swat the story away as high jinx. It took Brown at least 48 hours to do the right thing.

Colin said...

What kind of head teacher, or board of governors would employ this man?

Andrew K said...

Anonymous 8.53 AM. Are you referring to Guido Fawkes or Guido Dale?

Been at the sause already, Mr M**B****?

(WV Pontsi)

strapworld said...

Doug is spot on.

Brown tried, through the Telegraph's political commentator to clean wash the story..

Utterly disgraceful, but what do you expect from the BBC. Fair and unbiased reporting? On yer nelly.

We get told what 'they' want us to know. Just like Climate Change- the BBC never give anyone with an alternative view an opportunity to show that Climate Change is just a government tool to raise taxes and frighten people!

I saw a fairly interesting documentary on BBC4 last evening about fossils (No, not a political programme!)
along the jurassic coast.

Now all those creatures that walked the earth and are now set in stone- did so where the English Channel is. We all are aware that the British Isles where, once, joined to the mainland of Europe.

Was civilisation, as they knew it then, wiped out? when the sea took over the low lands?

Brown needs McBride to continue to keep we plebs under the hammer!

Plenty said...

Is GUIDO on holiday, where's his Monday cartoon?

golden_balls said...

i suppose this contrasts with coulson whose reporters actually broke the law *he denies any knowledge of this ahem* and was given a second chance by cameron.

Anonymous said...

There's no such thing as bad publicity, especially when you might have a book coming out soon...

Richard Abbot said...

Excellent news, for it keeps the story going, and reminds everyone what an absolute bunch of idiots New Labour are.

Trend Shed said...

I have an outstanding FOI request on the subject of Damian McBride.

I was due a response on 28th May.

I asked to see any written correspondance from Gus O'Donnell concerning the complaint John major made against McBride's behaviour.

Given I've had no response, despite chasing multiple times, I'm starting to think the government are trying to hide something fishy.

Not a sheep said...

Victoria Derbyshire and Damian McBride - vile and viler.

James Higham said...

I shan't buy.

Alex said...

Sure he kept a meticulous diary, and when he has filled in all the dates for the last 5 years he will let us know.

In the meantime, if any lefty think tank has a job for an out of work spin doctor with a spiteful turn of mind you know who to contact.

Alex said...

Anonymous said...
"The blog appears to suggest that you are concerned, Guido!

Are you?"

Guido? Wrong blog, mate. Do you know where you are, or do you want some help finding your way home?

happyuk said...

The BBC and others that associate with him are like dogs that keep returning to their vomit.

It seems he is taking Guido's advice by publishing smear 'n tell memoirs.

That is the only way he will make any money and maintain the lifestyle to which he is accustomed.

Any sane employer would be asking themselves "do I really want this backstabbing shit on my payroll?".

Glyn H said...

The clip on Today was hilarious. Suddenly he is claiming to be ashamed of doing what he has spent the last 12 years adoing, and that Brown ws speechless! As classic a bit of doublespeak as I can recall.

Tom said...

The interview is so full of complete bollocks we already know to be untrue, I can't imagine why anyone would want to pay to read his diaries, which presumably constitute of more of the same. Well, maybe Gordon Brown, if he wants to continue believing his own delusions.

Anonymous said...

Maybe ZaNu Labour are preparing the way for him to return to the inner circle of McBroon's advisors. If Manglebum can do it, why can't McDisaster.

Catosays said...

On BBC Breakfast, McPoison claimed that Jonah was furious when he found out. I'll bet he was. Furious at having been found out more like!

Anonymous said...

Campbells diaries were heacvily doctored to exonerate blair and if I remember rightly went soft on Brown as well.

So McBride's will just be a whitewash.

I suppose that Derbyshire's questions made no mention of the fact that Brown would have had to be a mental inebriate not to have known what McBride was up to?

Oh ... hang on a minute ....

Unsworth said...

Begging bowl, yes, but - as always - a slight touch of the old unspoken blackmail from McBride.

What we're seeing here is his attempt to ingratiate, rehabilitate, and rewrite history.
I'm not impressed by McBride. At best he's remarkably stupid and at worst he's a lying scumbag. Either way he's got zero integrity. Does anyone actually trust him (except to be a complete McBride, of course)?

Anonymous said...

