Department for the Tyburn Jig

The spirit of Douglas Adams enters the Big Tent

Jacqui Smith has announced that the pre-charge detention period for terrorism suspects is to be raised to 78, no, 56 ... er, doesn't sound quite right, no wait - 42 days. Definitely 42 is the number the Home Office is going for. Sound. Fraser Nelson asks the question: why the… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Dec 2007 1:06 PM. Permalink

Our Friends North of the Border

The Curse of Glasgow Cathcart

News reaches us via the Spectator CoffeeHouse and Liberal Democrat Voice that the media may have an opportunity to scalp a politician over the "dodgy donations" fiasco afterall. Charlie Gordon MSP is in further trouble over the now notorious Paul Green donation for £1.67p: the Daily Record reports that Green… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Dec 2007 9:58 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Meedja on the Insanity Pills

Tinfoil hattery at the CoffeeHouse

[Disclaimer: we are actually big fans of the CoffeeHouse. But this was just hilarious] Amazing scenes on last night's News At Ten, which had all of us here at the Spectator spluttering into our sherries in indignation.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 3:20 PM. 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

Points, In Order

The pitfalls of a democratic system

BONG! The Spectator CoffeeHouse and the new Telegraph blog, Three Line Whip, agree that the Gord can't sack Harman even if he wanted to as she was democratically elected by the membership, and it would be up to them to decide whether to remove her. As deputy leader, the Labour… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 28 Nov 2007 5:27 PM. There are 4 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

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

Don't Look Ethel!

A rift in the Union

The Oxford Union event on free speech, to which Holocaust denier David Irving and BNP leader Nick Griffin have been invited to start channelling Voltaire, has produced much comment on the blogosphere and beyond. James Forsyth in the Spectator draws the distinction between the freedom of speech which is a… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 26 Nov 2007 2:45 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Belated round-up

Apologies for the delay, Westmonster's been battling with sommat nasty this morning. Anyway, the woes of the Gord have been obscured momentarily by the woes of Steve McClaren, who managed to assist the roaringly excellent feel-good factor in Blighty (this is sarcasm) at the moment by leading his team to a… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 22 Nov 2007 10:41 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Remembrance Sunday roundup

BONG! Old sins cast long shadows: the Spectator Coffeehouse on the past of recently rehabilitated Jonathan Aitken. BONG! An ICM poll sees the Conservatives up three at 43, the LibDems down three at 15, and the comrades flatlining on 35. Apparently these figures would just about give the Tories a majority… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 11 Nov 2007 6:12 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

House Up (but not in the commuter belt)

BONG! In the debate on the Queen's Speech today, attention was turned to (amongst other things) new-build housing. The Tories were all: what do we want? Lots of new housing! Where do we want it? Nowhere near my million pound pad thank you very much! BONG! The inter-party slapping over… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 8 Nov 2007 6:25 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Kings Dangling and Lords A-Leaping

The Spectator on how Lord Malloch-Brown is spending taxpayers' money on those chunky chocolate chip cookies that are about two quid for five, rather than the Tesco's own-brand rich tea. For shame! The Times reports a double-whammy perpetrated on Jacqui Smith yesterday: mauled by Basher Davis in the Justice… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 8 Nov 2007 8:45 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Points, In Order

Brenda plays Westminster

BONG! Roundup on the Queen's Speech first, kids: the Telegraph has a transcript, Peter Kenyon wonders what will happen to party finance reform, Nick Robinson reckons that the Gord was warned to be on his best behaviour and play nicely with little Davy Cameron but Davy reciprocates by whipping out the sling-shot nevertheless, the… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Nov 2007 5:26 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Rubbish and Her Maj's mysterious illness

BONG! Ken weighs in on the pay-as-you-go rubbish policy and is all, "it's rubbish!" BONG! Queen's Speech tomorrow folks, and the Guardian has this summary of expected announcements. BONG! On the subject of Her Maj, the Telegraph (who else?) has another of their cracking headlines: "Windsor Foot and Mouth relief… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Nov 2007 6:01 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Sexport and sleaze

BONG! Guido on Lord Hoyle's dodgy little earner. All together now: Labour sleaze! Sotto voce: and the Tories don't come out of it unscathed either. BONG! Stop the presses! As if the news that Paddy Ashdown (who's got to the stage that all politicians reach eventually: he's started believing his own… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 26 Oct 2007 6:26 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

No slap: Pelling beats rap

BONG! No charges to be brought against Conservative MP Andrew Pelling, accused of beating his 26-year-old wife. BONG! Chris Doidge on how it really, really wasn't the LibDem MPs' fault that Ming ended up witha twelve-inch carving knife in his back. They swear. BONG! Nad Dorries posts her usual word-salad. Westmonster… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 20 Oct 2007 8:50 PM. Permalink

News from the United Federation of Muesli Knitters

LibDems: the phoney war begins

After yesterday's excitement with Gord going all "grrrrr! Smash!" on Cameron's ass and the consequent Bear Metaphor Massacre in the broadsheets, it looks like the ladies and gentlemen of the fourth estate have feasted well and are now looking for dessert elsewhere. Whilst Ming Campbell might not look like a… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 11 Oct 2007 3:05 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

The end of a long day in politics

BONG! Those geniuses (genii?) at Labour HQ have discovered another way to irritate the electorate - all hail! Not only are members of the public subjected to a form of market research (called Voter ID) when they open the door to a red rosette-wearing canvasser, but now they've removed the need… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 8 Oct 2007 5:25 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Brown's day from hell

If you think your Monday's bad, check out Brown's diary: he'll get a hard time at the Downing Street press conference this morning, suffer heckles as he makes his Iraq statement (again, but in the Chamber this time), and finish off with addressing several hundred belligerent Labour MPs in the… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 8 Oct 2007 7:12 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

It polls for thee, Gordon

BONG! Much drama over at Iain Dale's where unconfirmed rumours are flying that tomorrow's poll for the Guardian puts the Tories ahead by three points. UK Polling Report... erm... reports that Dale's numbers were based on interim results and the final numbers will reflect a small Labour lead. More polls filtering in… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Oct 2007 5:20 PM. Permalink

Westmonster: “Spectator Coffeehouse”