This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/8531377.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 0 | Version 1 |
---|---|
Clifford acts for bully call boss | Clifford acts for bully call boss |
(20 minutes later) | |
Publicist Max Clifford is to represent the anti-bullying charity boss who said Downing Street staff contacted her organisation's helpline. | Publicist Max Clifford is to represent the anti-bullying charity boss who said Downing Street staff contacted her organisation's helpline. |
Mr Clifford told the BBC that Christine Pratt, chief executive of the National Bullying Helpline, had told him she had e-mail evidence to back up her claims. | Mr Clifford told the BBC that Christine Pratt, chief executive of the National Bullying Helpline, had told him she had e-mail evidence to back up her claims. |
The charity's four patrons have resigned, saying Mrs Pratt breached callers' confidence. | The charity's four patrons have resigned, saying Mrs Pratt breached callers' confidence. |
Mr Clifford said he was not being paid for advising her. | Mr Clifford said he was not being paid for advising her. |
He added that he was a "very big fan" of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. | He added that he was a "very big fan" of Prime Minister Gordon Brown. |
'Heads down' | |
Mrs Pratt has made it clear none of the callers accused Mr Brown of bullying and said he may not even have known about the claims. | Mrs Pratt has made it clear none of the callers accused Mr Brown of bullying and said he may not even have known about the claims. |
Mr Clifford said: "She wants to stand up and be counted and I've said 'The only way you're going to change the public and the media's perception is to come up with evidence of what you've been saying. Can you do that?' | |
"She and her husband have said 'Yes, we believe that we can'. So I said, well, in that case, what you must do is keep your heads down until you've got that evidence which you feel establishes what you've been saying." | |
Mr Clifford said Mrs Pratt and her husband were "going to get busy", going through hundreds of e-mails to look for the evidence to back up her claims. | |
Mrs Pratt spoke out on Sunday after Business Secretary Lord Mandelson robustly defended separate allegations of bullying by the prime minister, which appeared in the Observer newspaper. |