That Gordon Brown letter in full

Dear Gus 

I am writing about the Code of Conduct for Special Advisers, and the proposals I want to make to tighten this up. 

What about starting by enforcing the existing Code and also the Civil Service Code, which largely also applies to special advisers? For example, “using resources only for the authorised public purposes for which they are provided” would certainly preclude the use of the Downing Street computer system for formulating a conspiracy to defame. 

I am assured (by whom? what inquiry has been held?) that no minister and no political adviser other than the person involved had any knowledge of or involvement in these private emails that are the subject of current discussion. 

So did anyone other than a minister or a political adviser have any such knowledge or involvement?  A party official, for example?  And the words “these private emails that are the subject of current discussion” seem particularly carefully chosen.  Did any minister or other adviser have knowledge of any other, similar communications?

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. 

You may have taken responsibility for “acting on this” now, but do you acknowledge your own lack of judgment in appointing Mr McBride in the first place?  Do you accept that you have tolerated a culture of spin and deviousness that, if only tacitly, encouraged his actions?  And who are “all concerned”?  To what extent are they concerned?  How have you “made it clear” to them? 

I have also written personally to all those who were subject to these unsubstantiated claims.

No doubt apologising fully and without reservation  for your staff’s appalling conduct. 

Mr McBride has apologised and done so unreservedly. But it is also important to make sure such behaviour does not happen again. 

Mc Bride’s resignation statement hardly amounts to an unreserved apology.  Rather, it seeks to shift a large part of the blame onto Paul Staines.  And the best way to ensure that the behaviour doesn’t happen again is by seeing to it that he never enters the portals of No 10 again. 

Any activity such as this that affects the reputation of our politics is a matter of great regret to me and I am ready to take whatever action is necessary to improve our political system. 

Glad to hear it.  Our politics have been dragged through the mud by your employees this weekend. 

I would therefore now like a more explicit assurance included in the special advisers Code of Conduct that not only are the highest standards expected of political advisers but that the preparation or dissemination of inappropriate material or personal attacks have no part to play in the job of being a special adviser, just as it has no part to play in the conduct of all our public life. 

You could achieve the same result by being more careful about the sort of people you appoint as special advisers in the first place. 

I also think it right to make it a part of the special advisers contract by asking our political advisers to sign such an assurance and to recognise that if they are ever found to be preparing and disseminating inappropriate material they will automatically lose their jobs. 

So we can take it that Mr McBride will never be employed by Labour as an adviser again, can we? 

I think you will agree that all of us in public life have a responsibility to ensure that those we employ and who are in involved in our parties observe the highest standards. 

Yes, we have.  Do you honestly feel you have discharged that responsibility? 

Like the overwhelming majority of figures in public life across the political spectrum, I entered politics because of a sense of public duty and to improve the lives and opportunities of those less fortunate than me. 

Oh, pur-lease! 

My undivided focus as prime minister is on acting to make Britain a fairer, safer and more prosperous nation and, in particular, on guiding the country through the current economic difficulties. 

Why do you feel the need to say this?  Do you think that the Cabinet Secretary needs to be reminded?  Surely you can’t be playing to a wider audience.  Wouldn’t that be, well, spin? 

The public would expect no less and would also expect the highest possible standards from all their politicians and all those who work for them. 

And particularly, just now, from you and your unpleasant coterie in No 10.  It’s been a bad Easter for you, old lad. 

Yours sincerely 

Gordon Brown