Downing Street's machine of spin and deceit.

The description above comes from an article, written by former Conservative Party leader, Iain Duncan Smith, in an article in the Independent on Sunday, on 31st August 2003, at the time of the Hutton inquiry into the death of Dr Kelly and resignation of Alistair Campbell. It is linked from here, please ignore the fact that the first paragraph is repeated. I will merely quote here two particularly pertinent paragraphs:

Alastair Campbell has been rightly blamed for many of these excesses of the New Labour project. Because of this I called for the Prime Minister to sack Campbell some months ago. But now he's going, let's not be deceived that his departure - the exit of Tony Blair's closest friend - will mean an end to Labour's culture of spin and deceit. He wasn't at Blair's right hand by accident, but by design. Campbell was nicknamed the "real Deputy Prime Minister" because everyone saw the power and influence given to him by the Prime Minister. Those who talk of a fresh start would do well to recall Blair's words on Friday. The Prime Minister referred to his departing director of communications as a "loyal servant". That single phrase shows how all of Campbell's work was carried out with the blessing of his master - Blair.

The Prime Minister cannot distance himself from the failure of his government, or the abuse of its power. The whole Downing Street machine reports to him, and it oversaw the mistreatment of Dr Kelly. For New Labour is not just a cast of miserable characters, it's a culture - a culture of deceit. The machinery of spin and deceit powers Blair's government. It saw the tragedy of 11 September as a good day to bury bad news. It tried to discredit the Paddington train crash survivors and, even during the week of his funeral, it attempted to smear Dr Kelly as a "Walter Mitty" figure.

David Cameron continued such low and demeaning methods of governance on his arrival in Downing Street, where matters had worsened during the rule of Gordon Brown!

Conservative MPs, if they wish to save both their party and eventually the country, today must act to restore decency to Downing Street!

I have quoted what this blogger then had to say on that article on Teetering Tories, linked here.

Now please read the posting immediately below!