The Times profile is online here

 

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6121762.ece

 

The Beds on Sunday are playing hard to get until 4pm !

Superb piece. Here, here!

I given media handling advice to Harriet Harman, Lord Falconer, Jack Straw and many other ministers over the past twelve years, as an impartial civil servant. My feeling is the smeared are becoming similar to the smearers, in that, perhaps, too much time is being spent on this story. People could be forgiven for thinking: "Yes, the smears were horrible, the right guy has gone, what a bunch of power-crazy people... But, can we get back to policy debate, please?" That's the advice I would give.

Peter, you are obviously Labour and of courseyou would like the story to go away. It might just bring down your government and you wouldn't want that would you.

The reason that the Labour spin machine targeted you, Ms Dorries, is because simply they fear you. The see you as someone, with your background as a nurse from Liverpool, as somebody who will swing many floating voters to the Conservative party. Somebody who can appeal to everyone across the socio-political spectrum, who doesn't speak wiht a 'posh' voice but speaks in a straightforward, clear way from the heart. That is why they tried to personally demean you with smears - in Labour's eyes you are dangerous. Good luck and keep giving them hell.

I had to say this somewhere! I am outraged beyond speech that Mandelson should announce on the BBC (on one of their rare peeps over the parapet for this story) that we must all stop talking about it!!! Ministers, he says have got better things to do. It beggers belief! I have no words to express my loathing. Goes for you too Peter, by the way.

@Geoffrey - You're not really surprised, are you? Anything that comes from the BBC is just the same as a "party political broadcast on behalf of the Labour Party".