Time Healeys all wounds

Intriguing gossip reaches the Westmonster lugholes regarding last night's "most influential people in local government event," hosted by the Local Government Chronicle at County Hall.

In attendance were the brightest of the local government glitterati, although curiously the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government the Right Honourable Hazel Blears was not in attendance in spite of having initially accepted an invitation. We understand that Karen Day (editor of the LGC) - standing proudly in front of some Dali-style sketches of naked bazongas - added to the slightly Freudian feel of the announcement by treating the audience to an extremely enthusiastic, er, climax to the top three.

And in third place ... the Rt Hon Hazel Blears, Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local ... et cetera, followed by LGA chief and Westminster leader, Simon Milton in second. And in first? Step forward John Healey, Minister for Local Government and winner of the first place in this year's awards.

Er... John?

Unfortunately Healey couldn't step up and accept his gold star, apparently because his invitation never arrived and he was consequently unaware the ceremony was happening.

Why? Well, it's rumoured that a new rule has been put in place at the DCLG, whereby invitations to junior Ministers now have to be routed through la Blears' office, and somehow it appears that John's invitation got "lost" in the shuffle. Curious, huh?

Even more curious was Hazel's decision to jibb on the event at the last minute as she had to be somewhere else - coincidentally at the same time we understand she learned of her deputy's preferment. Adding insult to injury, in the glossy brochure that was handed out at the event, the Secretary of State was described as the MP for Wigan.

We're sure her constituents in Salford will be delighted at that one.

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 2 Nov 2007 2:07 PM. Permalink