Quick! Quick!: It Was "The Conservative Party" Wot Didn't Do It

The Times quote Mr Cameron telling London’s LBC radio:

“I can absolutely guarantee that the Conservative Party had nothing to do with the publication of this story. So I think Bob Quick really does have to withdraw what is a completely baseless allegation.
“I am sure he will want to do that because in life, if you make a mistake, the best thing to do is to correct it as quickly as you can. So that’s what he ought to do.”

Perhaps this prefaces Cam taking Lord Ashcroft's peerage off him as that was famously based on a mistake? But I digress. Then The Times gloss Mr Quick's offensive remarks and quote his retraction and apology:

Contacted by a reporter, he then suggested that the Tories were behind the article and said that they were "mobilised" against his investigation "in a wholly corrupt way".
As head of the Home Office leaks inquiry, it was Mr Quick who approved the controversial arrest of Damian Green, the Tory frontbencher, and the raid on his parliamentary office on November 27.
Mr Quick retracted the allegation of corruption last night but stood by his wider claim that the Tories were out to nobble his inquiry.
Today, in a brief statement released by the Met, he backed down completely.
"I have now reflected on the comments I made yesterday at a difficult time for me and my family," Mr Quick said.
"I wish to make clear that it was not my intention to make any allegations and retract my comments. I apologise unreservedly for any offence or embarrassment that I have caused."

Iain Dale possibly precedes Dominic Grieve in saying this should be then end of the matter. Though of course the forked-tongued Grieve then carryies on wittering about Mr Quick deciding whether to continue with his job.

Investigating the persistent and proactive Dominic Green leak receiving activity, from a man who he had passed over for a job in his office and as far as we know sent forth to work for his opposite numbers.

All this taranta ra! provides Daniel Finkelstein with a Damascene revelation. Commenters claim bewilderingly that this is a non-apology. But da Fink's missing something. They're all missing something. They would wouldn't they?

It strikes me that Mr Cameron's call for Mr Quick to withdraw his remarks and apologise is very deliberate, very precise, and very incomplete. Rather like his excuses for Lord Ashcroft's failure to meet the conditions of his ennoblement qwas very deliberate, very precise, very incomplete.

Cam, the snake oil salesman of yore. speaks of "The Conservative Party" i.e. the institution as being the ones wot didn't do it. Why not disown the story and the story tips from any known link with Conservatives and Conservatism rather than precisely the official Conservative Party?

Ahhh! I see now. That'd be because he cannot in all honesty do so.