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Re: Jacqui Smith – the Centre for Open Politics is just a Guido front

By Derek DraperGuido

Just to make sure everyone knows that the so-called independent “Centre for Open Politics” which is trying to stir up trouble for Jacqui Smith is none other than a front organisation for…. Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawkes. His frontman for the operation, Harry Cole, is a well connected Conservative. Staines put up the money for the “Centre” and is clearly its guiding (geddit!?!) light (though to be fair he has also used it to attack some Tories). He is also, in fact, rather hands on, answering the phone himself today to several journalists. While admitting he is behind the group if asked Guido doesn’t make it clear even on his own blog (see right). Come on now Paul, I thought you were in favour of transparency…

Derek Draper was the founder and first editor of LabourList.<br /> <br /> In his political career, Derek worked for Peter Mandelson for four years during the mid-1990s, and founded Progress Magazine in 1996, which was instrumental in the development of New Labour and which is still going strong today. In 1997, he published the book Blair's First 100 Days.<br /> <br /> Derek is also a writer and psychotherapist. He was a former regular on ITV1's Kyle's Academy and featured on an ITV Tonight Special on phobias in November 2008. In 2007, he was awarded Journalist of the Year by the Mental Health Charity MIND, and wrote the chapter on mental health in the 2006 book _The Future of the NHS_ which you can download here. His new book, Life Support: A Survival Guide For The Modern Soul, was published in April 2009 by Hay House.<br /> <br /> Derek is married to Kate Garraway, the GMTV presenter, and has a wonderful 3-year-old daughter, Darcey and new son Billy.

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