Dirty tricks at Labour conference

Labour conference has been awash with a dirty tricks campaign aimed at upsetting Gordon Brown supporters in the run-up to the leader's speech today. Some of them have received texts asking them to contact Sam Coates, the Times's chief political correspondent, for a comment on the "fact" that Jack Straw and Geoff Hoon have been to see Brown asking him to go. Not only has no such meeting taken place but no requests have been made by the Times. Others have had texts to ring journalists who have never asked to talk to them. The aim seems to be spread unfounded rumours in the present febrile mood.