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| Brown 'sorry' over e-mail slurs | Brown 'sorry' over e-mail slurs |
| (11 minutes later) | |
| Prime Minister Gordon Brown has apologised over e-mails sent by his former aide Damian McBride. | Prime Minister Gordon Brown has apologised over e-mails sent by his former aide Damian McBride. |
| Speaking on a visit Glasgow, Mr Brown said he was "sorry about what happened" and took "full responsibility". | |
| Mr McBride quit after making unfounded personal smears about senior Conservatives in e-mails sent to Derek Draper, who was a Labour Party adviser. | |
| Mr McBride's actions were a "clear and serious breach" of Whitehall rules, the head of the civil service has said. | Mr McBride's actions were a "clear and serious breach" of Whitehall rules, the head of the civil service has said. |
| Mr Brown has sent handwritten letters to the politicians smeared in the e-mails, expressing his regret for what had happened and telling them that the rules for political special advisers would be toughened up. | |
| But the move failed to quell the anger among senior Conservatives, who stepped up calls for a public apology. | |
| Making a fresh attempt to close down the row, Mr Brown said: "I've said all along that when I saw this I was horrified, I was saddened and I was very angry." | |
| It was important to "reassure people that everything is being done to clean up politics in our country". | |
| The prime minister added: "I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person responsible went immediately." |