Gordon Brown says sorry for Smeargate

I wondered this morning whether the words "I am sorry" would pass Gordon Brown's lips over the emails sent by his (now former) chief strategist Damian McBride, which planned to smear a number of Conservative politicians.

Well, a good five days after the Conservatives first demanded such an apology, it appears to have been forthcoming.

The BBC is reporting that during his visit to Glasgow, where the Cabinet is meeting, the Prime Minister has said:

"I am sorry about what happened... I wrote to those people affected, expressing deep regret, and the person responsible went immediately... I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went."

1.45pm Update:

Nadine Dorries - one of the MPs who was subject of the smear emails - is still unsatisfied. PoliticsHome records what she told Sky News:

"I'd love to accept this apology but what we are seeing here is another example of how this government spins," she said.

"It is spin and news management again".

She said the Prime Minister had only said sorry today because "a bad news story is coming out which he wanted to surpress" referring to the recent news that no charges will be brought against Damian Green. 
 

She also wasn't happy with the apology as Mr Brown "didn’t say he was sorry to me, he said he was sorry to a camera crew in Glasgow - which is not the same thing."

Shadow Chancellor George Osborne, meanwhile, had this to say:

"It's come a little late this apology. It's shame we had to ask or it. The Prime Minister has at last, many days later admitted full responsibility and that is fine. People will draw their own conclusions about the kind of government he runs."

Jonathan Isaby

Comments

[onthejob]

cue strong denial of any apology from downing street :-)

[Freddy]

Hallelujah! Words fail me! Words fail me!

[Nizhinsky]

victory!

[Gary]

Weather report form Hell: Ice storms reported.

[Cleethorpes Rock]

Interesting timing with the attention on Damian Green. Perhaps Jo Moore e-mailed him to suggest it?

[Enoch]

Oh My God

Did he really say sorry???

Now we just need an apology for the economy and the way he has ripped our Country to shreds

[Doug]

I'll believe it when I see video of it.

[E. Davies]

I am sure Gordon Brown is very sorry - very sorry this disgusting 'smeargate' ever came out into the open, and sorry that he can no longer count on McBride's help to get him what he wants.

I would like to see a very personal apology to each and every person who has ever been on the receiving end of McBride's poison.

I would also like to see Gordon Brown dismissed from office by an overwhelming vote of no confidence.

[Christian May]

"I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went."

Um, surely that would mean that he himself should have gone?!

[RichardJ]

IT'S A MIRACLE!

[Norm Brainer]

Cunning timing that happened at the same time as the Green thing.
Well, it won't save him.
It's too late - we need to get him for this still and also get him (and the speaker) for the DG arrest issues.
It's time he went.

[William Blake's Ghost]

Call that an apology. What's he sorry about?

Getting caught?

It really a pathetic attempt by the PM and should not be accepted!

How can he take full responsibility and then immediately point the finger of responsibility elsewhere? It doesn't make sense. It's just more verbal contortions from the Head Spinmeister.......

[Man in a Shed]

Agrees with Christian May - if Brown took responsibility he would resign.

[torygrandad]

"I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went."

What better Brown logic could you get...

[ToryBlog.com --> Not a roon]

"I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went."

Huh?

He tells us that he is responsible, then in the same breath tells us that 'the person' responsible has gone.

I detest our snotty, unelected PM.

[David Parker]

That's why the person who was responsible went."

That's why we are in such a mess. Had Brown been fit to lead his party, let alone rule the country, he would know where the buck stops.

[R.Baker]

So he waited 'till he was on safe home turf to say sorry,in his bonnie Scotland.

[Paul J]

Surely, it's time for a motion to reduce the PM's salary. Brown has finally apologised for letting his right hand man (paid for by us as a civil servant)concoct lies with the intention of smearing the opposition. This came after the arrest of an opposition politician for doing his job.

No doubt Labour would find some way of winning the vote in the Commons but the debate would force Brown to face up to the consequences of his actions.

[Tony Makara]

Pound of flesh extracted...and this blog, along with many others, including the mainstream media, bored a nation to death in the process.

What it worth all the effort?

[Denis Cooper]

I suppose that now that Brown has uttered the word "sorry", that draws a line under the whole business.

No need for any internal inquiry, and certainly no need for the police or CPS to get involved even though there's strong prima facie evidence of criminality.

