Caroline Flint writes to Gus O'Donnell over source of vicious smears

2:47pm Thu March 3rd
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The Conservatives may be about to lose their second special adviser in five months. With David Cameron receiving a formal dressing down from Cabinet Secretary Gus O’Donnell over negative briefings from Tory aides, Caroline Flint has written to O’Donnell probing the identity of the source of smears from within Eric Pickles’ department:

Reports in PR Week today suggest you wrote to the Prime Minister last year expressing concerns about the briefings and requested that action was taken against those responsible.

I believe this is a very serious allegation and warrants greater transparency, so I would be grateful if you could clarify the following points:

• Have you or DCLG launched any internal investigation into the identity of the source? If not, are there any plans to do so?

• Has any internal disciplinary action been taken against the person or persons responsible for these comments?

In November Eric Pickles said that “the sunlight of openness may be uncomfortable for some”.

It looks like certain SpAds will be needing their factor 50.

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One Comment

  1. Guido Fawkes
    Posted March 3, 2011 at 3:51 pm | Permalink

    Vicious? Calling some useless and a waste of money isn’t vicious, you guys do it all the time.

7 Trackbacks

  1. By Political Scrapbook on March 3, 2011 at 2:47 pm

    EXCLUSIVE –> Caroline Flint writes to Gus O'Donnell on source of vicious smear briefings http://bit.ly/h2uSMJ

  2. By David Singleton on March 3, 2011 at 2:59 pm

    RT @psbook EXCLUSIVE –> Caroline Flint writes to Gus O'Donnell on source of vicious smear briefings http://bit.ly/h2uSMJ

  3. By natpenrose on March 3, 2011 at 4:58 pm

    RT @psbook: EXCLUSIVE –> Caroline Flint writes to Gus O'Donnell on source of vicious smear briefings http://bit.ly/h2uSMJ

  4. By Tom Rafferty on March 4, 2011 at 12:54 am

    More Tory Fail – anonymous briefings ? http://bit.ly/gEwB5o

  5. By paddyhoey on March 4, 2011 at 1:03 am

    RT @twrafferty: More Tory Fail – anonymous briefings ? http://bit.ly/gEwB5o

  6. By Reddies from the Reds - Guy Fawkes' blog on March 4, 2011 at 4:36 pm

    [...] though. The Local Government Chronicle broke the story, PR Week followed it up and rent-a-quote Caroline Flint was even deployed to ask awkward questions. Funny how it was Tom Watson who asked the PQ that was [...]

  7. By Government rushes out statement in attempt to kill “SpAd smears” story | Political Scrapbook on March 4, 2011 at 9:41 pm

    [...] would have you believe this stops the whole story in its tracks, claiming PR Week and interlocutor Caroline Flint have ”egg on their faces” — but neither have mentioned the issue of legal fees. [...]

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