Fake news? Labour wrote the book on it

CYNICS are describing it as the equivalent of inviting Jimmy Savile to head an inquiry into child abuse. An exaggeration, clearly. Nevertheless, a Labour MP with a grisly track record in a dirty tricks department which set out to smear opponents with false stories has been chosen to lead the Party’s investigation into ‘fake news’.

Michael Dugher has taken up the task amid the culture of misinformation to be found online and from rogue news organisations — such as the dodgy dossier about Donald Trump compiled by a former MI6 officer.

Mr Dugher ought to be an expert on the subject as he was once part of the communications team that worked for chancellor Gordon Brown and his notorious attack dog, Damian McBride.

Infamously, Brown’s spin doctor had to quit after being exposed for concocting lies about the sex life of his Tory rival, George Osborne. Mr Dugher was also media adviser to Labour Defence Secretary Geoff Hoon when the Hutton inquiry into the death of the government weapons scientist Dr David Kelly criticised the minister’s media team for publicly naming Kelly as the source for reports that the Blair government shamefully sexed up its dossier to make the case for war in Iraq.

Dr Kelly was found dead just days after being identified.

Also, Mr Dugher once worked in the Department for Transport for New Labour minister Stephen Byers, whose aide, Jo Moore, described the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers in New York as a ‘good day to bury bad news’.

Generously, the MP for Barnsley East says: ‘Even someone with views as grimly unpalatable as Trump deserves to be scrutinised on the basis of truth and reality not on fake news.’

How lucky we are to have an expert on the job.