Red Rag
Encyclopedia
The Red Rag blogsite was at the centre of a UK political scandal that became known as smeargate. The scandal broke on 11 April 2009 when it was reported by the Daily Telegraph that Gordon Brown
's special adviser, Damian McBride
, had sent a series of emails to left wing political blogger Derek Draper
discussing plans to set up the blog which would be used to post false rumours about the private lives of senior members of the Conservative Party and their spouses. The website was never launched according to The Register
.
who blogs under the pseudonym of Guido Fawkes.
However, it quickly became apparent that the plans were much more fully developed. Phil Hendren, who blogs under the pseudonym of Dizzy Thinks, stated that The Red Rag had in fact been set up in November 2008. This was followed up in the mainstream media later that day led by an article in The Observer
which also reported that McBride had resigned.
Following a formal complaint to Nominet made by Ian Mansfield the theredrag.co.uk domain was delisted. Mr Mansfield then bought the domain and redirected it to order-order.com which in an act of irony is the blogsite of Guido Fawkes.
Gordon Brown
James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...
's special adviser, Damian McBride
Damian McBride
Damian McBride is a former civil servant and former special advisor to British Prime Minister Gordon Brown. McBride began his civil service career at HM Customs and Excise...
, had sent a series of emails to left wing political blogger Derek Draper
Derek Draper
Derek William Draper is a former lobbyist, former editor of the LabourList website, and psychotherapist. As a political advisor during the 1990s he became widely known for his role in two political scandals, "Lobbygate" and "Smeargate".-Biography:Draper was educated at Southlands High School in...
discussing plans to set up the blog which would be used to post false rumours about the private lives of senior members of the Conservative Party and their spouses. The website was never launched according to The Register
The Register
The Register is a British technology news and opinion website. It was founded by John Lettice, Mike Magee and Ross Alderson in 1994 as a newsletter called "Chip Connection", initially as an email service...
.
Exposed by Guido Fawkes
The emails, which had been sent from the Downing Street Press Office, found their way to Paul StainesPaul Staines
Paul Staines is an English-born Irish right-wing political blogger. Writer of the pseudonymous "Guido Fawkes' blog of parliamentary plots, rumours & conspiracy", which had as of February 2009, 118,000 visitors per month, his political blog has been described as "one of Britain's leading political...
who blogs under the pseudonym of Guido Fawkes.
Website
Draper and McBride initially tried to play down the plans. McBride stated "To call it an orchestrated smear campaign is ridiculous. It was just some ill-judged gossip between friends which was never meant to see the light of day. They appear to be some ideas — laid out in embarrassing detail — for stories which could appear on a Left-wing version of the Guido Fawkes blog called Red Rag. They’re all stories which have been doing the rounds in Westminster for a while, written up in a scurrilous style. But the website has never appeared, so it’s hard to see what it was all about."However, it quickly became apparent that the plans were much more fully developed. Phil Hendren, who blogs under the pseudonym of Dizzy Thinks, stated that The Red Rag had in fact been set up in November 2008. This was followed up in the mainstream media later that day led by an article in The Observer
The Observer
The Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
which also reported that McBride had resigned.
Following a formal complaint to Nominet made by Ian Mansfield the theredrag.co.uk domain was delisted. Mr Mansfield then bought the domain and redirected it to order-order.com which in an act of irony is the blogsite of Guido Fawkes.