Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Despite strike, oil firms report record profits..

The strike at the Grangemouth oil refinery may cost the industry an estimated £50m a day. The Guardian. The Telegraph. Oil firms such as Shell and BP report profits soaring to around £68bn. The Guardian. It was revealed that home repossessions will increase by more than a quarter this year.… read more…

Written by Oli Anderson on 28 Apr 2008 7:43 AM. Permalink

Ministry For Assigning Blame

Can't touch this

"It was just resting in my account!" The Government goes a bit Father Ted with David Abrahams' money. All £663,975 of it. It's totally going to be paid back. Eventually.… read more…

Written by Westmonster on 14 Dec 2007 8:47 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Unhappy cops, detention flops

The sound coming from our brave police force? It's an unhappy one. Their "trust, morale and goodwill" are all going downhill. The strike ballot's happening today. Labour ministers think Jacqui Smith's a right meanie. There's also the possibility that local council leaders could gain the power to sack police commanders.… read more…

Written by Westmonster on 12 Dec 2007 9:32 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

The Gord: He giveth and he taketh away

The PM paid a surprise visit to Basra yesterday. He's giving the province back to the Iraqis. In time for Christmas!However, he seems to have stolen Christmas from pensioners, says the Daily Mail. And he might also be planning to take binge drinking away from us too. Want to know… read more…

Written by Westmonster on 10 Dec 2007 8:42 AM. Permalink

Department for Kite Flying

Mail tries Teddygate for size

Simon Walters in the Mail is claiming that Blair Stalking Horse (TM) David Miliband tried to stop Muslim peers rescuing the teddy bear teacher from a Sudanese jail. Gist of the story is that the Foreign Office didn't want to rock the boat and argued she was getting out in… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 9 Dec 2007 11:45 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

The Broon mirage?

The vultures continue to circle over the Gord, and this time they're carrying economic statistics!. Gulp. Northern Rock hasn't gone away: a second bidder has pulled out of the process. David Abrahams plays the "is it 'cos I is black?" card and threatens dark happenings if he keeps getting kneed… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 7 Dec 2007 8:32 AM. Permalink

Don't Look Ethel!

Channelling David Icke on CiF

If there's probably one place where you shouldn't mention crackpot Jewish conspiracy theories (even to fisk them) it's Comment is Free, where the commentators can go from the subject of cabbage farming in outer Patagonia to the malign influence of "Israel" on world affairs in one move. With this in… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Dec 2007 10:19 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

"Some of my best friends are members of LFI"

It is the law that whenever more than one Jew is present in any given media story, articles hinting darkly at an "Israeli" (as the euphemism goes) conspiracy must naturally follow. Although it took a few days for the usual suspects to confirm that David Abrahams and Jon Mendelsohn were… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Dec 2007 10:46 AM. There are 3 comments so far. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Morning roundup: UGH edition

Westmonster is ill. Very ill. Not going into details but needless to say that as soon as she's done this belated roundup, she's hot-footing it down the quack. Remember me in your prayers. David Abrahams is still flouncing around, roaring that he'll like, TOTALLY put all his cards on… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Dec 2007 9:44 AM. Permalink

Department for Kite Flying

Failure to deliver

Okay, so what have we missed with this Mail on Sunday article entitled "Exclusive: Labour to launch inquiry into SECOND donor scandal"? We've read it through twice and as far as we can see it should actually be headed with "Nothing to see here, folks. Man who's entitled to legally… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 2 Dec 2007 12:53 PM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

That Was The Week That Was

It's Bean a Long Week

Another Saturday, another roundup, but we're getting a bit fed up of beginning these with "another grim week for the Gord," so until otherwise stated, just take that one as read, folks. Monday dawned with another attempt on the part of the comrades to "relaunch," this time though a speech… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 1 Dec 2007 12:55 PM. There are 6 comments so far. Permalink

