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Tory MP to sue Government over 'smeargate' emails
7 Sep 2009Tory MP Nadine Dorries is pressing ahead with legal action over the "smeargate" emails, it was revealed today.
Ms Dorries is understood to be seeking damages against the Government and former advisers Damian McBride and Derek Draper, over allegations about her made in the missives.
Legal papers are believed to have been served on Mr McBride and at the home of Mr Draper in London this morning.
Mr McBride quit as Gordon Brown's special adviser in April after it emerged that he had written to Mr Draper about plans for a "Red Rag" website featuring scurrilous political gossip.
It was suggested that the site - which never came into being - could include false rumours about the personal lives of Opposition figures and their spouses.
The Prime Minister was forced to apologise for the emails amid heavy criticism of a "dirty tricks" culture within Number 10.
Ms Dorries refused to comment today.
Reader views (17)
It just shows what happens when you put chip on the shoulder jocks in charge of the UK. They can't stop lying, whinging and blaming everyone else for their inadequacies!
It might work in Scottish politics, but they're in the bigger league now and it just don't wash with the English!!
Looking forward to an independent Scotland, to see how they cope with taking responsibility for their own actions, when they no longer have the English [or even the tories] to demonise.
- Terri Walker, England, 08/09/2009 09:18
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Gadaffi's son was right - our politicians are ALL disgusting, power hungry and totally out of touch with what this country really needs
- Mc, London, 07/09/2009 23:52
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This episode got one truthful comment from a Labour peer. 'McBride ripped the moral mask from Brown's face'. Brown's degree was about Scottish Labour Party. McBride ran Brown's strategy, PR and smearing for years. Brown is incompetent at directing the UK. He got power, and keeps it, by skill in McBride style smearing and leaking. His every action has been to take maximum taxes and steer them to promoting Labour in marginals, and Parliament. He creates a need among voters in all areas outside London to depend on Government for income. Then Brown can 'coerce' them to vote Labour.
Brown and Labour have left the UK and it's government reputation and standing in the world as sleazy third rate incompetents. Only the Army has acted decently and Labour in return has given them 1960's Rovers and forced them to drive on heavily mined roads, for low pay below other public sector workers. No Labour politician are on those roads, or even receiving home troops back to the UK. Brown was booed at Normandy by UK veterans. Who would do anything else?
Brown's boasts 'I ended the economic cycle' conned many into thinking there was no risk, exactly at the time when the boom peaked. Many are now ruined. Brown does not care. As they are on the dole and in Council housing they could well be new Labour voters, unaware that Brown caused their downfall. Sack Brown now, and his cronies.
- Joey, newcastle uk, 07/09/2009 19:56
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A 'back in the day Govt.'...
Why are oily creatures like 'Dolly' Draper allowed to infest politics? Leaving a poisonous trail, without ever having never been elected?
Ms Dorries should recieve a full apology and the likes of 'Dolly Draper' (who one can only imagine how he climbed the slippery pole to prominence)...
Leaves... just an acrid smell of how politics were conducted by a 'back in the day Govt'
- Paul Jardine, Bromley, Kent, 07/09/2009 19:17
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I guess she's got to find some way to get extra money now we know what she claims in expenses and second home allowances.
- Chris, London, 07/09/2009 19:01
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Keith Price. You are a twit. The Red Rag website may have been a Tory invention but the point is, is that the content of the Labour version apparently contains spurious, unfounded and libelous allegations attributed to advisors directly employed by the Labour party, and hence the Government. It does not matter who did, or did not invent Red Rag, it's the content of the website that is under scrutiny.
- Pete, South London, 07/09/2009 18:02
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Hear! Hear! What is most contemptible about these spin, spite and smear disgusting characters is that they served someone who touted himself as, 'son of the manse'. Broken Britain has been lead for the last decade by some who have abandoned morals and left their principals in the gutter.
- Jennifer, London, 07/09/2009 17:03
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@Keith Price, If red rag website was a Tory invention why does it registration details refer to Derek Draper?, and why did Damien McBride resign over the emails?
- Jim, London, 07/09/2009 16:53
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Ms Dorries refused to comment? That must be a first for this self publicity addict!
- Carl, London, 07/09/2009 16:52
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Good for her,its about time somebody brought these marxists thugs to book,I hope she cleans them out.
- Auf Deutsch, Canterbury EUSSR, 07/09/2009 16:51
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At last an attempt to pursue some of the nasty little men behind this incompetent & unpleasant Government .The rotten culture comes from the top downwards & one may be sure that Brown(who knew nothing of this) would have been delighted had the allegations done the harm intended.
- P Doff, audierne france, 07/09/2009 16:45
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She is rather tiresome and clearly still wants some recognition!
Dorries certainly has a case but rather against the individual than the Government. In today's 'compensation culture' all too often there are claims against the Employer (MET, Councils, etc) rather than the individual and this is wrong unless the Employer was aware and condoned.
- Gordonbay, London and Cape Town, 07/09/2009 16:31
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Well said James Elliott, politics will only become better when individuals are held to account for their behaviour.
- Manny Goldstein, London, England, 07/09/2009 16:19
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I hope she succeeds and that punitive damages are awarded against McBride and Draper.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK, 07/09/2009 15:41
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I have watched this MP on the BBC question time and she never stopped talking to try and shout down the other panelists however if she thinks she has a case then, so be it.
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK, 07/09/2009 15:36
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What a silly fuss over nothing. The Red Rag web site is a Tory invention. The courts wikk throw this action in the bin where it deserves to go
- Keith Price, Luton England, 07/09/2009 15:35
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"dirty tricks" culture within Number 10?
"The Prime Minister was forced to apologise".
I would be very surprised if there were not "dirty tricks" at Number 11 Downing Street and in EVERY GOVERNMENT OFFICE in Whitehall.
In the past week there have been countless admissions quickly followed by another jobsworth denying everything which moves.
WHAT A GAGGLE OF USELESS HYPOCRITES WE HAVE IN POWER.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR, 07/09/2009 15:18
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