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Can it get any worse?

  • Posted by Martin Bright
  • 30 November 2007

As Harriet Harman drags Gordon Brown deeper into the donor crisis I still wonder of the government has got it yet

So David Abrahams has met Gordon Brown as many times as he has had porridge in the morning. I have to say I have never met Mr Abrahams, but those who have met him find him difficult to forget, so why is Brown's memory so poor. It was said of his great political heroine Margaret Thatcher that she had a brilliant recall of names and it is an extremely useful quality in a politician.

I wrote last week of the hypocrisy of a government which mercilessly pursues civil servants accused of leaking confidential documents, while taking a casual attitude to the personal information of the British public. My partner this week received confirmation that her details had indeed been lost on the two child benefit discs sent through the post, so yes this has become personal! I can only assume Sarah Brown also received her letter and I hope she had sharp words with her husband as a result.

Now the hypocrisy runs deeper as we find the extraordinary lengths the Labour Party went to in order to hide the true provenance of David Abrahams's donation.

In terms of the loss of trust in the political class I really don't think it could get any worse. But then I thought that last week too.

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3 comments from readers

DrMike
30 November 2007 at 12:04

Some interesting information on this at: http://www.the-scream.co.uk/forums/t26049.html?

Martin Bright
01 December 2007 at 22:00

Looks like you are spot on Dr Mike. Here's a piece form the Sunday Telegraph that tells the full story of the porm billionairess Ms Parasol and the Labour fundraiser, Jon Mendelsohn: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08...

Martin Bright
01 December 2007 at 22:05

Sorry, really should learn to type. That last post should have read:

Looks like you are spot on Dr Mike. Here's a piece from the Sunday Telegraph that tells the full story of the porn billionairess Ms Parasol and the Labour fundraiser, Jon Mendelsohn: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/08...

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About the writer

Martin Bright

Martin Bright began his journalistic career writing in very simple English for a magazine aimed at French school children. This experience has informed his style ever since. He worked for the BBC World Service, and The Guardian before joining the Observer as Education Correspondent. He went on to become Home Affairs Editor before becoming the New Statesman's political editor in 2005.

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