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Blair-Brown feud was 'hugely destructive', says Damian McBride Blair-Brown feud was 'hugely destructive', says Damian McBride
(about 3 hours later)
Damian McBride has admitted that feuding between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair, in which he played a prominent role, was "hugely destructive" to the last Labour government. Damian McBride has admitted that he played a "shameful part" in the feuding between Gordon Brown and Tony Blair which was "hugely destructive" to the last Labour government.
In his first interview since the serialisation of his memoirs at the weekend, Brown's former press secretary admitted he is seen by many in the Labour party as a "traitor". But he said Labour must "exorcise its demons" if it is to learn from its past. In his first appearance since the serialisation of his memoirs at the weekend, Brown's former press secretary also said he had used his substantial fee for his memoirs to pay off debts accrued after he lost his job in Downing Street.
The remarks by McBride, in an interview on Newsnight on BBC2, came as a Conservative MP called on Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to investigate the former spin doctor over the leaking of government information. McBride resigned from No 10 after it emerged he had been involved in plans to set up a website designed to spread embarrassing stories about Conservatives and members of their families.
The remarks by McBride, in a film and subsequent interview on Newsnight on BBC2, came as a Tory MP called on Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe to investigate the former spin doctor over the leaking of government information.
Alun Cairns told Hogan-Howe "serious offences" may have been committed after McBride admitted in his memoirs that he logged into Brown's official email account as chancellor to track details of announcements from other government departments.Alun Cairns told Hogan-Howe "serious offences" may have been committed after McBride admitted in his memoirs that he logged into Brown's official email account as chancellor to track details of announcements from other government departments.
In extracts from his memoirs, serialised in the Daily Mail on Saturday, McBride admitted using the information from the government's central "grid" of upcoming announcements to damage the then home secretary Charles Clarke, who was a longstanding opponent of Brown's. In extracts from his memoirs, serialised in the Daily Mail on Saturday, McBride admitted using the information from the government's central "grid" of upcoming announcements to damage the then home secretary Charles Clarke, a longstanding opponent of Brown's.
McBride said on Newsnight that such tactics damaged Labour. "It's widely accepted that the feuding of the Blair-Brown years, in which I played a large part, was hugely destructive for Labour's time in government," he said. McBride told Newsnight he had not broken the law because he had never leaked government documents. He added: "I have been very clear about exactly what stories I was responsible for briefing. So if the police wanted to say, 'Well that story was a breach of the law' then I'd be bang to rights."
"I know many people in the Labour movement think I'm a traitor for publishing a book lifting the lid on some of that feuding, especially at party conference, but I believe if Labour's going to avoid repeating its mistakes it's got to learn from its past, exorcise its demons and make sure that when it says those days are over, it means it." McBride acknowledged that such tactics hurt Labour. In a Newsnight film recorded in Brighton, he said: "In the Blair-Brown years there was a battle for the leadership, direction and soul of the Labour party. That battle was sometimes brutal and I played my own shameful part in that.
McBride warned that any repeat of such factionalism would destroy Labour's chances of returning to office. He added: "In opposition, any sense of disunity or disagreement between Miliband and Balls – any repeat of the Blair-Brown feud – would be fatal to Labour's election chances. If anything, I hope my book will act as a sobering reminder of those risks." "It's widely accepted that the feuding of the Blair-Brown years, in which I played a large part, was hugely destructive for Labour's time in government. I know many people in the Labour movement think I'm a traitor for publishing a book lifting the lid on some of that feuding, especially at party conference, but I believe if Labour's going to avoid repeating its mistakes it's got to learn from its past, exorcise its demons and make sure that when it says those days are over, it means it."
The Tory letter to the Met commissioner was prompted by a passage in the McBride book in which he admitted accessing Brown's computer to trawl for information to use against other cabinet ministers. McBride admitted he had been paid a generous sum by his publishers Biteback Publishing, run by Tory blogger Iain Dale, who sold the serialisation rights to the Daily Mail for about £150,000. "When I left government I left with nothing … I built up a lot of debts during that period and the majority of the money I make from writing this book will go to paying off those debts."
He wrote that he was always careful to cover his tracks and to avoid a leak inquiry by never leaking the actual documents. McBride said he would write a version in his own language and then brief a positive account from the relevant department to make sure it appeared to have leaked the information. The Tory letter to the Met commissioner was prompted by a passage in McBride's book in which he admitted accessing Brown's computer to trawl for information to use against other cabinet ministers.
In his letter to the Met commissioner, Cairns questioned whether McBride broke the Computer Misuse Act 1990. This says a person is guilty of an offence if "the access he intends to secure is unauthorised". He wrote that he was always careful to cover his tracks and to avoid an inquiry by never leaking actual documents. He said he would write a version in his own language and then brief a positive account from the relevant department to make sure it appeared to have leaked the information.
McBride wrote: "I'd log into the chancellor's office email system – not his personal email, but the official one used for receiving correspondence – and hunt through the folders for cabinet papers or minutes of cabinet meetings. Cairns questioned whether McBride broke the Computer Misuse Act 1990. Cairns said McBride may also have broken the Official Secrets Act through alleged leaks of official government documents to journalists. A second Tory MP has written to the first civil service commissioner to ask him to consider stripping McBride of his pension for "serious and repeated breaches" of the civil service code and the special advisers' code of conduct. Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, cited McBride's account of the leaking of embarrassing information about Sir John Major and Lord Lamont of Lerwick which was due to appear in government documents to be released under a freedom of information request.
"I'd be looking for a proposal or discussion that might correspond to the upcoming announcement. This could take hours, but I'd usually crack it eventually."
McBride claimed that his actions in orchestrating "what looked like a briefing war" between Clarke and the anti-social behaviour guru Louise Casey in 2005 contributed to Tony Blair's decision to sack the former home secretary in 2005.
He wrote: "There was already plenty of ill-feeling between them, but the briefings made it both public and self-fulfilling, contributing to Tony Blair's sacking of Charles in May 2006."
Cairns said McBride may also have fallen foul of the Official Secrets Act because his memoirs include accounts of alleged leaks of official government documents to journalists.
"I am deeply concerned that serious offences may have been committed in these instances. I would be very grateful if you could investigate this as a matter of urgency, especially given the wide media attention and public interest involved."
McBride has said he never leaked restricted or secret documents.
A second Tory MP has written to the first civil service commissioner to ask him to consider stripping McBride of his civil service pension for "serious and repeated breaches" of the civil service code and the special advisers' code of conduct. Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, cited McBride's account of the leaking of embarrassing information about Sir John Major and Lord Lamont of Lerwick which was due to appear in government documents to be released under a freedom of information request.
Sir Gus O'Donnell, the permanent secretary at the treasury at the time, was so angry with McBride that he stripped him of his position as a civil servant. Brown immediately rehired him as a special adviser.
In his letter to the first civil service commissioner Sir David Normington, Smith writes: "I ask that you formally consider whether Mr McBride's Civil Service pension should be withdrawn. I would be very grateful if you could investigate this as a matter of urgency, especially given the wide media attention and public interest involved."
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