Just turn a blind eye to the blatant misuse of public funds for party political purposes; after all the Tories might want to do the same in the future.

This case doesn't just reflect badly on the Labour party, it's also been a test for the Conservative party - would they put a stop to the theft of taxpayers' money for party political purposes?

So far, the Tories are failing that test - they're milking the scandal to further their party interest, but they're not demanding effective action to protect the public interest.

[Winston C]

For Brown to have done this he must have come under massive pressure from within the labour circle.Perhaps the voices of the disillusioned Blairites who, for so long,were victims of GB's machine are now being heard.

It is also obvious that GB will be conscious of the news of the Damian Green affair breaking this morning.Green's challenge in his brief statement points the finger at his ministers.He will need to deflect this.

Cameron should be cock a hoop and PMQ's next week will be fiery.

[DJT]

"I take full responsibility for what happened. That's why the person who was responsible went."

Wouldnt taking FULL responsibilty mean that he departs too ?

Oh how i wish!

[Norm Brainer]

So far, the Tories are failing that test - they're milking the scandal to further their party interest, but they're not demanding effective action to protect the public interest.

Yes, now that brown has admitted his error and the political war is won, time to get legal on his arse.
There's just too many taxpayerfunded gates for him not to be shown the door.... the prison door.

[gezmond007]

I couldn't agree with you more Tony , people In the pub where I go think that all politicians are behaving like little children and that they should get on with dealing with the economy and stop playing Yah Boo politics or as David Cameron put it "punch and Judy politics"

Paul J your silly idea is a prime example of what people are fed up with. Grow up !

[Geoff Middleton]

I am sorry about what happened

This is not an apology.
If he had said "I am sorry for what happened", then that would have been an apology.
As it is, he is simply stating that he is sorry about the fact that his smearing operation was exposed.

[Sally Roberts]

I think Brown realises that "smeargate" has seriously hacked off a number of loyal Labour Party members and he is now in his own clumsy way attempting to climb back on to the moral high ground. As I have said before, now time to move on but keep this all in "cold storage" for Election Time!

[RichardJ]

Now we have an apology we should drop this. We don't want to be seen by the public to be milking this for political gain.

[gezmond007]

Well said Richard !

[Bexie]

I suspect there is more too come, perhaps if it is shown that senior MP's and maybe GB himself were cc'd in on the emails

[Norm Brainer]

As I have said before, now time to move on but keep this all in "cold storage" for Election Time!

Move on to what though? .. just tollerating labour and brown for another year?
brown is flailing around on the ground and his party shield weakened... it would be a waste not to try and finish him off whilst the opportunity is there.

A lot can happen in a year that could see a big brown bounce (terrorist attacks, floods etc)

This is an opportunity that god himself hath provided for the good and righteous to take control of the land and banish those that seek to destroy the nation and enslave its people in tyranny.... or something.

[gezmond007]

Norm , God Says Love Thy neighbour not hate them !

[Martin Coxall]

Gordon will take Whatever Action Is Necessary to ensure that this Number 10 smear machine, a smear machine that started in America, is met with a coordinate international stimulus.

[Malcolm Dunn]

ITV lunchtime news was not impressed with this 'apology'. They believe that Brown made it to appease critics in his own party.I wonder how the BBC will cover it?

[Norm Brainer]

Wasn't it jesus that said love thy neighbour? He always was a bit of a whuss.
God said 'Eye for an eye'!

Although my point is that labour should be lovingly euthanased (from power, not kill all their MPs) for their own good as well as ours- once they are gone I don't care about revenge.

[christina Speight]

Why are so many getting so excited ?

Even this blog appears to have fallen for this latest squirm and wriggle! Just examine the words closely --- Note

== "I am sorry about what happened" Note it "happened", nobody DID anything did they ?

== "the person responsible went immediately" - No he didn't for in the next sentence HE "take[s] full responsibility" and "That's why the person who was responsible went" But he, Brown, is still there.

This is pathetic stuff!

And anybody who cannot see that this is a moral question and not a political one should think a bit more carefully. (especially RichardJ and gezmond007) Brown has even corrupted O'Donnell a senior civil servant too

[Sally Roberts]

"Move on to what though? .. just tollerating labour and brown for another year?
brown is flailing around on the ground and his party shield weakened... it would be a waste not to try and finish him off whilst the opportunity is there."

