Ming Slams Bromley LibDems

The Scotsman reports that LibDem leader Ming Campbell has apologised for the fact that Bromley & Chislehurst LibDems are already campaigning, before Eric Forth's funeral has taken place...

"Sir Menzies Campbell, the Liberal Democrat leader, lambasted his own party yesterday for starting to campaign for a by-election just days after the death of the Tory MP Eric Forth... Sir Menzies paid tribute to him, telling journalists: "Eric Forth was a friend of mine. He was born within a mile of where I was born. I deprecate any effort to begin electioneering under any circumstances in any by-election until the writ has been moved by the party with responsibility for doing so." ...The by-election is expected to take place on 29 June."

Well done to Ming - a true sign of leadership. And I never thought I'd see myself writing that.

This Should be Today's Sun Front Page

Hat-tip Beau Bo D'Or

Adam Boulton on the Little Red Book

Click HERE to read Adam Boulton's Blog on the Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze. He givces a detailed assessment of the merit's of this blog, Guido's and ConservativeHome. Tomorrow night I'll be on Adam's PMQs programme on Sky News at 9.30pm talking about the book.

Cherie Story Hits the Headlines at Last

Have been outof action for several hours but I gather the blog campaign to highlight the Cherie/Hutton story has succeeded rather well. Well done everybody! I am told by the ITN Westminster team that they will be covering it on their 10.30 programme.
From Iain Dale's Blackberry

Stewart Jackson Tables EDM on Cherie Gaffe

CONDUCT OF LABOUR HON. MEMBERS AT MAY 2006 FUNDRAISER
22.05.2006 Early Day Motion 2224

Jackson, Stewart
Stuart, Graham

That this House notes that senior members of the Labour Party including hon. Members and Government Ministers attended a party fundraising event last week at the Arts Club in Mayfair; further notes that a copy of the official report by Lord Hutton into the death of Government scientist Dr David Kelly, signed by Ms Cherie Booth QC, was auctioned for party funds raising £400; believes this conduct to be in appalling bad taste, arrogant and crassly insensitive in seeking to make money, albeit indirectly, through hawking, as a novelty item, an official Government report into the death of a public servant; regrets the distress caused to the family and friends of the late Dr Kelly; calls on the Labour Party to apologise for such tasteless and offensive conduct and to donate the money raised to an appropriate charity; and deprecates such conduct by hon. Members.

UPDATE: Ceefax are now covering the story too.

Cherie & the Hutton Report: It's Up to the Blogs to Make it Hit the Fan

Yesterday I reported on the sick scandal of Cherie Blair and Alastair Campbell signing a copy of the Hutton Report for auction at a Labour Party fundraising dinner last week. Click HERE to read the original post from yesterday. I expressed astonishment that none of the mainstream media had followed up Jonathan Oliver's Mail on Sunday story. A correspondent has just emailed me to say that BBC London is now running it on its news bulletins today and Vanessa Feltz (!) is covering it on her phone-in. I'd encourage everyone reading this who has a blog to post something on it and for people to encourage any journalists they know to write about it. The whole country should be demanding an apology from Cherie - and preferably without her having to take an onion out of her pocket this time. Why, oh why didn't I hold off publishing the Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze for a week? Mind you, the way things are lookingI could be saying that every week... Graphic hat-tip Tormedia

Front Page of The Sun As Predicted

As I predicted yesterday The Sun's front page headline today claims that it was The Sun who precipitated Tony McNulty's removal as Immigration Minister. The headline reads OUT ON HIS ASS-YLUM - VICTORY FOR THE SUN. One for the McNulty downstairs loo wall perhaps?

Oaten Searches for Himself: Part 94

Mark Oaten will psycholanalyse himself tomorrow (Tuesday) on Newsnight. He says: "I want to understand why politicians come off the rails". Oh, I can't wait. Nor, I am sure can all my Liberal Democrat friends. Can no one stop this slo-mo car crash?

Apparently I Should be Moving to Canada

This quiz tells me that Canada is the country I should move to if ever I decided to emigrate. Make of that what you will!

Click HERE to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

Tony McNulty: It Woz The Sun Wot Done It

So Tony McNulty has been made the sacrificial lamb for the Government's various immigration cock ups. He will have seen the writing on the wall when he saw his picture on the front page of The Sun today alongside the headline "Immigration Chief's Job On the Line". I wouldn't put it past John Reid to have leaked his move to The Sun yesterday. McNulty will now be responsible for Police reform and the new Minister of State in that job, Liam Byrne moves to take on immigration (after less than two weeks in the Police job). You can rearrange the deckchairs all you like, but it's the icebergs that need destroying. David Davis made a very pertinent comment tonight when he said that if Mr McNulty "is not good enough to run the immigration department, how will he be capable of running the police force?" On a personal level I feel for Tony McNulty as he's a bit of a mate. Although he's seen as a bit of a thug by many in my Party he's very good company and he will be feeling somewhat humiliated tonight. But obviously not enough to resign.

Happy 65th Birthday to Sir Menzies Campbell

Trade Union Threatens to Blackmail Labour Party

Now I know this might be considered an old-fashioned view, but I always thought that trade unions were supposed to act in the interests of their members. It's interesting to note therefore that the Communication Workers Union has blackmailed threatened the Labour Party with the withdrawal of its financial support (worth several hundred thousand pounds a year) if the Government doesn't withdraw plans for Royal Mail to issue shares to CWU members. Perish the thought that trade unions would actually rather like to own shares in the business they work in!

