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Derek Draper urged to get off the political stage
Nicholas Cecil, Chief Political Correspondent15 Apr 2009
Labour adviser Derek Draper was today urged to resign from running a website with links to the party and quit the national political stage.
Sunder Katwala, general secretary of the Left-wing think tank The Fabian Society, also demanded the publication of the names of the secret backers of LabourList site which was going to be used to promote the Red Rag website to disseminate smears on Tory MPs.
LabourList, a networking site run by Mr Draper, is believed to received funding from the Unite union, whose political director is Charlie Whelan, a former spin doctor for Gordon Brown.
Writing on the Next Left blog, Mr Katwala says Mr Draper should no longer act as a “voluntary adviser” on the internet to Labour.
“Draper needs to resign from LabourList too,” he adds. “If Draper has the interests of the Labour Party at heart, he should realise that he can play no useful public role at all in the run-up
to the 2010 general election. ”
Mr Draper, who is considering quitting, received an e-mail from Damian McBride proposing scurrilous lines which could be used to damage David Cameron, George Osborne and other Tory MPs.
Labour is desperately seeking to distance itself from LabourList but Mr Katwala stressed it had “quasi-official status” because so many senior figures within the party had engaged with it.
“I do not think very much is known about LabourList. If it is to deal with its own reputational issues, it needs to pay more attention to governance and to transparency,” he added.
“Given Charlie Whelan's involvement with the Red Rag outlet, that creates further problems.
“We need to know who the directors are, and who the funders are, and to ensure there is a clear and public editorial policy.”
Mr Whelan, who was copied in on an e-mail from Mr McBride, resigned as an aide to Mr Brown a decade ago after the furore over the secret home loan from Geoffrey Robinson to Peter Mandselson. On its website, LabourList says it receives no money from the Labour Party but is supported by advertising, sponsorship and donations.
New Labour's early years were hit by the scandal of lobbyists, including Mr Draper, boasting that they could get access to senior ministers.
Reader views (11)
What Sunder Katwala is really saying is 'Move aside, Draper, I want the limelight!'
- Walton, Finchley, London, 16/04/2009 14:23
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"What we need in this country is Proportional Representation, where people have much more say and there are fewer so-called "safe seats"."
PR is one of those ideas that sounds great in theory, but is often disastrous in practice - because it frequently produces minority coalition governments in which tiny (sometimes extremist) parties end up with such a disproportionate influence that they can effectively hold governments to ransom - much as the Ulster Unionists did to John Major's government when his majority shrank to the point where it became functionally useless.
I agree first-past-the-post is flawed, but the experience of other countries that have adopted PR suggests that this wouldn't be an improvement. The Jenkins Commission proposed practical alternatives to both that have yet to be properly debated.
- Michael, London, 16/04/2009 09:48
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I agree with Ronnie. I have long thought Draper to be pure poison (not to mention infantile)-makes you wonder if he isn't really a Tory plant to discredit Labour.
- Alan, London, 15/04/2009 16:55
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The majority of politicians today, and I include all political parties, appear to be in politics for personal ambition and personal gain. At the moment we have a thoroughly unpleasant Prime Minister who in turn is surrounded by more thoroughly unpleasant people, this character Draper being one of them. I don't hold out much hope for any change if and when Cameron is Prime Minister. What we need in this country is Proportional Representation, where people have much more say and there are fewer so-called "safe seats". We also urgently need an elected second chamber. At the moment both Houses of Parliament are a by-word for sleaze and corruption.
- Neil45, Gloucestershire, England., 15/04/2009 16:55
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NuLabour only represent themselves: nobody represents ordinary working/unemployed and vulnerable people any more. Osborne can't complain anyway because he is just as bad.
- Janet, London, UK, 15/04/2009 16:46
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Before this furore I caught Draper on day time tv. I had never heard of him before, but he came across as a thoroughly nasty, smug and sneering individual. He lounged back in the studio chair like an over-aged teenager trying desperately to be "cool".
I turned to my wife and said that I didn't know who this guy was, but whatever he represented, I would probably back the opposite view.
How right I was.
- Ronnie, Billericay UK, 15/04/2009 16:29
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I remember when the Labour party represented the working classes and always fought for them. They were working class themselves and they were the people used to have common sense and loyalty to the country. Look at these lot today, what a disgrace they are. All from wealthy backgrounds, private education for their kids and ripping us tax payers off.
- Joe, Swanley Kent, 15/04/2009 15:56
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Yup,Draper go back under your stone,please......and make it quick.
- Nigel, wimbledon, 15/04/2009 15:24
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McBride is gone, Derek Diaper must go too, TV Mum can look after him.
- Macdangler, Wimbledon UK, 15/04/2009 15:15
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So, just like Mandy, he will be back in a year.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 15/04/2009 14:59
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Draper is good for Labour like Rasputin was good for the Romanovs.
- Alex, London, 15/04/2009 14:47
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