John Duggan is an inept Press Officer working for the Labour Party.
Background[]
Personal[]
He was once married to an unnamed woman. However, in Series 4 he announces he is recently divorced.
Professional[]
He was hired as a Press Officer by the Labour Party, to deal with press and communications issues pertaining to party politics, something the politically neutral Civil Service is unable to do. However, he has been shown to be inept in these duties.
Series 3[]
Episode 3[]
Duggan is first introduced at the party conference in Eastbourne, meeting with Nicola Murray and her staff in Glenn Cullen's hotel room. He remarks about photographs in the press taken of her and her family on their recent holiday to Sussex (they wanted to go to Florida but Malcolm Tucker felt it would play better holidaying domestically).
He is due to meet Julie Price, who he misnames as "Julie Prince" and liaise with her for an appearance in Nicola's speech. Nicola Murray then asks him to stay on top of a news story about Peter Mannion, who is due to go on a second holiday despite criticising the current government for lack of effort. Duggan initially misinterprets Murray stating Mannion is "swanning around on a friends massive yacht" to mean that he is a closeted homosexual. He then tries to avoid the extra job, stating that with the conference his to do list is longer than a "big willy", for which he is admonished by Nicola, who reminds him it is his job. He then makes a "Duggan Promise" to sort it out, which both Murray, Glenn Cullen and Ollie Reeder agree means he won't do anything. After briefly leaving he then returns to ask who Julie Price actually is, and then joins Ollie in making cafe related jokes about her late husband. Not wanting her to be put off, Glenn volunteers to accompany Duggan to meet her.
Later he meets with Malcolm Tucker, who tells him to leak to the press that it is Prime Minister Tom Davis who has brought Julie Price to the conference, not Nicola. When John remarks thats not strictly true, Tucker replies that Strictly Come Dancing isnt strictly dancing, theres a bit where an old man dribbles. Duggan doesnt follow the joke. When Glenn Cullen asks is he is part of Malcolms plan to poach Julie for the PM's speech he claims he is not, but just following orders like a Nazi guard, and then does a Hitler salute. Immediately after he asks Julie if she is Jewish, and when she responds in the negative breathes a sigh of relief. Escorting her away from the argument, he remarks she could have a coffee, then apologises for bringing up bad memories of her husband (who died when a cafe collapsed).
After an altercation which results in Malcolm punching Glenn Cullen in the face, he remarks about how he has so much on already, then goes on to claim it is a myth that you can break your nose. He is later confronted by Malcolm Tucker again in a hotel room toilet, accused of leaking the story of Malcolm punching Glenn to the press. He denies this, despite Malcolms threats, but does reveal the incident has been dubbed "Fistygate".