Former LibDem colleagues of the Observer’s data harvesting whistleblower have some interesting stories to tell. The party will not comment on staffing matters but a LibDem source says Chris Wylie was employed on a fixed-term contract which was not renewed. It is fair to say they were unimpressed with his work. One former colleague recalls: “We did not renew his contract because he is a compulsive bullsh*tter and doesn’t know what he’s talking about”. The Observer reported that their man was “working inside government with the LibDems as a political strategist”. Yet Sean Kemp, who really did work inside government with Nick Clegg, recalls:

I never met him while he was ‘working as a strategist for the Lib Dems in government’.

— Sean Kemp (@Sean_Kemp) March 23, 2018

Former LibDem spinner Ben Rathe offers this verdict:

Chris Wylie thinks he’s Edward Snowden, when he’s actually Walter Mitty. https://t.co/uMtvodPgkh

— Ben Rathe (@benrathe) March 23, 2018

Kemp and Rathe are two of the most trusted and respected former spinners in Westminster.

This afternoon Guido revealed how Wylie had personally offered to harvest data for Vote Leave, despite now describing the practice as “grossly unethical”. Did Carole Cadwalladr and the Observer not think to check any of this?