Mail trail

So far this week's revelations around how the Labour administration fought with itself in power have been kind to James Purnell, former minister, now Director of Strategy and Digital at the BBC.

He has a caring, supportive nature in a crisis, offering to help beleagured Tony Blair (Am happy to do any TB boosting if you need anyone?) and to take colleagues mind off things with a good meal (As turkeys seem to be voting for Christmas early this year I suggest an impromptu 1994 dinner [a reference to the so-called Granita deal between Blair and Brown in 1994] on Sunday night. Please let me know your availability and i'll book a central London venue).

Next week's extracts from McBride's story may be less helpful. McBride was working with Derek Draper to set up a rogue website to be called Red Rag (an exercise which was to prove McBride's political downfall), and the pair were assembling "stories". Here's the snippet from today's Mail, with McBride reporting a conversation with Draper.

“But how could anyone have got into your emails?” I asked him. 

“Oh God”, he sighed, “I’ve been extremely naive on my password. I’ve changed it now, but it was pretty obvious before”. 

‘What’s the worst anyone could have found if they’ve been in your emails?’ Mr Draper reeled off a list of ‘ministers I am in contact with who would have problems because of things they’ve written to me’. The names were: ‘Peter Mandelson – definitely, James Purnell – definitely and Ed Miliband – probably.'