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Ed Miliband does not tolerate 'backstabbing', insist Labour colleagues Douglas Alexander accused of 'divisive' leak by former spin doctor
(about 5 hours later)
Senior Labour figures have insisted there is no more "backstabbing" under Ed Miliband, as their leader was forced to start the party's conference by denying any role in the "macho" and "reprehensible" smear campaigns of Damian McBride. Douglas Alexander has been accused of "destructive and divisive" leaks by former spin doctor Damian McBride, whose revelations about the Gordon Brown era have cast a shadow over the first day of the Labour party conference in Brighton.
Miliband's colleagues insisted the Labour party has changed after McBride published extracts of a book revealing his own dirty tricks under the government of Gordon Brown. Alexander, the shadow foreign secretary, found himself dragged into the row after he criticised McBride for publishing his memoirs. The MP told the conference McBride's confessions about smear tactics and dirty tricks while working for Brown were "destructive" and "deeply damaging to our party". He added: "I and others paid a price for opposing that style of politics at the time."
The political memoir – serialised in the Daily Mail – has cast a shadow over the start of the Labour conference, with Miliband and senior members of his team forced to deny they ever joined in McBride's smear campaigns. Within minutes, McBride hit back on Twitter – saying Alexander had "some brass neck" for criticising him, suggesting he had leaked a humiliating story about Brown. "How does Douglas feel about the destructive & divisive tale about GB's [Gordon Brown] desperation to secure a 1:1 meet with Obama in Sep 09?" he wrote.
The row threatened to undermine Ed Miliband's claims that the Labour party has changed after McBride published extracts of a book expressing regret for his past behaviour. Miliband was forced to start the party's conference by denying any role in the "macho" and "reprehensible" smear campaigns of McBride, whose book is being serialised in the Daily Mail.
As the conference got under way, the Labour leader said he had been aware of McBride's reputation for briefing against colleagues and tried to get him sacked when they both worked for Brown.As the conference got under way, the Labour leader said he had been aware of McBride's reputation for briefing against colleagues and tried to get him sacked when they both worked for Brown.
Miliband told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he had never been part of the "macho" group around Brown. Miliband told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he had never been part of the "macho" group around Brown. "I'm not sure I've ever been accused of being macho. I think that is a first. I will take that away. I think there are definitely lessons to be learned from the past."
"I'm not sure I've ever been accused of being macho. I think that is a first. I will take that away. I think there are definitely lessons to be learned from the past." Asked by Marr if he had advised Brown to remove McBride, he said: "I did." McBride confirmed Miliband had urged Brown to sack him and did succeed in getting him removed from his role in briefing the press in 2008. He wrote on Twitter: "He complained about me and told Gordon to get rid. Quite right too."
Asked by Marr whether he had advised Brown to remove McBride, he said: "I did." Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, also said McBride had been "out of control" and denied suggestions he had ever been a guest at the home she shares with her husband Ed Balls.
McBride himself confirmed Miliband had urged the former prime minister to sack him and did succeed in getting him removed from his role in briefing the press in 2008. The former spin doctor wrote on Twitter: "He complained about me and told Gordon to get rid. Quite right too." The timing, on the eve of a crucial party conference for Miliband, appears designed to inflict damage. Also unhelpful are claims that the Labour leader could in future be embarrassed by emails he exchanged with a friend of McBride's, Derek Draper.
Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, also admitted that McBride had been "out of control" and denied suggestions the adviser had ever been a guest at the home she shares with her husband Ed Balls. As the party was meant to be concentrating on a series of new policies announced before the conference, shadow cabinet members had to spend time denying that Labour still has a negative culture.
The timing, on the eve of a crucial party conference for Miliband, appears designed to inflict damage along with claims that the Labour leader could in future be embarrassed by emails he exchanged with a friend of McBride's, Derek Draper. Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, insisted Miliband has established a "new generation leading the party" that is entirely different from the culture under Brown.
As the party was meant to be concentrating on a series of new policies announced in the runup to the conference, members of the shadow cabinet had to spend time denying that Labour still has a negative culture. "As far as I'm concerned, [McBride] is a relic from the past and there is no place for that kind of nasty, vile politics in Britain today and I'm glad we've seen the back of him," Umunna said. "One of the things Ed has been so clear about – and I remember because I was in the shadow cabinet meeting – is he will not tolerate any of that kind of behaviour. If anybody is found briefing against anybody, you are out – there will be no discussion, you will be out. That is not the way Ed Miliband's party does things. If anything positive comes from Damian McBride's indulgence, it is to remind people that that is not the way we do things."Umunna, who has been tipped as a potential future leader, was also at pains to stress that he personally is untainted by the scandal, as he was not in politics at that time.
Chuka Umunna, the shadow business secretary, insisted the Labour leader has established a "new generation leading the party" that is entirely different from the culture under Brown.
"As far as I'm concerned, [McBride] is a relic from the past and there is no place for that kind of nasty, vile politics in Britain today and I'm glad we've seen the back of him," Umunna said. "One of the things Ed has been so clear about – and I remember because I was in the shadow cabinet meeting – is he will not tolerate any of that kind of behaviour. If anybody is found briefing against anybody, you are out – there will be no discussion, you will be out. That is not the way Ed Miliband's party does things. If anything positive comes from Damian McBride's indulgence, it is to remind people that that is not the way we do things."
Umunna, who has been tipped as a potential future leader, was also at pains to stress that he personally is untainted by the scandal, as he was not in politics at that time.
"There is a new generation leading the party," he said. "Ed has surrounded himself with a shadow cabinet, two thirds of whom weren't in the last cabinet. There's quite a few members, like myself, who weren't even in parliament the last time. Everyone who was around knows how damaging that was.""There is a new generation leading the party," he said. "Ed has surrounded himself with a shadow cabinet, two thirds of whom weren't in the last cabinet. There's quite a few members, like myself, who weren't even in parliament the last time. Everyone who was around knows how damaging that was."
He added: "I just feel grateful I wasn't around for it."He added: "I just feel grateful I wasn't around for it."
Rachel Reeves, a shadow Treasury minister, also said she "wasn't an MP but what I do know, as a member of the shadow cabinet for the last two years, is that these things are not happening under the leadership of Ed Miliband."Rachel Reeves, a shadow Treasury minister, also said she "wasn't an MP but what I do know, as a member of the shadow cabinet for the last two years, is that these things are not happening under the leadership of Ed Miliband."
The publication was also condemned by Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spin doctor, who has described the actions of McBride in allowing his book to damage Labour on the eve of conference as "sickening". The publication was condemned by Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former spin doctor, who called the actions of McBride in allowing his book to damage Labour on the eve of conference "sickening".
Downing Street's former director of communications said he would not be able to live with himself had he allowed his own books to wreck Labour's conference.Downing Street's former director of communications said he would not be able to live with himself had he allowed his own books to wreck Labour's conference.
Apart from a briefing that led the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley to quote an unnamed source describing Brown as "psychologically flawed" and "losing my temper in briefings about Clare Short", Campbell said he had never briefed against a minister. "I never ever did it," he said.Apart from a briefing that led the Observer's Andrew Rawnsley to quote an unnamed source describing Brown as "psychologically flawed" and "losing my temper in briefings about Clare Short", Campbell said he had never briefed against a minister. "I never ever did it," he said.
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