Minister for Digital Engagement to Resign?

Digital Engagement

Chances are this story is going to run and run. It seems inconceivable that the so-called Minister for "Digital Engagement" (Minister for Smears, in other words) did not know about the email smear campaign against senior Tories and dissenting - or "right wing" as the smearists prefer - bloggers run by Damian McBride and Derek Draper, further that he was not a part of that campaign, something which politicalbetting.com suggests is simply impossible.

There will be blood over this sorry saga. What makes it far more serious and damaging for Labour is that it is emanating from No10 itself. The blood spilt must be some of Brown's most precious.

I for one believe that the Minister for Smears is on his way out for the simple reason that this government's sole priority has always been, and is always, to protect Gordon Brown. They've had their work cut-out in doing that and a huge machine comprising umpteen press advisors, managers and analysts (all employed as civil servants and funded by the taxpayer) has grown and grown. It has one objective: not to win the next election so much as to keep Brown electable. It is utterly ruthless and nothing and no one will be permitted to interfere with that central motivation. Especially not ministers.

Nixonian? Sure. Desirable? For Labour, oddly, they seem to think it is. For Damian Green and for other innocent, competent people who oppose this disastrous government, perhaps not.

The problem for Labour is that Brown is at the centre of this storm whether they like or not. It will not be possible to cull those who are, in some cases quite literally, closest to him without the prime minister himself being heavily implicated.

Simply put, his people have gone way too far and they've attacked some smart people - the wrong people: people who know how to fight back.

The machine is out of control - and someone has to take responsibility. Watson (below) will be forced to, but I know and you know that the buck stops with Brown.

Fat Minister: Too Much Digital Engagement

So Proud!

Draper: Nervous Breakdown


To have a personal mention from the arch Labour psychotic himself, Derek Draper (applause). I admit he was pissed and using one of his many transparent nom de plumes. But still....I'm damn honoured!

Here it is:

Fabian_Pride [for it is he] says:

April 10, 2009 at 1:28 am

To Denverthen and others (you know who you are):

Your homophobic comments make me sick. I’m actually shocked that in the 21st Century there are still people who have your bigoted, prejudiced attitudes. Do you realise that in most workplaces (including mine), people would get sacked for less?

Why is it that Guido’s blog attracts such offensive homophobia? No-one I know in the real world ever speaks like you. Draper was right when he said this blog is the “sewer” and you people are the “sewage”.

If this continues, I’m going to start compiling a dossier of sexist, racist, homophobic, Islamophobic, and generally offensive language for Derek Draper to post another expose on Labourlist.

Draper is more influential than you imagine - you don’t want him as your enemy. He is persistent and has a long memory. Have you noticed that since Guido started attacking him, Draper has become more famous and successful (e.g. his new book launch, Labourlist growing by the day) and Guido is increasingly marginalised and irrelevant?"

Scary, huh! It feels like I've been picked-on by Eric Cartman. It's that childish. It's that cartoonish.

I recommend you read the thread this is from, btw - just so you can confirm in your own minds that everything he accused me/"us" of there is absolute, fevered, sick, smearing bullshit. You can use that kind of shitty trick against politicians: you can't play that game with the general public. This troubled fool hasn't made the distinction yet. It seems that new technology is too much for the master in charge of Labour blogging. Wonderful.

But be warned: delusionals like Draper never go down without a fight. Look at Hitler!

They'll sacrifice their own families in an undignified egotistical fit of fake victimhood before giving up the political influence they actually believe they own. Permanently.

So. Get ready for the fight!

Post Script:
In my professional opinion as a highly qualified psychiatrist, all the signs increasingly point to the fact that Mr Draper has, in fact, suffered, in layman's terms, a severe nervous breakdown which has led to, technically speaking, a complete psychotic break. He actually believes what he says so all decent people should remember that if he confronts you while he's still at large, you must not do anything to antagonise him. Anything about the loss of the next General Election is definitely a no-no. He will become violent. And then he'll encourage his party to do the same thing. So that's out.

Humour him long enough that he might be captured and incarcerated in a place where he can finally receive the long-term care he desperately needs.

It's tragic, really. But if he fails to seek help soon, who knows what might happen to him. If he's still on the loose and remains disconnected from events, in six or ten months time, he could actually become catatonic as his psycho-political contructs finally diverge completely from the reality that will be a new Conservative Government. (Mind you, "catatonic" sounds pretty good for this particular species. At least it'll be preserved - and silent).

The fun - I mean sad - thing is, of course, for highly trained zoologists like me, is that he won't be the only one to be totally unhinged following that particular overdue, mass castration. Much conservation work to protect ex-Nulab MPs from total extinction will need to be done.

But that's not my field.

Just for fun: