Friday, April 24, 2009

Either Paul Waugh Or Andrew Sparrow Is Lying

Paul Waugh | Blogs | Evening Standard
Just had a lovely exchange at the Number 10 Lobby briefing on Bloomberg's allegations (that G Brown was once in such a foul mood that he chucked a laserprinter off a desk).

Q: "There's a report on Bloomberg today about the Prime Minister's temper, and laserprinters taking a hit. Have you got anything to say about that?"

PM's spokesman: "Yes I saw that. I think it's the sort of unsubstantiated, unsourced nonsense that you read in Sunday newspapers*, not on supposedly respectable financial wire services."

Q: "Is it untrue though?" LAUGHTER

PM spokesman: "As I said, this is the sort of nonsense that you expect to read in diary columns and this is not a account that I recognise. Stories, with no quotes in them, totally unsourced, completely unsubstantiated."
That's an interesting story Paul! I'm going to go and read the Guardian for a bit now:
Update, 11.30am: I've just come back from the daily Downing Street briefing for lobby journalists. After 10 minutes on GDP figures, Gurkhas, MPs' expenses etc, someone had to lower the tone and ask about this – and I'm afraid it was me.

This is what the prime minister's spokesman said in reply:

I think it is the sort of unsubstantiated, unsourced nonsense that you would expect to read in Sunday newspapers, not on the supposedly respectable financial wire services.

There was then a lovely moment of humour when someone else asked: "But is it untrue, though?"
Both are clearly trying to take credit for asking the question, but it can't have been both of them.

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