Out on the Stump

Sometimes it's hard ... to be a political activist

"Hello, I'm here from your local Labour Party. Have you got time to answer five, quick questions or do you just want to cut to the chase and shout at me for five minutes about "sleaze" as if I were the last outpost of David Abrahams' office in London, a harangue… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 30 Nov 2007 12:46 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Oh Gord, we're in trouble now

The Dodgy Donor Row is getting unseemly, and somewhat complicated so let's try and do this in some sort of chronological/logical order: Peter Hain's checked his wallet and - who'da thunk it? - nestled between a receipt for Mama Amalfi and one for some extra potent bronzing lotion was one that said,… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 30 Nov 2007 8:59 AM. Permalink

Ministry For Finger Pointing

Girls Gone Wild!

Such was the excitement at the scheduled smackdown between Harriet Harman and Theresa May at the Business statement, that here at Westmonster Towers the Colleague consented to turn over from Jeremy Kyle to watch it. The hand of history was briefly on our shoulders. Frivolous frippery first: Theresa May has… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 29 Nov 2007 12:56 PM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Ministry for Madness

A messy Business (statement)

The language our friends in the meedja like to use to create the mood is always a joy. People never express "mild irritation" or "indifference," it's always "FURY!" and likewise, nobody is ever "questioned," they are "grilled." The Gord may well want to grill Harriet Harman (preferably slowly, over a… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 29 Nov 2007 11:00 AM. Permalink

News from the Carlton Club

You Should Not Have Come Back, Gord

Confirmation that the Forces of Darkness (whose earthly manifestation is Tory peer and donor Lord Ashcroft) are behind the Government's recent woes comes from no lesser sage than Ben Brogan: Stepping out of the fray for a moment, I can't help but be impressed by the scale of the operation being run… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 28 Nov 2007 2:45 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Madness

It might have been interesting

A colleague has burst into Westmonster HQ and breathlessly declared that LibDem leadership contender Chris Huhne had "done an Angus MacNeil!" Hurrah! At last, something's happened in this interminable campaign. So, Chris has had to 'fess up to a sordid "heavy petting" session with two winsome teenage lovelies and ... oh. Apparently,… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 28 Nov 2007 2:30 PM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

News From The Big Tent

Osborne squeaks out the Moody Blues

Osborne has told Labour Party fundraiser that he better go now, go now, go now, over the latter's alleged knowledge of Abrahams funding practices. From Nick Robinson: Well well well. A second senior Labour Party official knew about the secret donations by David Abrahams. Jon Mendelson - who was appointed… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 28 Nov 2007 10:44 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

David Abrahams has murdered sleep ...

Sorry this is late; Westmonster's got a problem in her ... Actually, no. You don't want to know. Harriet Harman clings on to power after it is revealed that she accepted £5,000 through an intermediary of David Abrahams. But for how long? Last night, and using no lesser mortal divinity… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 28 Nov 2007 10:12 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Taking bets on who'll do the Business Statement

BONG! Okay, so seriously - what tomorrow: a plague of locusts perhaps? Warts and boils? The Gord's troubles are truly Biblical, and the latest one is slowly but definitely settling around the actions of Harriet Harman (wife of the Labour Party Treasurer) who stands accused of breaching electoral law by… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 27 Nov 2007 6:02 PM. Permalink

Ministry For Feral Media

The Press Conference Massacre

Well, the Gord came roaring out of the sidings, running over the body of former General Secretary Peter Watt (RIP) in the process. Heh: greater love hath no man man than this, that a man lay down his career for his superiors and take the negative briefing from "senior Labour sources"… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 27 Nov 2007 1:44 PM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

News From The Big Tent

Hilary Benn said "no" to Abrahams

Daniel Finkelstein has a question, following the news that a quick Google search later, genial one-time Deputy Leadership candidate Hilary Benn discovered that the money being proffered him by Mr Abrahams through an intermediary wasn't above board: If Mr Benn's campaign knew that there was a link between Kidd and David… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 27 Nov 2007 11:58 AM. Permalink

Westmonster: “David Abrahams”