Things we have to unlearn about Andrew Mitchell

The things we have to unlearn about the former Chief Whip, Andrew Mitchell. He never did call the police in Downing Street “plebs” although he indisputably swore. Moreover, we now learn that while he was Secretary of State for International Development,  he did not use a special stamp with the word ‘bollocks’ on it to mark civil service documents that failed to meet his standards.

But the stamp existed. That much we do know because a letter in today’s Financial Times from Mark Lowcock, Permanent Secretary at DfId confirms it. “Andrew had the stamp and visiting journalists, especially, were much intrigued by it. But he never used it,” he wrote.

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• MarilynDHunter

  100 words – is that it?

  Why does the Indy’s Disqus not recognise that I have Explorer 9? It works on other sites.

• Junius

  One does not visit the Indy blogs to have one’s illusions rudely shattered. Mr McSmith wiil next be telling us there is no Tooth Fairy, no Santa Claus, the old killjoy.

  By the bye, will Indy bloggers refrain from using words such as allegedly appear on that stamp. If commenters repeat them, they are immediately put on pre-mod. There should not be one rule for the blogger, another for the commenter.

• creggancowboy

  Andy y we learn that the police are mendacious and that Mitchell was telling the truth – hardly news!

• MarilynDHunter

  Ah yes – the old ‘didn’t inhale’ defence…