Downing Street is trying to downplay this as a “blog story” knowing that journalists and the public won’t be so interested in another online spat.

That attempt to spin the story away has failed, because everyone realises that it is in reality a story from the heart of Downing Street.

Downing Street’s press office has been trying to get prominent Labour supporting bloggers into the studios to do rebuttal. So far they have been unable to find someone credible to defend the indefensible. It is also Downing Street that is quite deliberately hyping the Derek Draper angle – clearly he is disposable – but it cannot be emphasised enough that he is not the only recipent of these smears ideas. Other well known spin doctors from the Brown camp are involved.

They have two objectives – to keep Gordon out of the story and save Tom Watson MP. It is probably already too late for Damian. Where is the Minister for Digital Engagement today? What was his exact role in the smear operation? He is referred to in Damian McBride’s emails, he sits next to McPoison in Downing Street, and he of course is notorious for his use of the dark arts. He also was involved with Sion Simon in a previous cringe making online attack video on Cameron that backfired badly – he has previous.

The smears are not of the usual rough and tumble of politics – they are obscene and sexually explicit – Guido spoke to Nadine Dorries MP last night, she told Guido that she will be consulting lawyers on Tuesday. Can the Prime Minister’s official Political and Press Adviser, a civil servant, survive losing a case for defamation to an opposition MP?

If Gordon Brown keeps Damian McPoison in place, he is condoning his behaviour, again. Where have they hidden Gordon’s moral compass? It certainly isn’t anywhere to be seen in Downing Street.