No the point is that we need to keep our powder dry! We should keep attacking Labour but on other issues. When the Election is called this issue will come freshly to the fore and should play well when convincing people on the doorstep.

[Tony Makara]

Whatever the BBC make of it is of no matter. These days opinion has replaced news and so-called news stories are blow up out of all proportion and their life cycle extended so that reporters can wallow in yet more qualified 'opinion'.

This is exactly the sort of story and reportage that turns people off politics. The sooner it dies the better, still, even then some nonentity will see fit to write a book about it.

[Will B]

You know something, our party, and especially Nadine Dorries have come out of this looking quite childish, and I'd say, looking considerably hypocritical.

Thing I will remember is how McBride tried to assassinate the character's of people in the party and then the party turned around and tried pretty much exactly the same on Brown, which is, funnily enough, exactly what we've been doing since before he came to Number 10.

I really don't begrudge the public the freedom to state that 'they are all the same' after this episode.

[rugfish]

"I'm sorry, and take full responsibility and that's why the person who was responsible has gone"

Hang on I'll try that again.

"I'm sorry, and take full responsibility and that's why the person who was responsible has gone"

Nope, had it right the first time.

He is responsible and that's why he's "gone"?

I think I'm having some difficulty with this statement Gordon because if you are the person responsible then why are you still there?

[Grytpype-thynne]

If Brown was genuinely sorry, the MAN on the Clapham Omnibus would think that the S-word would be included in the handwritten expressions of "regret" to those who were to be smeared

[RichardJ]

"You know something, our party, and especially Nadine Dorries have come out of this looking quite childish, and I'd say, looking considerably hypocritical"

Nadine needs to pipe down. I can sympathise with the fact that she was offended by the slurs but trying to keep this story going will just bore the public. If the media want to keep it going then so be it but we must be seen to be concerned about the economy and other issues.

[Ross Warren]

Not sorry enough Gordon the damage is done, your a nasty socialist Bully boy. We will not tolerate such a puerile sleazy and corrupting government. So very stomach churning nastiness is simply not to be allowed off the hook. Labour insiders leaked the story in the first place they should take a bow. As a Nation we are appalled by Labours top dog mentality. I don't believe this story to be exhausted, not by a long way. Of course there may be some room for passing over some details, if the suits are willing to close their ears. Its a matter that has to bring some real changes to No10.
Labour could yet implode in disgrace.

[Cleethorpes Rock]

Yet again, our party is doing its best to grab defeat from the jaws of victory. Don't people at CCHQ ever listen and learn. I warned it overcooked the Damian Green affair and I warned it's doing the same with this. No doubt, well have a Centre Right post in a few weeks from Francis Maude saying we went on too long.

Let's accept the apology gracefully and move on. We've got prisoners rioting, deadly hospitals and a runaway deficit- we should be focussing on these issues.

I, and others have been warning that this story was on the turn by Monday. It's well and truly rancid now, and not in a way that reflects badly on just the Labour party.

[Tony Makara]

RichardJ, I totally agree. The way to tackle this from the start would have been to prosecute on the grounds of conspiracy to defame and slander. Can you imagine if someone had tried this on old Robert Maxwell, their feet wouldn't have touched the ground on the way to court!

The law exists to protect people from this sort of thing. Those who were victim to Damian McBride et al ought to have got the law to jump on them from a great height. Yet all we got from senior Conservatives was soundbite city on the six o'clock news.

[Mark Hudson]

I think that most people in the street have totally switched off this story. Keeping it running is doing nothing but continuing to demean the whole political process.

And will someone please tell Nadine Dorries to button it? She can take legal action if she wants, but she's simply sounding now like a shrill fishwife. Incredibly unedifying for a Member of Parliament.

[Ben]

He said;

"I take full responsibility for what happens, that is why the person responsible went immediately."

If he says he was responsible shouldn't he be the person who went immediately?

[christina Speight]

All you people above who are BORED with an example of moral turpitude from our Prime Minister are as bad as he is. this is not a political issue at all. It is about a man claiming to have a moral compass and making play with being a 'son of the manse' setting up a department of his own cronies with public money to commit totally immoral acts of personal character assassination with totally bogus and fictional stories.
This is filth - there is no other word for it and those who want to leave it deserve contempt.

