Jeremy Hunt MP has described the position of his opposite number - James Purnell, the Culture Secretary - as "increasingly untenable" after it was revealed that he had agreed to have his image added to a photo of a hospital opening - to which he was late. The fake image can be viewed on the right. Mr Hunt said that it would be difficult for Mr Purnell to hold a portfolio which has some responsibilities for addressing the crisis of confidence in the media following revelations of fake phone-in competitions on the BBC and independent TV.
The images below (thanks to the anonymous source who sent them to me) suggest that this may not have been the first time that Mr Purnell has taken part in some Photoshopping...
DO EMAIL US IF YOU DISCOVER ANY MORE FAKE PHOTOS!!!
A footballer, a musician and a dab hand at creative use of Photoshop - what perfect experience to be culture secretary.
We all complain about politicians with no expereience for the job - well we cannot have our cake and eat it - he should be kept in post - the man is a national role model
Posted by: nadders | September 28, 2007 at 20:29
"An NHS trust has admitted superimposing...."
Posted by: Politico | September 28, 2007 at 20:35
Just shows from the very top to the bottom that Labour is still and has always has been about spin and lies. Brown the suppossed man of change was not actually the Chancellor during the last decade of failure. Stalin was a great exponent of doctoring photo's is this why Brown style was described as Stalinist?
Posted by: One marcus | September 28, 2007 at 20:41
What a disgrace. Purnell should be ashamed of himself - especially after lecturing the media on the importance of 'trust'. More spin from Brown's 'end of spin' sickos.
Posted by: Robert Hardy | September 28, 2007 at 21:59
God you lot are getting desperate. Ed Matts this isn't, it's the hospital trust who wanted to get the local MP and Minister in the photo.
Posted by: David Boothroyd | September 28, 2007 at 22:48
Is this really so important? I fear Jeremy Hunt is making a mountain out of a mole hill. Purnell's subsequent change of story is pathetic though.Why can't Nulabour politicians even tell the truth about something as minor as this?
Posted by: Malcolm Dunn | September 28, 2007 at 22:50
Faking a picture is as bad a telling a lie. This is dishonesty of the highest order. Yet again politics has been stained by a member of the Labour government. Purnell should resign.
Posted by: Tony Makara | September 28, 2007 at 22:56
...there's more. Purnell's staff love fiddling with wikipedia, both to polish his personal credentials and castigate opponents - see http://nomottrambypass.blogspot.com/2007/09/fake-purnell-on-loose-in-tameside.html
Posted by: Lewin | September 28, 2007 at 23:48
Purnell is a skunk in weasel's clothing.
Always thought he should have been a Tory MP!
Posted by: Malc | September 29, 2007 at 05:09
Didn't do it very well, did he.
Posted by: Patriot | September 29, 2007 at 07:09
I think Jeremy Hunt has made a very telling point highlighting Labour's innate dishonesty! Hardly a mountain out of a molehill!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | September 29, 2007 at 07:56
This really is a non-issue. By far worse was what the would be Conservative candidate, Ed Matts, did in South Dorset.
"Mr Howard was forced to publicly condemn the Dorset South Tory candidate, Ed Matts, after it was revealed he had altered a photograph in order to fall in line with the Tory's hardline stance on immigration.
The original showed Mr Matts giving support to a local failed asylum seeker and her family who faced deportation, but the doctored version removed a picture of the family and replaced it with the slogan "controlled immigration".
Posted by: Torygirl | September 29, 2007 at 10:04
Jeremy Hunt MP has described the position of his opposite number - James Purnell, the Culture Secretary - as "increasingly untenable
For a week during the Labour Party Conference the electorate have not heard from ONE SINGLE FRONT BENCH CONSERVATIVE on any subject that affects people's daily life.
Then we hear of a petty non-story which makes people just gasp at the stupidity of it all and worst still that any fool would take it serious enough to make a mountain out of a molehill.
Next along comes a pompous tory (too lady like to fill the next part in) whatsit rabbiting on about this.
As Littlejohn would say "You could not make it up"
Do Conservatives really believe this sort of thing does them any good?
To me it is like the whole of the Conservative Party from top down, petty, running about in circles and does not know what it stands for.
Is it any wonder that you are 11 points and 10 points behind in the polls respevtively when Conservatives cannot even get an irrelevance like this in proportion.
This is not a personalised attack just a fact of life as intelligent people see it.
Posted by: Effie | September 29, 2007 at 10:35
"Next along comes a pompous tory (too lady like to fill the next part in)"
...and there was me thinking you were called "Effie" 'cos you "Eff'ed" a lot!!
Posted by: Sally Roberts | September 29, 2007 at 13:08
It really is a trivial issue and calling for his resignation just makes the shadow culture sectretary look ridiculous.
Posted by: James Parker | September 29, 2007 at 13:39
Sally Roberts | September 29, 2007 at 13:08
Madam allow me to assure you Effie is a shortened version of my christian name.
As a lifelong Labour supporter and the wife of an ex-colliery Overman, neither my husband nor myself have ever found it neccessary to resort to such language.
As a 70 year old having been married to a 76 year old for the past 50 years we were both horrified to read your post.
Quite apart from that we have a family of 6, none of which I have ever heard using such language even although 4 of them plus their father were Rugby players.
If you call yourself a lady and then pompous, I shudder to think what you call the dregs of humanity.
You pehaps mix in such company I certainly do not and I take great exception to anybody actually suggesting I would use such profanities.
This blog was supposed to be being regulated to stop insulting posts. It seems to me that there is one rule for the Conservatives and another for Labour supporting people as I was edited out for calling a prominant Conservative frontbencher a "Gantbite" even although in todays press he has been called worse.
Whereas you are allowed to accuse an elderly lady of using disgusting language without being penalised.
Would you care to have either your Mother or Grandmother addressed in the same manner.
Had one of our children or grandchildren had done so we would have been incandescent.
I look forward to see the way the Editor handles this post.
Posted by: Effie | September 29, 2007 at 14:54