Exclusive: Ann Widdecombe has resigned from bullying charity
There will be something coming out within minutes. Things aren’t looking too good for the National Bullying Helpline.
(Still nothing on PA – Widdecombe’s staff were busy writing when I last called them). Read more
Exclusive: Another resignation from the anti-bullying charity
Cary Cooper, a patron of the National Bullying Helpline, resigned this morning at protest at the decision by Christine Pratt – its head – to go public on her allegations of bullying at 10 Downing Street.
I’ve just come off the phone from Mary O’Connor*, another patron, who has also just resigned within the last half an hour. Read more
Further reading: Bullying
Nick Robinson compares the furore with the war of Jennifer’s Ear
Dizzy Thinks has more on the founder of the National Bullying Helpline. And more details of bullying complaints in Whitehall. Read more
Whingeing “bullied” staff should shut up and put up, says Tory
Just ran into a Tory MP who believes that bullying prime ministers aren’t such a big deal.
“Eden was a terrible bully, I’m sure that Churchill was as well…and as for Gladstone, well, he had furious rages,” he ponders. “If you want to work in 10 Downing Street you should be able to withstand a bit of tough treatment now and again.” Read more
Did Gordon throw a fruit into a machine during factory visit?
The answer is probably no. Without further proof I don’t believe this one. But a caller to LBC yesterday morning claimed that – while working at a lamination factory last year – he saw the prime minister in his anger hurl a tangerine into a machine. I’ve typed out a transcript below.
The potential damage from stories like this, which can be invented by almost anyone (the caller refused to say where the factory is, when the supposed visit was, etc) is that they fit into a pattern of behaviour which we now accept to be be broadly true. (This blog revealed Gordon’s alleged phone-throwing in early 2008). Thus they can only harm the PM’s reputation, fairly or unfairly. Read more
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Jim Pickard is the FT's chief political correspondent, having joined the lobby team in January 2008. He has been at the FT since 1999 as a regional correspondent, assistant UK news editor and property correspondent.
Kiran Stacey is an FT political correspondent, having joined the lobby in 2011. He started at the FT as a graduate trainee in 2008, working on desks including UK companies and US equity markets before taking over the FT's Energy Source blog.
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