[Victor, NW Kent]

Nadine is in danger now of making this about her. She is only peripheral to the main offence that was perpetrated. Time to rest, Nadine.

[gezmond007]

If Brown was genuinely sorry, the MAN on the Clapham Omnibus would think that the S-word would be included in the handwritten expressions of "regret" to those who were to be smeared

Posted by: Grytpype-thynne | April 16, 2009 at 14:28

The man or woman on the Clapham Omnibus doesn't give a stuff !

[RichardJ]

"All you people above who are BORED with an example of moral turpitude from our Prime Minister are as bad as he is."

Christina, us political junkies may not be bored with it but I suspect most people in the country are or will be soon. I think we were right to bang on about it over the weekend but Westminster-based spats have only limited appeal and are unlikely to engage people for over a week.

How is the cause of conservatism advanced by boring the electorate to death?

[Steve Tierney]

And in other news...

Cow jumps over moon.

Pigs fly overhead in elegant squadrons.

Fat lad sings heart out.

Dish runs away with spoon.

[gezmond007]

Sounds more interesting Steve !

[Norm Brainer]

"This is filth - there is no other word for it and those who want to leave it deserve contempt."

Yes, and no.

The emails issue itself is getting boring, but you are right that the bigger issue that has now been uncovered (as if we didn't know already) still needs to be kept on top of.
The legal angle needs to be looked at, otherwise it may just become too party political and is just warm air.
... but I think conservatives at the top are just too scared of actually doing anything on anything and just want to keep quiet for another year until they default into power.

[Ross Warren]

"conservatives at the top are just too scared of actually doing anything on anything and just want to keep quiet for another year until they default into power."

They may well be keeping mum for good reason.
The more they say the more things they will end up committed to. They have all the aces or so it may seem. In Fact they are going to be in a real fight for power soon enough.It is abundantly clear that Labour will be fighting as dirty as they are able. Keeping quite now makes sense but D.C. must be ready and able to drive home his advantage when the time is right. To make much of Labour slurs is absuloutly the right thing to do, we need the public to sense the poisoned nature of No10. Brown has escaped to fight another day, we can be certain that he will be doing everything he can to hang on. Brown hopes that the economy starts to show a little improvement, and after all he has thrown great wads of cash at the problem.
A little false dawn could yet fool the punters. Be ready to rubbish any sense that the worst is over.

[Dorothy Wilson]

As Norm Brainer points out, there are a number of bigger issues involved. One of those was raised by Eve Pollard when reviewing the papers on Sky on Tuesday evening. According to her some political journalists have been receiving the McBride treatment along the lines: toe the line or else ..... In other words, as she pointed out, he was effectively threatening them that he could ruin their careers.

Something tells me that when Labour have lost the next election there will be a good deal more to come out about the poisonous antics in the back rooms of Downing Street.

[jon dee]

His apology is simply a counter to minimise space/coverage of the Damian Green story.

Brown has'nt suddenly discovered sympathy or sincerity.

[JS]

A forced apology such as has been made is worth absolutely nothing - had the Prime Minister an ounce of decency or common sense he would have offered a full immediate apology to all those involve while accepting responsibility and by now the whole thing would have been forgotten. He is only really sorry the whole matter has come out and is harming the Labour party and is now trying desperately to limit the effects of the fall-out. The Conservatives should now hold fire on the matter - the facts speak for themselves and the public can see where the fault lies and draw the right conclusions.

[christina Speight]

RichardJ at 15:17 wrote "us ['WE' please! ] political junkies may not be bored with it but I suspect most people in the country are or will be soon."

THAT's why the minister got booed in Liverpool yesterday when Brown was mentioned I suppose. AND you put "the cause pf Conservatism"
" above what is morally right. "Contempt" I said before - doubly so now. And that applies to Styeve Tierney and gezmond007 too. Are you all derek Draper really ?

[deardeardear]

It is incredible that with the economy and society in freefall the media and political classes have spent the last 5 days or so working themselves into hysteria over a piddling matter of semantics. I am still unable to distinguish why it is so important that the Prime Minister uses the word 'sorry' as opposed to 'regret' or 'apology'. The only difference really is that 'sorry' sounds more pathetic and childish, like a naughty schoolboy apologising for flicking a rubber at the teacher.

