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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Brown sends letters over smears | Brown sends letters over smears |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Gordon Brown has written personal letters to those mentioned in controversial e-mails sent by his ex-adviser Damian McBride. | Gordon Brown has written personal letters to those mentioned in controversial e-mails sent by his ex-adviser Damian McBride. |
| Mr McBride quit his post at Number 10 after his unfounded claims about Tory leader David Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne became known. | Mr McBride quit his post at Number 10 after his unfounded claims about Tory leader David Cameron and shadow chancellor George Osborne became known. |
| Mr Brown has requested that the code of conduct for advisers be tightened up to prevent any similar incident. | Mr Brown has requested that the code of conduct for advisers be tightened up to prevent any similar incident. |
| Tory leader David Cameron had demanded an apology from the prime minister. | Tory leader David Cameron had demanded an apology from the prime minister. |
| The prime minister said the e-mails sent were a "matter of great regret". | The prime minister said the e-mails sent were a "matter of great regret". |
| I have written personally to all those who were subject to these unsubstantiated claims Prime Minister Gordon Brown | I have written personally to all those who were subject to these unsubstantiated claims Prime Minister Gordon Brown |
| In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, Gus O'Donnell, Mr Brown said he was ready to take "whatever action is required" to prevent a repeat of the row. | In a letter to the Cabinet Secretary, Gus O'Donnell, Mr Brown said he was ready to take "whatever action is required" to prevent a repeat of the row. |
| He also calls for anyone caught "disseminating inappropriate material" to automatically lose their jobs. | He also calls for anyone caught "disseminating inappropriate material" to automatically lose their jobs. |
| The prime minister wrote: "I have already taken responsibility for acting on this - first by accepting Mr McBride's resignation and by making it clear to all concerned that such actions have no part to play in the public life of our country. | The prime minister wrote: "I have already taken responsibility for acting on this - first by accepting Mr McBride's resignation and by making it clear to all concerned that such actions have no part to play in the public life of our country. |
| "I have also written personally to all those who were subject to these unsubstantiated claims." | "I have also written personally to all those who were subject to these unsubstantiated claims." |
| Among Mr Brown's suggested revisions to the code is the proposal that special advisers should not be allowed to use official resources for party political purposes. | Among Mr Brown's suggested revisions to the code is the proposal that special advisers should not be allowed to use official resources for party political purposes. |
| Mr McBride had originally sent the "inappropriate and juvenile" e-mails in January to former government spin doctor Derek Draper. | Mr McBride had originally sent the "inappropriate and juvenile" e-mails in January to former government spin doctor Derek Draper. |
| Mr Draper runs the LabourList blog and was proposing to set up Red Rag, a new gossip-led site. | Mr Draper runs the LabourList blog and was proposing to set up Red Rag, a new gossip-led site. |
| However, they came to the attention of Paul Staines, author of the "anti-politics" Guido Fawkes blog, who revealed their existence. | However, they came to the attention of Paul Staines, author of the "anti-politics" Guido Fawkes blog, who revealed their existence. |
| Waiting for letter | |
| David Cameron was said to be "absolutely furious" about the claims made in the e-mails and shadow foreign secretary William Hague had called for an inquiry into the scandal. | |
| Backbench Conservative MP Nadine Dorries, who was the focus of some of the e-mail correspondence, said she had not yet received a letter. | |
| "I'm waiting to see the letter and waiting to see what it says. It is implied that there's going to be a clear apology," she told BBC News. | |
| However, she said the current code of conduct already included safeguards to prevent such behaviour and avoid civil servants abusing the system for party-political means. | |
| "I'm not sure what putting further precautions in place will achieve," she said. | |
| "Everyone would like to see the existing code adhered rather than spinning new rhetoric about writing a new code." | |
| 'Shame' | 'Shame' |
| Health Secretary Alan Johnson said Mr Brown could not be expected to apologise for something he had nothing to do with. | |
| On Monday morning, Mr Johnson had admitted he felt "some shame" the tactics had been linked to his party. | On Monday morning, Mr Johnson had admitted he felt "some shame" the tactics had been linked to his party. |
| But he said a line should be drawn under the affair and suggested the story had only featured so prominently in the news because it had broken over an otherwise quiet Easter weekend. | But he said a line should be drawn under the affair and suggested the story had only featured so prominently in the news because it had broken over an otherwise quiet Easter weekend. |
| However, a number of Labour figures had spoken of their unease at the e-mails. | However, a number of Labour figures had spoken of their unease at the e-mails. |
| Tony Blair's former economic adviser, Derek Scott, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although he did not think Mr Brown was directly responsible, the smear tactics represented a culture that came from the top. | Tony Blair's former economic adviser, Derek Scott, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although he did not think Mr Brown was directly responsible, the smear tactics represented a culture that came from the top. |
| He said: "I think the tone, whether in a business or a political party, is set from above." | He said: "I think the tone, whether in a business or a political party, is set from above." |
| "The really damaging thing is they think they are being ultra-loyal to Mr Brown and the Labour Party, but in fact they are doing the Labour Party an awful lot of damage." | "The really damaging thing is they think they are being ultra-loyal to Mr Brown and the Labour Party, but in fact they are doing the Labour Party an awful lot of damage." |
| In his letter, Mr Brown insisted that no ministers had been involved in the e-mail conversation. | |
| Cabinet Office minister Tom Watson denied at the weekend that he had been copied in on the e-mails and said the first he knew about them was when the story appeared on the news. |