another labour scandal
Posted: Sun Apr 12, 2009 9:13 am
Gordon Brown aide Damian McBride resigns over 'smear campaign' emails
One of Gordon Brown's closest lieutenants has been forced to resign over emails he sent making lurid allegations about David Cameron.
Mr McBride was forced to go despite apologising for the 'juvenile and inappropriate'
The emails were sent by Mr McBride from his high security Downing Street account to Derek Draper Photo: PA
The Prime Minister had been besieged by a growing political row over the actions of Damian McBride, a Downing Street adviser, who sent emails to another prominent Labour figure making unfounded claims about the private lives of a number of senior Conservatives.
Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, led calls for Mr McBride to be dismissed and said he had brought shame to the Labour Party by planning a potential smear campaign against Mr Cameron.
Damian McBride: Gordon Brown's enforcer who left a trail of 'poison'And on Saturday Downing Street issued a statement saying that Mr McBride had resigned.
Mr McBride was forced to go despite apologising for the "juvenile and inappropriate" comments and insisting that no one else at Number Ten had been involved. But the row showed little signs of abating as details began emerging of the content of the emails.
They were sent by Mr McBride from his high security Downing Street account to Derek Draper, a former Labour spin doctor who runs a left wing website and made a number of innuendo laden suggestions about the personal lives of Tory MPs including Mr Cameron and George Osborne, the shadow chancellor.
The emails were obtained by the Tory blogger Paul Staines, who runs an internet site called Guido Fawkes, and had been touted to newspapers including The Daily Telegraph, which declined to purchase them.
However a number of other newspapers were preparing to publish them on Sunday.
As the row threatened to engulf the Government, Mr Clarke said: "Damian McBride has no place in 10 Downing Street. His actions bring shame to the Labour party and he should be dismissed immediately."
The Tories accused Downing Street of engaging in the "politics of the gutter".
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: "If this is symptomatic of the culture of Downing Street under Gordon Brown's leadership it is a disgrace.
"What on earth are Gordon Brown's team doing indulging in the politics of the gutter when they should be sorting out the very real problems of the country.
"We need an urgent explanation from the Prime Minister about what has happened and what he is going to do about it."
Privately Tory officials are said to be concerned about the contents of the emails and some Conservative MPs named in them have taken legal advice.
Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire, said: "I know what is in the email about me and it is 100% untrue and slanderous.
"I want an apology from Gordon Brown because one of his civil servants paid for by taxpayers money has been trying to destroy me.
"How low can Downing Street stoop? How desperate are they to cling on to power? They say it's a bit of a joke but it is taxpayer's money and my career and my reputation are not a joke either."
One of Gordon Brown's closest lieutenants has been forced to resign over emails he sent making lurid allegations about David Cameron.
Mr McBride was forced to go despite apologising for the 'juvenile and inappropriate'
The emails were sent by Mr McBride from his high security Downing Street account to Derek Draper Photo: PA
The Prime Minister had been besieged by a growing political row over the actions of Damian McBride, a Downing Street adviser, who sent emails to another prominent Labour figure making unfounded claims about the private lives of a number of senior Conservatives.
Charles Clarke, the former Home Secretary, led calls for Mr McBride to be dismissed and said he had brought shame to the Labour Party by planning a potential smear campaign against Mr Cameron.
Damian McBride: Gordon Brown's enforcer who left a trail of 'poison'And on Saturday Downing Street issued a statement saying that Mr McBride had resigned.
Mr McBride was forced to go despite apologising for the "juvenile and inappropriate" comments and insisting that no one else at Number Ten had been involved. But the row showed little signs of abating as details began emerging of the content of the emails.
They were sent by Mr McBride from his high security Downing Street account to Derek Draper, a former Labour spin doctor who runs a left wing website and made a number of innuendo laden suggestions about the personal lives of Tory MPs including Mr Cameron and George Osborne, the shadow chancellor.
The emails were obtained by the Tory blogger Paul Staines, who runs an internet site called Guido Fawkes, and had been touted to newspapers including The Daily Telegraph, which declined to purchase them.
However a number of other newspapers were preparing to publish them on Sunday.
As the row threatened to engulf the Government, Mr Clarke said: "Damian McBride has no place in 10 Downing Street. His actions bring shame to the Labour party and he should be dismissed immediately."
The Tories accused Downing Street of engaging in the "politics of the gutter".
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling said: "If this is symptomatic of the culture of Downing Street under Gordon Brown's leadership it is a disgrace.
"What on earth are Gordon Brown's team doing indulging in the politics of the gutter when they should be sorting out the very real problems of the country.
"We need an urgent explanation from the Prime Minister about what has happened and what he is going to do about it."
Privately Tory officials are said to be concerned about the contents of the emails and some Conservative MPs named in them have taken legal advice.
Nadine Dorries, MP for Mid Bedfordshire, said: "I know what is in the email about me and it is 100% untrue and slanderous.
"I want an apology from Gordon Brown because one of his civil servants paid for by taxpayers money has been trying to destroy me.
"How low can Downing Street stoop? How desperate are they to cling on to power? They say it's a bit of a joke but it is taxpayer's money and my career and my reputation are not a joke either."