Perhaps the Tories think that it will stick in voters' minds that, as has been reiterated over and over, Brown has some sort of psychological disposition that stops him from apologising for anything. Does this really matter to people? I would suggest it does not, and it makes us look more stupid by the day when we keep banging on about Brown 'saying sorry'. Watching Cameron week in week out demand 'apologies' from Brown at PMQs is truly cringe worthy, god knows what independent voters make of it.

We would do better to go on the attack and remind voters of all Labour's other smear attacks and dirty tricks, to weave a narrative of Labour's Sleaze in government. So far I have seen none of this, just various Tory MPs popping up making absurd statements about Gordon Brown's state of mind.

[Norm Brainer]

Does this really matter to people? I would suggest it does not

Yes.
You have to own up and take responsibility for your mistakes and weaknesses.
Only then can you being to overcome or fix things.

.... like the economy.

[Jimmy]

I do not think Nadine Dorries's constant griping is doing her or the Conservative Party any favours. The public in general are sick and tired to death of the wall to wall coverage of this story, had there been anything more newsworthy this would have come off the press and media by now.
Yes it was a dreadful slur on Conservative politicians, no it should not have happened, but the PM has apologised so time for her to move on. The public in general regard all politicians as being tarred with the same brush and of six of one and a half a dozen of the other. So the Conservatives are receiving no mileage what-so-ever by continuing this saga.
People in general are concerned about this recession, the economy, and jobs to name only three. Most would think that if this is all she has to worry about then she should consider herself lucky. She is now in danger of making a complete fool of herself.
Time for her to dry up now, get a life and move on. And behave with the same dignity as David Cameron has.

[RichardJ]

"THAT's why the minister got booed in Liverpool yesterday when Brown was mentioned I suppose."

It was because Brown is unpopular, not because of the email spat.

"AND you put "the cause pf Conservatism"
" above what is morally right."

It's morally right to bore the electorate to death is it?

[Norm Brainer]

"It's morally right to bore the electorate to death is it?"

So we do what is right at all times - apart from when it gets boring, then we just let them do what they want?

[Michael]

it took him SIX days to apologise..as Chris Huehne said "it is the most CONSTIPATED apology in British Political History"

[christina Speight]

RichardJ To bore somebody is a -er - bore perhaps but to commit a morally repugnant act is offensive to anybpdy who is decent, which I am sorry to see doesn't include you!

Why don't you apply for McBride's job - you appear to have as much moral sense?

[David Sergeant]

COMMENT OVERWRITTEN

[christina Speight]

And while Jimmy's in focus he could stop being misogynist. It's OK to be laddish and sleep around but - perhaps rightly - women are judged by higher standards which clearly you don't share or appreciate.

[Jimmy]

David Sergeant, you go far too far with juvenile comments like that and do the party a diservice.
I am only expressing what I and and others feel.We still live in a free country as far as I am aware and freedom of speech is the norm not the exception.
There are far more important things in this life than a few hurt feelings.
Nadine Dorries has been maligned but it is not life threatening.

[Jimmy]

Christina you presume too much.

It is my opinion that both of the sexes should be treated equally.

I take a dim view of either male or female sleeping around, I make no exception, standards are standards.

Misogynistic I certainly am not.

[RichardJ]

"So we do what is right at all times - apart from when it gets boring, then we just let them do what they want?"

If you read my posts elsewhere you would see that I supported us making a fuss over this over the weekend. In fact I thought it was superb work by Guido. The problem now is that we are over-egging it.

"RichardJ To bore somebody is a -er - bore perhaps but to commit a morally repugnant act is offensive to anybpdy who is decent, which I am sorry to see doesn't include you!"

Christina, I am accusing those who want us to keep going on about this of boring the country. I am not denying that what was done was morally repugnant. As I have said elsewhere we were right to make a fuss about it but if we keep banging on it will just irritate people.

"Why don't you apply for McBride's job - you appear to have as much moral sense?"

Why don't you bother to read what I write - you appear to have absolutely no clue what I am talking about.

[Super Blue]

If "Gezmond" is bored by this issue, he could not read it, not comment or express his ennui once, but four times? Is there an agenda behind him?