Letters From A Tory Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others.

Dear Alex Hilton,
One wonders whether a lack of intelligence is a pre-requisite for wanting to join the Labour Party, given the dearth of talent in the Cabinet and among the parliamentary party.  It seems as though the same question may apply to prospective parliamentary candidates like yourself as well.  Yesterday you admitted that you had created [...]

“Whatever the vitriol that got thrown at me after I resigned, no one could say about me that I ever misled them or lied to them – that is the cardinal sin”
- Damien McBride, who appears to be trying to take some credit for not lying about ‘Smeargate’ in his interview with the Guardian

Dear Andy Coulson,
I have no idea how you’re going to feel as you wake up this morning.  The BBC and most newspapers are still running with the allegations of phone-tapping at the News of the World, although David Cameron openly gave you his support yesterday – making your job safe, for now at least.  The [...]

BBC website, Monday 13th April: Gordon Brown does not have to say sorry for e-mails sent by his adviser that discussed smearing senior Tories, Health Secretary Alan Johnson has said. “Gordon Brown had nothing to do with this. You apologise for the things you are responsible for.”
BBC website, Thursday 16th April: Prime Minister Gordon Brown [...]

Dear Gordon Brown,
You must be wandering what hit you.  Any thoughts of a quiet Easter weekend were shattered by ‘Smeargate’.  What everyone seems to have missed was that yesterday, you made a policy announcement that beared no relation whatsoever to any dodgy emails or dodgy expenses claims.  However, your ‘new’ policy clarified two things: firstly, [...]

From the News of the World:

SMEAR ONE . . . a story that Conservative leader David Cameron has an embarrassing medical condition.

SMEAR TWO . . . a vicious triple attack on Shadow Chancellor George Osborne. It suggests he had sex and took drugs with a prostitute, that his wife is “emotionally fragile” and that [...]

From the Guardian in 2007:
Nicknamed ‘Damien McPoison’ by lobby journalists, he is one of Whitehall’s most aggressive operators. Another former communications head at the Treasury and now, technically, a special adviser, McBride adopts an old-school approach to PR, frequently enjoying long, boozy lunches with influential journalists.
‘He is very good at what he does, and they [...]