Cameron aide ‘was unwell before leaked memo row’

Source says Christopher Shale who was found dead in a Glastonbury festival toilet had felt ill the day before An aide to David Cameron who was found dead in a Glastonbury festival toilet had been feeling ill before he found out his strident criticism of the Tory party had been leaked to the press, it was claimed on Monday . Christopher Shale, the 56-year-old chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative Association, was contacted about the leak by senior officials from the party and Downing Street shortly before he died. But a source close to his widow, Nikki, said on Monday evening “he hadn’t been feeling great” on Saturday before he responded to calls about the potentially damaging story about to appear in the Mail on Sunday. A coroner has ordered toxicology tests after an initial postmortem examination proved inconclusive. The cause of death was “unascertained” pending further histology and toxicology tests, coroner’s officer Ben Batley said in a hearing on Monday at Wells town hall. A spokesman for Avon and Somerset police said the results could take seven to 10 days to come back. Batley said there was “no suspicion of foul play” and that it was common for such tests to be ordered even when it was thought death was due to natural causes. Tony Williams, the coroner for East Somerset, said he was confident it was appropriate to release the body to the family, who live near the small village of Over Worton, around six miles from the prime minister’s constituency home. Shale was pronounced dead at 9.17am on Sunday by an ambulance service worker, the inquest heard. He was identified by his wife, who had alerted police to his disappearance on Saturday evening. Shortly after his body was found, the festival organiser, Michael Eavis, told a press conference the death appeared to be suicide, but this was quickly dismissed by police and friends of Shale, who said he appeared to have suffered a heart attack. Glastonbury officials said on Monday that Eavis had not been briefed before he made the statement and the remark may have been informed by the Glastonbury rumour mill and was not supported by evidence. It is understood he apologised to Shale’s family. Details emerged on Monday of Shale’s last hours. At just before midday, Richard Langridge, the deputy chairman of the West Oxfordshire Conservative Association, had left a message on Shale’s mobile phone asking him to call back. At around 12.30pm Shale told his wife he needed to make a call and would be back for lunch. Langridge told Shale that James Forsyth, a political writer on the Mail on Sunday, wanted to talk to him about a story planned for the next day’s paper which was based on a leaked report, written by Shale, which was critical of the Conservatives’ appeal to potential members. It was the first he had heard of the story, Langridge said. Shale appeared “a little bit cross and a little bit disappointed that a confidential paper had been leaked to the national press,” Langridge said, but added “he didn’t seem unduly concerned”. In the following minutes Shale spoke to the prime minister’s political agent in his Witney constituency, Barry Norton, and a Downing Street adviser to ask what he should do about the story. He was advised to contact Conservative Central Office. Gabby Bertin, Cameron’s press secretary also left a message on his mobile phone warning him not to speak to other journalists about it, but it is not known if he received it. After making his calls it is believed Shale went to the toilets where he was found shortly before 9am on Sunday with the door locked and his body slumped forward. “He was a very devoted family man,” said Lord Chadlington, a family friend who lives near Shale. “The most important thing in his life was the family and the three children. They are absolutely devastated to lose him. It is so desperately sad.” The inquest was formally opened and adjourned to a later date. Christopher Shale Conservatives Glastonbury festival Robert Booth Steven Morris guardian.co.uk

Posted by on June 27, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.