Charlie Whelan on Damian McBride smears and book claims

Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Charlie Whelan said he was "interested in real politics" and not the allegations made in books that mentioned him or what went on in Downing Street.

He said of the claims made in Damian McBride's book, who admitted smearing ministers in the press: "I don't want to talk about it, and neither do delegates."

Mr Whelan said he had no plans to write a book about his time in the Brown political era, as he believed conversations were private, and added: "I have never read any of these books."

But he reckoned the former prime minister would be "more shocked than anybody with some of the allegations being made in this book".

Sunday Politics clip: Alastair Campbell on Damian McBride briefings and claims

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