Text-pest 大臣 公然と apologises まっただ中に rumours he was the 犠牲者 of a dirty tricks （選挙などの）運動をする

By Sam Greenhill for the Daily Mail
Updated: 12:01 BST, 16 September 2008

Ivan 吊りくさび has apologised for 砲撃するing Susie Mason with text messages

Health 大臣 Ivan 吊りくさび has 問題／発行するd a public 陳謝 after 砲撃するing an 補佐官 with suggestive text messages.

Mr 吊りくさび said he was sorry after word 漏れるd of his embarrassing 追跡 of 24-year-old Susie Mason, who worked in his 私的な office in Whitehall.

The civil servant was so upset she complained to her 経営者／支配人s and 結局 やめる working for the 政府 earlier this year.

Mr 吊りくさび 認める he had apologised to 行方不明になる Mason, but 否定するd his text messages had been in any way suggestive.

'In public life, you have to learn to take the rough with the smooth. With regard to this story, it referred to an 問題／発行する which was 解決するd in a 満足な, 極度の慎重さを要する and professional way for all 関心d 15 months ago,' he said.

'As has been 定評のある, 非，不，無 of the text messages 含む／封じ込めるd rude or lewd language of any 肉親，親類d.

'However I apologised because, at a 確かな 行う／開催する／段階, the staff member 伴う／関わるd 明確に felt uncomfortable. Therefore, 説 sorry was the 権利 thing to do.'

に引き続いて the 発覚s, Westminster was abuzz with 憶測 over how and why they had come to light now.

MPs were asking whether there was a 'dirty tricks' （選挙などの）運動をする against Blairite Mr 吊りくさび, who recently infuriated 大臣s by 勧めるing Gordon Brown to 課す a 'supertax' on high earners.

Earlier in the summe r he said the 総理大臣 should stop 存在 'timid' and show stronger leadership.

The episode with 行方不明になる Mason happened last year, as Mr 吊りくさび was approaching 40.

He had already shocked 同僚s by leaving his wife of 16 years, Juliette, and their two sons for Margaret Gibb, a married 地元の 議員 11 years his 上級の.

The 事件／事情／状勢 with Mrs Gibb fizzled out, however, and the 大臣 has since been living with his father Joel.

行方不明になる Mason, now 25, was 任命するd one of Mr 吊りくさび's two assistant 私的な 長官s after he became a Health Department 大臣 in May 2006.

A Whitehall source said: 'He was 明白に attracted to Susie but his behaviour went 井戸／弁護士席 beyond 許容できる office 境界s.

'It wasn't just one or two messages - there were dozens, and the content was overfamiliar. It must have spooked her enormously.'

行方不明になる Mason, who was educated at Birmingham's King Edward VI High School for Girls and York University, is thought to be staying with her parents at their £300,000 five-bedroom detached home in Stourbridge, West Midlands.

Her father Peter, a company director, said neither he nor his daughter would be making any comment, 追加するing: 'Susie has a new 職業 now. It is all in the past for her.'

A friend of the family said: 'Susie did nothing to lead the 大臣 on. I know she had been looking 今後 to working in the 政府, and it's a shame this has 軍隊d her to やめる.'

The 発覚 is the 最新の blow to Mr Brown's 試みる／企てる to 開始する an autumn 再発進する.

It is understood the 出来事/事件 was 報告（する）／憶測d to 閣僚 Office 公式の／役人s at the time but no 活動／戦闘 was taken against Mr 吊りくさび.

The position of assistant 私的な 長官 is 近づく the 底（に届く） of the Civil Service career ladder but is seen as a stepping 石／投石する to 急速な／放蕩な 昇進／宣伝.

After 行方不明になる Mason made her （民事の）告訴, she was moved to a わずかに junior position どこかよそで in the department before 存在 申し込む／申し出d a 職業 同等（の） to her former status.

But she 拒絶する／低下するd the 申し込む／申し出 and 辞職するd six months ago to join accountants PricewaterhouseCoopers, telling friends she had gone for 'a big 支払う／賃金 rise'.

The Department of Health said yesterday: 'A member of staff in the 私的な office of Ivan 吊りくさび 知らせるd her 経営者／支配人s she was unhappy with the nature of her working 関係 with the 大臣.

'The 状況／情勢 was 扱うd in 十分な 一致 with the 従業員's wishes. She raised no formal （民事の）告訴 against the 大臣.

'It was in that 状況 that the 決定／判定勝ち（する） was taken not to 追求する the 事柄.

'She was a hard-working, 極端に competent 従業員 and we were sad to see her subsequently leave. The 大臣 apologises unreservedly.'

Mr 吊りくさび's father, who lives in Prestwich, Greater Manchester, defended his son but said he 恐れるd his political career has been 廃虚d.

He said: 'I 港／避難所't seen Ivan since Friday - he has rung me since this story broke, but I don't know when he'll be 支援する.'

政府 insiders 主張するd there had been no 試みる／企てる to smear Mr 吊りくさび. They said the story （機の）カム out 簡単に because enough people at Westminster had heard about it.