Tag Archives: caroline flint

Government rushes out statement in attempt to kill "SpAd smears" story

9:39pm Fri March 4th

On 21 December Tom Watson tabled a written question for Eric Pickles asking “what proportion of [DCLG] expenditure on legal fees was allocated to advice in respect of potential defamation cases”. The question explored the possibility that Pickles’ department sought external legal advice on his special advisers’ smears against the Chair of the Audit Commission. We now have our answer.

Call us cynics, but could the timing of the announcement — which comes after a 73 day wait and apparently breaks conventions on disclosure of legal advice — have anything to do with this weeks headlines?

“David Cameron Rebuked By Gus O’Donnell Over Special Advisers” – PR Week

“David Cameron warned: control your ‘unacceptable’ spin doctors” – The Guardian

While the going rate for such legal work would be in the region of £50,000, a figure we blogged in the New Year, the belated response from DCLG was that “no expenditure has been undertaken on legal fees”. We would run that (carefully phrased) story again based on the quality of the sources. Indeed, the wording of Bob Neill’s statement does not discount the possibility that initial contact was made with defamation lawyers.

Out to bat for the Tories, the Guido Fawkes team would have you believe this stops the whole story in its tracks, that PR Week and interlocutor Caroline Flint have ”egg on their faces” — but neither mentioned the issue of legal fees. Nice try, chaps, but the questions (and headlines) are still mounting up:

1) Who smeared Jenny Watson?
2) What exactly did Eric Pickles know about it?
3) Why hasn’t anyone been disciplined?

Guido can have his £50.

Eric Pickles is (metaphorically at least) on the run.

When will they learn? Defence Review speech is latest victim of telephoto lenses

3:33pm Tue October 19th

11 comments

David Cameron has become at least the fifth senior public figure to have private documents revealed by news photographers since May 2008. The prime minister was photographed holding a copy of his defence review speech which appeared to suggest that the budget has been cut by 6% less than expected. The repetitive nature of the error is such that one wonders whether the “gaffe” was a deliberate ruse to leak a more favourable headline figure. Indeed, snapper Steve Back has warned government press officers:

“I have told Downing Street before that the quality of lenses and digital lenses means that we can read ministerial papers.”

Scrapbook has had a look back through the archives:

Photo gaffe no. 1 (May 2008): Caroline Flint reveals government fears about the housing market. The then minister for housing decided to stroll in front of the press pack with figures projecting that UK house prices could fall “at best” by 5-10%. The note from officials stated grimly ”We can’t know how bad it will get.”

Photo gaffe no. 2 (April 2009): Britain’s most senior couter-terrorism officer decides to share a highly confidential memo with the world’s press. By far the worst error of its kind in the UK, Bob Quick subsequently resigned after the blunder forced police to move forward with an operation prematurely.

Photo gaffe no. 3 (September 2010): The BBC was forced to defend its impartiality after director general Mark Thompson revealed details of a private meeting between a senior Auntie official and Andy Coulson. The note laid bare discussions with Number 10 about a series of programmes on government cuts.

Photo gaffe no. 4 (October 2010): Danny Alexander is caught reading a briefing for the Comprehensive Spending Review including “lines to take” for ministers. The two pages disclosed show the coalition expects 490,000 public sector jobs to be shed by 2014-15.

Photo gaffe no. 5 (October 2010): David Cameron gives us a sneak peak of his Commons address for this afternoon.

Have we missed any other photographic cock-ups?

Let us know in the comments or on Twitter.

Sky reveals top-10 hottest MPs in 'poll of polls'

1:32pm Fri February 12th

26 comments

It must be Friday: Sky have published their top-10 “hottest MPs” based on polling from the previous four years (alas without pictures). Burnham and Flint fly the flag for Labour but the eleven finalists (including tied placed) include six Tories and three Lib Dems.

A former council leader’s description of John Prescott as “divinely sexy” impressed upon Scrapbook that politico crushes are a most subjective matter indeed. Has your favourite MP been missed off or otherwise underappreciated? Whose appearance in a Westminster Hall debate would leave you glued to BBC Parliament way past your bedtime?

Reveal your guilty secrets in the comments!