1. 5 updates

Publisher cautioned for assault

Iain Dale, the publisher of Gordon Brown spin Damian McBride's memoirs and political blogger, has received a police caution after admitting common assault over a scuffle with a protester during a live television interview in Brighton.

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Iain Dale to make donation to protester's charity

Iain Dale, the publisher of Gordon Brown spin Damian McBride's memoirs and political blogger, has accepted a police caution for assaulting a protester as Mr McBride was being interviewed by Daybreak.

In a statement on his site, he has apologised for his actions:

I want to apologise and say sorry to Stuart Holmes, who is a passionate campaigner and well known to everyone who attends party conferences and was perfectly entitled to do as he did on Tuesday in trying to get attention for his causes.

It was totally out of character for me to react to him in the way I did.

I also want to apologise for the blogpost I wrote after the incident.

It was full of absurd bravado and in the heat of the moment I behaved in a frankly idiotic way.

In addition, having accepted my guilt, I feel I should make some sort of reparation to Mr Holmes.

I will pay for a new placard for him and also make a donation to a charity of his choice.

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Police quiz man over 'Brighton seafront assault'

Sussex Police say they have questioned a man, believed to be Damian McBride's book publisher Iain Dale, over an "assault" on Brighton seafront:

Dale scuffled with anti-nuclear protester Stuart Holmes yesterday as he tried to get the veteran campaigner's banner out of shot while former spin doctor McBride gave a live television interview.

More: Police action over Dale scuffle

Police seek to question McBride publisher Iain Dale

Iain Dale scuffles with protester Stuart Holmes before the pair fell to the ground. Credit: PA

The publisher of Damian McBride's memoirs is facing questions from police after tussling with a protester as the former spin doctor gave a live television interview.

Iain Dale, of Biteback Publishing, scuffled with Stuart Holmes on Brighton seafront as he tried to get the veteran campaigner's anti-nuclear banner out of shot.

Sussex Police said this evening it was "seeking to interview a man in connection with an assault".

Mr Dale, writing on his blog, said the protester - a familiar face to conference-goers for 30 years - was an "idiot" and said he had only done "what any self-respecting publisher would do" by stepping in.

Watch video of the incident

Anti-nuclear protester tackled to ground by journalist

An anti-nuclear protester who kept popping up in interviews behind former spin doctor Damian McBride was tackled to the ground by blogger Iain Dale after refusing to move.

Dale, who is also McBride's publisher, says he intervened in order to protect the author.

The scuffle happened on Brighton seafront this morning on the fringes of the Labour party conference.

Iain Dale gives his account of the episode on his blog

The protester can be seen in the background in this interview

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