To celebrate International Women’s Day Guido thought he would share an intimate email exchange between close friends, all devout feminists,  in the run up to last year’s event.  Draper was working away at LabourList and thought he would titillate the boys a little:

From: James Macintyre
To: Roger Liddle; Derek Draper
Sent: Tuesday, 3 March, 2009 14:38:18
Subject: FW: CV

Roger, Derek, this guy is super bright, and Labour, and finishing an internship with NS this week. If you have a place for him..or if there is anyone you might be able to forward to..

From: Derek Draper
Sent: 03 March 2009 15:14
To: James Macintyre; Roger Liddle

is he cute though?

www.labourlist.org
www.flowvideo.co.uk
www.diy-therapy.com
020 7486 ████
MIND Journalist of the Year 2007/8

From: James Macintyre
To: Derek Draper; Roger Liddle
Sent: Tuesday, 3 March, 2009 15:07:35

I knew that would be your response!

From: Derek Draper
Sent: 03 March 2009 15:19
To: James Macintyre; Roger Liddle

what’s the answer, though?

(if you are single you should pop in here on friday morning as we have the delectable rowenna davies here guest editing labourlist for international womens day)

fowrad to a harman led labour party

x

From: James Macintyre
To: Derek Draper; Roger Liddle
Sent: Tuesday, 3 March, 2009 15:15:49

He is very tall, handsome in a bookish sort of way. Very █████ and █████.

I am very much single and in need to remedy that. I ███ █████ ███ ██ Friday – who is this woman? Otherwise will have to try and pull Harman..

x

From: Derek Draper
Sent: 03 March 2009 15:26
To: James Macintyre; Roger Liddle

he sounds like a queer

(she says she’s a freelance journalist, quite lefty, very beautiful)

From: James Macintyre
To: Derek Draper
Sent: Tuesday, 3 March, 2009 15:24:35

well you called her delectable then appeared not to know her – anyway i see she is now v v fit – ridiculously beautiful – why she editing it – so you can look at her?

NO BECAUSE I AM LEADING A RADICAL OONLINE MOVEMENTA ND I HAVE ALWAYS EMBREACED THE FEMINIST CAUSE

thanks for emailing the labour woman – please let me know what her response is however negative – even if she says “i have heard he is a total wanker” as i know she will reply to you. x

OK

No wonder Ms. Davies wasn’t too impressed with her day in the office, she later wrote:  “When I first met the site’s regular editor Derek Draper and his all-male staff to discuss potential questions for an online survey, he suggested with a grin that I ask “Is domestic violence always wrong?” and then spent the rest of the afternoon trying to set me up with James Purnell.”  Clearly a confused bunch.

Happy Women’s Day everyone…

*Some parts redacted on taste grounds.