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| No 10 official quits over e-mails | |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| One of Gordon Brown's senior officials has resigned after sending e-mails which reportedly discussed smearing senior Conservatives. | |
| Damian McBride, the prime minister's former political press officer, had apologised after the messages found their way to a Westminster blogger. | |
| Paul Staines, writer of the Guido Fawkes blog, described the messages sent by Mr McBride as "obscene". | |
| A Number 10 spokesman said the messages were "juvenile and inappropriate". | A Number 10 spokesman said the messages were "juvenile and inappropriate". |
| The e-mails are said to have included allegations about Conservative leader David Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne. | |
| A Downing Street spokesman said it was Mr Brown's view that there was "no place in politics for the dissemination or publication of material of this kind". | |
| The Tories said it was absurd that advisers were "plotting smear campaigns rather than focusing on how to help people affected by the downturn". | |
| The e-mails were originally sent to former government spin doctor Derek Draper, who runs a pro-Labour blog, before they came to the attention of Mr Staines. | |
| Mr Draper branded the idea of an orchestrated Downing Street campaign as "ridiculous". |