Labour Women Kick Gordon Where It Hurts

The Chipmunk has got him by the nuts.

YouTube if you want to, but it is no substitute for knocking on doors or setting up a stall in the town centre,"Labour ministers have a collective responsibility for the government's lamentable failure to get our message across... Whatever the problems of the recession, the answer is not more government documents or big speeches

Kate Hoey kicks him in the balls.

I don't think many people talk to the PM about much...There is genuine confusion at the heart of our understanding of what he's trying to do, and he's been too quick to react when he's been criticised. The classic example was the YouTube appearance. He should never have done that...The problem is there's no real leader that we can coalesce around. I think if we do extremely badly in the European elections, there's no doubt about it people will start talking again... Our country economically is in such a terrible position, people are feeling 'how could things get worse?' It's not inconceivable that the Tories winning won't be greeted in the same way as if the Tories had been winning eight years ago... Would I be devastated?' No absolutely not.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, a Labour MP has apparently claimed the cost of a sauna on expenses. Wonder if that came with "extras"...

UPDATE: And the House of Commons is censoring details of expense claims.

UPDATE: The Mail on Sunday reports that Peter Mandelson had to calm an angry Gordon Brown after he lost his temper following TV interviews during the week and that Charles Clarke is calling for Ed Balls and Tom Watson to be sacked. it;s all kciking off, isn't it?

UPDATE: The Sunday Times reports that Labour Peer Baroness Uddin has claimed £100,000 for a flat which is empty. I never knew Peers had a second home allowance.

Pot, Kettle, Black

So Ken called Kate Hoey a "semi-detached member of Labour". Hmmm. That was him a few years ago. At that point he seemed to make a virtue out of it. Rattled is the word which comes to mind.

Hoey's action really presents Labour with a dilemma. With Gordon Brown having made a virtue of GOATS (Government Of All The Talents) they can hardly complain when Boris seeks to be inclusive too. But Labour MPs will be hopping mad and seeking retribution. There will be demands for the whip to be withdrawn on the pretext of her semi-endorsement of a non Labour candidate. You can bet your bottom dollar that they won't do it until after Thursday, though.

Breaking News: Kate Hoey to Join Team Boris

Boris Johnson has just announced on LBC that Kate Hoey would join his administration as a Non Executive Director in charge of promoting competitive sport and monitoring the Olympics.

I imagine this will now result in the Labour whip being withdrawn from her. Could a full defection then follow?

UPDATE: Rather hilariously, LBC didn't seem to recognise that they had a major exclusive and didn't mention it in their 9am news bulletin.