Apr
13
Is the reaction to Damian McBride’s emails dishonest and hypocritical? If we demand honesty from our politicians, we must also be honest with ourselves, each other and our politicians. I think that much of the reaction to the McBride story has revealed many to be dishonest and hypocritical.
Those who have criticised Damian McBride for spreading gossip and unsubstantiated rumour must first ask: do I pass on gossip and rumour? Then, do I buy publications or look at websites which trade on gossip? And finally, do gossip and rumour ever influence my decision-making processes?
Those who have criticised him for using his work email address for sending emails of this nature, should first check their sent items before leaping to attack Mr McBride. Of course it’s different because he has a powerful @no10 email address and its paid for by the taxpayer. But let’s be honest, it doesn’t cost much to run an email system. And have you never used your work email address for a personal email? Or the internal office system for spreading gossip about a colleague? I know I have, even if I am too hardened to put it on an email.
And for those who say that it reveals a nasty side of politics need a reality check. Politics has always been nasty, brutish and short. Machiavelli’s The Prince wasn’t a ground-breaking salicious novel of its day – written the best part of 500 years ago. There have always been nasty, brutish and foolish people around politics. McBride may be worse than some but perhaps better than others (Alastair Campbell points out that he made the mistake of being caught) and there are hundreds of aspirant McBride’s waiting in the wings (there was a time when I would have given anything to do that job). Nor is the fault uniquely Labour’s. As Jackie Ashley writes in an otherwise contemptible column, don’t be surprised when it happens to the Tories.
For those who want a more grown-up, less attack-minded politics, it is a noble cause. But as long as there is convincing evidence that attack politics helps frame the debate, characterise an opponent and win elections, it will exist. If you want politics to be positive rather than negative, vote for someone at the next election, don’t vote against the other person.
Also, don’t forget that for all of the journalists reporting the story, there are few who wouldn’t have paid good money to write the exclusive had the emails ended up in their hands. And many have fed from McBride’s posionous work in the past.
None of this is intended to excuse McBride’s behaviour. But if we really want better from politics and politicians, we must first ask whether politics merely reflects behaviours and attitudes we ourselves hold and whether we provide any incetive for politicians to behave any better.
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