Would be interesting to see what predominate's more in the diary:

McBride's long standing feud with Guido, or if he's out for revenge on Labour and wants some payback.

May the best bidder win!

Anonymous said...

I find it hard to believe McBride had a job regarding PR and media. Now having heard him on Rfive, he is a PR disaster. He defense of McDoom was so bad the tories should pay his wages to work for ZaNULab. What a DISASTER!

Oldrightie said...

Should he publish a diary it may well be listed for a Booker Prize under fiction.

Dick le Prick said...

20p - need a new door stop - been using a Le Carre which is pretty bad form as it's brilliant.

Anonymous said...

But Iain, I suppose he has expressed some regret for his smearing. Whereas you've expressed none for your smearing against Watson.

Anonymous said...

did you expect him to disappear into the nearest monastery?

you know politics is dirty and we aint even in the GE campaign yet. Wait till it starts, the excrement will fly then

Iain Dale said...

Anonymous 11.32. Nice smear of your own there. I apologised to Tom Watson at the time. Get your facts straight.

Cynic said...

I assume the Cabinet Secretary will be taking immediate action to stop this as McBride was a paid Civil Servant at the time in question and therefore subject to a duty of confidentiality.

Should someone write and ask him what the rules are?

Inthebrownstuff said...

Just vread the interview and he is trying the same from a strict religous guff as our dear leader son of the manse. A self-serving creep who richly deserves oblivion.

Anonymous said...

Strapworld

Is this a joke? What civilization do you think there was in the Jurassic (c300 million years ago?)

Certainly the early human occupation of Britian shows that there were as many as 6 unsuccessful attempts to colonize, each one eventually driven back by climate change. It is worth noting that all of the achievements of human civilization as we know it have been since the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago, since when we have had relative climatic stability. We tinker with that at our peril.

strapworld said...

anonymous 12:22pm. I am afraid people like you should do far more research. You should open your mind and consider that the earth is constantly changing.

You should read about the really big issue that gripped the world, just like this nonsense, EUGENICS! All political leaders subscribed to it, but eventually it was proved to be...rubbish.

The man who started the Gaia Theory does not believe in this nonsense, so I will bow to his far greater knowledge than mine and most probably yours.

It is far better, these days to be sceptical, especially with lying toads masquerading as politicians, where scientists will tow the line that governments, who pay them, wish them to go and anyone who may speak up is, as you suggest I am,
mad!!

What a complete fool you will feel in a few years time when it is realised that is was just a scam!

Me? I will enjoy life to the full, watching the sun rise and fall, the winds blow and seasons come and go. The birds have not changed their way of life and everything is going on as it did over sixty years ago when I was a kid!

Strange that!

Was Atlantis the victim of Global Warming? Discuss!

Lee H said...

Bit of spite in the responses today. If one man could get this much bile out of one blog, McBride is your man.
Polarises opinion as much as his current boss, good old Gordon Brown. Unpaid now of course. More for the love and the honour than the money. Good to see the BBC and the Guardian giving him lots of press. Good to know who your friends are.

Lee H said...

More importantly however, I think we have just won the cricket...at Lords. History time now...1934. Only 3 tests left to lose.....

Penfold said...

If the diaries were unredacted, then they could be quite revealing, might even implicate others in SmearGate.

BUT, having said that, it somehow sticks in the craw that McBride might seek to profit from his appalling behaviour.
Somehow this seems to be the way in politics.
Scum always floats to the surface.

Dave H said...

Forget what he's doing now, worry about what he'll start doing when his looks have gone.

Anonymous said...

Campbell's alleged diaries and their serialization were simply a lucrative exercise. Who, in their right mind, would believe the man who likes to be known as the 'master of spin' ?

McBride's 'diaries' .... is the auction/publication taxpayer funded?

Jimmy said...

Perhaps he's waiting for Coulson's job to open up.

Cynic said...

Can we assume Nadine will now hit him with a disclosure order. It should be interesting to see what he has and if he kept a record, who authorised what.

Dick du Prick said...

@Lee H - get in!

Anonymous said...

I would have thought that Damian McBride's collection of empties was worth more than his diaries

Anonymous said...

"Perhaps he's waiting for Coulson's job to open up."

Cameron does believe in giving people second chances after all.

