How Cameron’s spokesman became the story Oliver Wright Independent Notebook

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but when the bbc contacted mr oliver to check if the story was true he unintentionally gave it legs by suggesting that prince andrew had could still be forced out if he made one more mistake.
meanwhile buckingham palace woke-up to all hell breaking loose. they got on to downing street and demanded to know why mr cameron was deliberately undermining prince andrew – and in the process breaking long standing convention that the government does not criticise the royal family.
to limit the damage cameron (on a trip to derby) ordered his official spokesman (who is a civil servant) to brief reporters on the record that prince andrew had his full confidence.
mr oliver’s was actually attempting to knock down a story that downing street would “few tears shed” if prince andrew was forced to step down from his as the queen’s envoy for trade – which had featured prominently in several morning newspapers.
as one person put it recently: “when the spokesman needs a spokesman then it’s time to go.”
now who was that?
as high street ken reports today when started the job he did a tour of the offices where journalists work in the house of commons. a couple asked for his mobile number (not unreasonable given that he is a spokesman). he said he didn’t yet have one (highly unlikely) and in the meantime said – rather high-handedly some thought – that it was best to get him through the downing street switchboard.
so what happened yesterday and was it his fault?
what happened yesterday was that revenge came quickly and rather publically. downing street was left answering questions not about mr cameron – but about mr oliver.
this reinforced the impression that mr oliver was not much interested into talking to everyday journalists and saw himself as rather grand.
within just a couple of weeks of starting his job he has already (inadvertently) broken the spin doctor’s golden rule: don’t become the story yourself. remember the fate of campbell,nfl san francisco 49ers reebok hats, mcbride and coulson.
the story led the morning bulletins.
this morning’s papers will not have been easy reading for craig oliver,angeles angels hats, downing street’s new head of communications.
and there is might have ended but for mr oliver’s second mistake.
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angry that his briefing had had the opposite effect to the one he intended he phoned up senior bbc executives up to berate them for misinterpreting him. but they refused to change the story – pointing out that it was an accurate report of his remarks