Baroness Young, a Labour Peer, was yet again “used” in a horrific smear campaign by the Conservatives last week over the Prof Sir Bruce Keogh Mortality Review. Needless to say, Baroness Young was not mentioned either in the Keogh mortality review.

This is an extract from Hansard.

The specific issue is about whether there was ministerial pressure, not the Civil Service.

And this was Baroness’ Young furious reply to her previous mention in Prime Minister’s Question Time:

And, already, it is reported that Bruce Keogh privately apologised to Andy Burnham MP in yesterday’s Guardian:

“It is understood that Keogh was furious that his findings had been used to blame Labour for the unnecessary deaths of 13,000 patients, a figure that he did not recognise. Keogh was overheard apologising to Burnham, the former Labour health secretary at the centre of the attacks, when the two men were at government offices on Millbank, where the Sky and BBC political teams are based.

A source at the offices said Keogh told Burnham, “Andy, I’m so sorry”, and appeared to show his disgust at what Keogh described as a “political operation”. Burnham was overheard insisting that Keogh had “nothing to apologise for”, adding: “It’s a good report.””

Last week was a low-point in a vehement smear campaign against Andy Burnham MP. Jamie Reed MP has a done an excellent article for LabourList, entitled “The Anatomy of a Lie”. Twitter possibly saw the biggest brunt of it last week.