EXCLUSIVE SPECULATION: Dale's Diary Plus Plus

After a recent series of wobbly stories - rubbish on Blair's planning, rubbish on Gypsies, rubbish on Euro Selections and rubbish on rubbish to name but four - Iain Dale looks nearer the money as he predicts that Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP may be on a collision course with the Guardian.

Dale publishes an exchange of letters betwen Tory Toff Dominic Grieve and Dour Stalinist John Reid and the latter's response is very clear in its denial of any member of his political staff having briefed the papers.

The whole letter is here (click to enlarge).

So, this briefing if it came from anyone near John Reid could have come from :

1. A Civil Servant rather than a SpAd (unlikely);
2. A SpAD who fibbed to Reid (unlikely);
3. Someone else's political staff;
or
4. Rt Hon Dr John Reid MP himself.

Although this latter speculation is rather wild and falls outside this: "The Guardian has been told by a well-placed source that this information - which later proved to be inaccurate - came from one of Mr Reid's officials." It would mean every word in Reid's letter could be true.

SPOOKY BUT TRUE: Guido is pointing his finger at Steve Bates whose business card happens to be on my mantleshelf right now. Though I've never used it. Honest.