McBride,the return

According to the FT's Westminster blog,Damien McBride will return

Don’t be surprised if he pops up again before long; not necessarily in politics but maybe working in the corporate world. “Disgrace” is a subjective state of being. Other figures once consigned to the wilderness have returned to the frontline; Mandelson, Whelan and Draper being the most obvious ones. Public relations is not always a pretty business: it is often downright nasty. Someone, somewhere, will value McBride’s “skills”.

These are smears we should be wary of

The papers are full of more allegations of involvement in email smears.

But may be we should be paying attention to more serious allegations in the News of the World concerning the BNP.

The paper claims it has uncovered plans to smear Labour and the Tories in June Euro elections.

According to the report

The Activists' & Organisers' Handbook tells them to:

* USE internet blogs to put out damaging stories about rivals.
* NEVER advocate violence in emails-in case they are leaked.
* ENSURE supporters wear hats over their skinhead haircuts when out campaigning.

Now these are smears we should be wary of

This is the final word on Smeargate-promise

Ht-Recess Monkey

Why Brown attacks the toffs

There is an interesting take on Smeargate over at Three Line Whip.

Iain Martin looks deeper into the background and concludes that it starts from a class war deeply embedded in the Brown character concerning class.

When Brwon entered office he believed that he would win the battle with Cameron simply on the basis that inexperience and weakness would soon crumble.

When that didn't happen he resorted to Plan B

That was to get personal - a style of operation they were very familiar with from their years of war with the Blairites.
Isn't it the case, some of them thought, that Cameron and Osborne are out of touch 'toffs'? In its crudest form this attack line failed in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, but that did not put the Brownites off. The toff assault had been too crude - it would need to be refined and communicated less directly.

The irony is he continues

one day the toff charge will be very powerful when used by Labour against the Cameron Tories.
If they are in power making unpopular decisions, overseeing cuts in public spending, and it goes badly, it will be said that they don't understand the concerns of their fellow Britons. 'Them and their posh mates, they're ok'.

Smeargate rumbles on

So Smeargate continues as Tom Watson issues a statement through his lawyers announcing that he is considering action against the Mail on Sunday over Iain Dale's article.

This from Messrs Carter-Ruck

We have today been instructed by government minister Tom Watson, MP for West Bromwich, in connection with allegations concerning him and the emails exchanged between Damian McBride and Derek Draper relating to a proposed website entitled 'Red Rag'. We have today written to the editors of the Mail on Sunday and the Daily Mail to complain about the publication of the false allegation that our client had knowledge of, and participated in, Mr McBride's actions. We have made it clear that our client has confirmed to us that he was not copied in on any of the emails exchanged between Mr McBride and Mr Draper, nor was he aware of them or their content until their existence was first drawn to the attention of Downing Street by national newspapers, on Friday April 10. He still has not seen them. We have further made it clear that our client had no involvement in or knowledge of the 'Red Rag' website."