Anonymous said...

Code of Conduct for special advisers:

25. Civil servants, including special advisers, must not publish or broadcast personal memoirs reflecting their experience in Government, or enter into commitments to do so, while in Crown employment. The permission of the Head of their Department and the Cabinet Secretary must be sought before entering into a contractual commitment to publish such memoirs after leaving the Service. They must submit any manuscripts for comment to the Cabinet Secretary in good time in advance of publication. Detailed rules are set out in Section 4.2 of the Civil Service Management Code.


Civil Service Management Code:

4.2.7 Civil servants must not publish or broadcast personal memoirs reflecting their experience in Government, or enter into commitments to do so, whilst in Crown employment. The permission of the Head of their Department and the Head of the Home Civil Service must be sought before entering into a contractual commitment to publish such memoirs after leaving the service. 

4.2.8 Proposed memoirs should be submitted in good time before any proposed publication date.   In reviewing information for publication, the Head of Department and the Head of the Home Civil Service will have regard to whether the information could cause damage to international relations; national security or to the confidential relationships between Ministers, and between Ministers and civil servants.   

Anonymous said...

Strapworld

Where do I start? I should do my research? Really? Firstly, you have not said just what civilization you do think was around during the Jurassic

Secondly you make the curious leap of logic that because some governments in the 20s and 30s pursued policies that were unscientific that this will always be the case for evermore. Why?

Thirdly, for someone who berates others to do their research you can't even be bothered to look up the name of the man who developed the Gaia theory (Lovelock, to save you the trouble; widely regarded as bordering on the lunatic fringe by the scientific community)

Fourthly, it is "toe the line" not "tow the line"

Fifth, all scientists are paid by Governments? really? Even the ones employed by universities?, working for businesses? working for research foundations?

Sixth: "The birds have not changed their way of life and everythings is going on as it did sixty years ago. " Well I am sorry to say birds have changed their way of life. Heard a lark recently? or a cuckoo?

Seventh: I sort of assume the Atlantis reference is tongue in cheek; but given the barking nature of the rest of your comment, perhaps you do believe in it. I expect your great down the pub when conversation gets round to the moon landings and Elvis Presley.

Anonymous said...

don't think McBride said he'd kept a diary of the whole time, just since the week or so after he quit.
Doubt that would be worth too much....

Anonymous said...

Iain Dale @ 11.41 - and yet many of us will recall your immediate and printed reaction to the courts judgement in the case of your libelous article, and the sudden and inexplicable disappearance of that comment.

I think you'll agree (well, will find it hard to deny) that it demonstrated exactly how 'sorry' you really were.

Unsworth said...

@ Anonymous 5:26 PM

Define 'sorry'.

Anonymous said...

Unsworth @ 8.37. It is what Iain Dale is not.

Iain Dale said...

Anonymous 5.26, I don't know why I don't just delete you. I never made any comment about that so I could never have deleted it. You are just a coward who hides behind anonymity.

Anonymous said...

Iain Dale @ 9.09pm.

Gosh. Are you actually saying you didn't post anything in the comments section of this blog on the day the libel award was made, which you subsequently deleted?

Iain Dale said...

I have no idea if I wrote anything in the comments. I assumed you were talking about a blog post. Feel free to enlighten us. It obviously meant so much to you that you must have kept a copy. Or are you all talk?

Anonymous said...

Given that it was your 'assumptions' that got you into so much trouble in the first place, I would have hoped you had mended your ways by now. Clearly not.

I'll leave you to have the last word, I know you'll enjoy that. I wonder if it will be 'sorry'?

Iain Dale said...

As i said, all talk, no trousers

Someone else said...

Is this the same anonymous who seems unaware of what blog he is posting to? Hell. McBride would never allow the Rabid Rebuttal Eunuch -so sorry!- Unit, to get so sloppy.

c.e.w. said...

For some unfathomable reason, disgraced Brown spin doctor Damian McBride is launching a rehabilitation campaign today. He's done an extended interview with the Guardian media pages and a pre recorded interview for the 5 Live Victoria Derbyshire programme this morning.

Why?


Is it too cynical to suggest that McBride chose today to distract political media attention away from Purnell's Open Left project launch and the re-emergence of stories/gossip about his resignation last month?