John Prescott's Finger Is On the Button

I gather both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are out of the country today. If you'll pardon the expression, does this mean John Prescott's finger is on the button? (enough - ed)

Francis Maude on Tory Radio

Jonathan Sheppard has an interview with Francis Maude on Tory Radio HERE. The Party Chairman is coming in for some flak in the papers at the moment. In a way this is not surprising as it is part of the Party Chairman's job to act as a lightning rod for the leader. That was Norman Tebbitt's role under Margaret Thatcher. However, that relationship deteriorated when people around Mrs T persuaded her that Norman Tebbitt had an agenda of his own. She then brought in Lord Young to keep an eye on goings on at CCO. The Telegraph are trying to make out this is what is behind Steve Hilton's move to CCHQ. It's nothing of the sort. With Nick Pisani now in place it is an obvious thing for Hilton to do. It is simply not possible in the long term to run the Party's communications effort from the Leader's Office. I suspect that far from viewing Steve Hilton's presence as a threat, Francis Maude will positively welcome it.

Cherie Scrapes the Barrell by Signing Hutton Report for Auction

Yesterday I rather regretted sending the Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze to print so quickly. The Mail on Sunday had enough material to add at least another dozen pages to it. The story which most caught my eye was jaw-droppingly sleaze-tastic and makes you realise how far some of the leading New Labour people have been removed from reality. It seems that Cherie Blair and Alastair Campbell signed a copy of the Hutton Report to be auctioned at a Labour fund raiser last week. Surely a moment's thought would have set alarm bells ringing in their minds? Obviously not. And in another 'you couldn't make it up moment' the item was actually auctioned off by Chris 'underpants' Bryant for £400. Nice to see New Labour figures profiting from the death of Dr David Kelly. But it wasn't the first time, apparently. In his auction patter Bryant said that it wasn't the first time the Hutton Report had been sold to aid party funds and that people could always make their money back on the auction by putting it on Ebay. Have these people no shame?

UPDATE 1pm: This piece seems to have caused such outrage that I'm reprinting selected exercpts of the article by the Mail on Sunday's Jonathan Oliver below...

Cherie Blair was last night accused of 'bad taste' amd 'insensitivity'after helping the Labour Party to cash in on the suicide of Governmet scientist Dr David Kelly. Mrs Blair signed a copy of the Hutton Report into the weapons inspector's death, which was then auctioned off to raise money for the party. The document, which was also signed by Alastair Campbell, fetched £400 at an after dinner auction. Last night Reg Keays, whose Red Cap son Tom was killed by an Iraqi mob in 2003 said: "Cherie and Campbell have shown very bad taste. The coffins draped in the Union flag are still returning from Iraq. To auction off a report which inquired into the suicide of a very eminent, respected scoientist is effectively profting from other people's misery. But themn that is just typical of this government's attitude." Mrs Blair also came under fire from Labour MPs, shocked at the way the tragedy which rocked the government was now the subject of jokey fundraising events. Jeremy Corbyn MP said: "It is incredibly insensitive and in seriously bad taste. The Hutton Report is not a triumph of anything except obfuscation and secrecy." The auction took place on Wednesday at London's Arts Club in mayfair and was organised by James Purnell, the newly promoted pensions minister. The auctioneer was Rhondda MP Chris Bryant who explained to the audience this was not the first time a Hutton Report had been sold for party funds. To excite interest in the sale he pointed out that even unsigned copies cost £70 from HMSO. He boasted that at the previous event the buyer was able to make a profit by reselling the document signed by Alastair Campbell on Ebay. But Mr Bryant insisted this year's lot was unique becasue it also bore the imprint of Mrs Blair. One guest told the Mil on Sunday: "Even at the time there were a lot of people wondering whether it was really appropriate - even in jest." Among the 200 guests were Rosie Winterton, Gerry Sutcliffe and Tom Watson.

UPDATE: 2.30pm Some people seem to be so shocked by this that they believe I have made it up! For this reason I have scanned the article from the Mail on Sunday (see above!). I'm astonished it hasn't been followed up by other papers today. We ought to be looking forward to another tearful apology from Cherie...

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Newsnight Tribute to Eric Forth

Hat-tip Biased BBC

The Mark Oaten Saga Continues: No 94

One of the papers says today that Mark Oaten has been hawking around an article about his recent family holiday at Disneyworld. I hope he will avoid the slightly unfortunate quote he made to his local paper, the Hampshire Chronicle, recently. It read:

"Young people in particular feel forced to leave Winchester when they leave home as they cannot afford the rent."

Best to avoid that qword, I would have thought. Do make sure you have lunch before you watch the Daily Politics on Tuesday. We get to see Mr Oaten 'working out' in a Westminster gym. Just when we thought he couldn't make a bigger fool of himself he seems determined to prove us wrong.

UPDATE 5pm: Mark Oaten's beloved Watford FC have just been promoted to the Premier League, so at least he's got something to celebrate at last.

John Prescott's Lardi New Career

It was reported in the newspapers ysterday that John Prescott had flown to Finland on Friday on urgent diplomatic business, the nature of which no one seemed to know. Indeed, Europe Minister Geoff Hoon was incensed to find out about the trip as Prescott's office had failed to inform them. Still, that's the sort of thing that can happen when you're without a diary secretary. But I can exclusively reveal that Prescott had flown to Finland to join up with Eurovision rockers Lordi (now to be renamed Lardi) and collect his mask for last night's winning performance. The resemblance is uncanny...

Why is Jack Dromey Newsworthy?

The BBC News just carried a report on Jack Dromey's comments proposing an amnesty for illegal immigrants. They described him as a 'senior union official', conveniently forgetting the fact that he is also Treasurer of the Labour Party. I can see the news value of the Treasurer of the Labour Party saying we should let all illegals immigrants stay. I could even understand the news value of Harriet Harman's husband saying such a think. But what I can't understand is why the remarks of the Deputy General Secretary of a trade union should be remotely newsworthy -unless of course you're a reader of Tribune.