Black could get messy for Boris

The Beeb is reporting that a quartet of Labour MPs have tabled questions in the Commons about Boris Johnson's somewhat ill-advised character reference for his old boss, Lord Black. Our Boris is among a number of references being presented in New York (others include William Hague and, er, Elton John). Black's defence lawyers are hoping that bumbling representations from potential London mayors might make the judge lenient when it comes to sentencing in a few day's time.

Given the Conservatives' somewhat checkered history with London, mayors and fraud, this would seem to be odd timing. But Boris has always been close to Black, whose fragrant wife Barbara Amiel once held a party in celebration of "the Boris Johnson phenomenon." An Elton John party for Boris Johnson - that's what we all really want to see, please.