Mr David Abrahams speaks on Newsnight

I said last night here that "I feel that there is more to come out of this story and it won't be good news for Gordon Brown". Did you see Newsnight last night? If not it should appear here later today.

However, thanks to the ever wonderful Guido Fawkes, there is already a transcript of Jeremy Paxman's telephone interview with David Abrahmas available, you can read the whole interview here, and I think you should, but here are a few key exchanges (I have corrected a couple of the attributions that Guido seems to have got wrong...:

"Paxman: How recently have you been in contact with Gordon Brown’s fundraiser, Jonathan Mendelson?

Abrahams: Well, I’ve just got a letter today through my door in Newcastle, it came at 1.30pm today and it’s a personal message from John Mendelson and I’ll just read you extracts of the letter, it’s in his own hand.

“Dear David thank you for your message which Oliver passed onto me, the party is of course very appreciative of all the support you have given over many years at some point I would like to have the opportunity to talk with you personally about what we are doing and our plans for the time between now and the next general election. I know your diary is very busy but as one of the party’s strongest supporters it is only right that you are kept informed of what we are doing and the priorities that we are assigning to our resources. Any time that your diary allows, when you are next in London, I would very much like to meet to discuss this with you. Warmest regards. John. The Director of General Election Resources.

Paxman: And that letter arrived today

Paxman: And that is contrary to what Geoff Hoon just stated on the program

Abrahams: Absolutely."


"Abrahams: I can’t tell you for sure, because as far as I was concerned, I suggested to my associates that they made donations to the labour party and umm I did mention to the general secretary that I knew people who would support the labour party and I would be instrumental in insuring that donations were forthcoming and that was my role in that specific, for that specific purpose without wanting to get directly involved myself and at the same time until the weekend I didn’t know it was illegal for a person to hasn’t personally donated to declare his hand to the electoral commission otherwise I most certainly wouldn’t have contributed in this way"


What more is there to emerge on this story? How will Gordon Brown be able to defend his innocence at PMQs at noon today? Will Harriet Harman be sacrificed, will that be enough? Is it too late to put money on Jack Straw becoming the next PM?