Ministry for Throwing People Under The Bus

Top 5 clues Peter Hain should go

Westmonster has thus far stayed largely above the fray in the Peter Hain saga. But when Iain Dale starts quoting Alastair Campbell, we get the hint. At this point, Hain is shooting himself and the government in the foot by hanging around, but doesn't seem to be getting the hint… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 15 Jan 2008 1:09 PM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

A Hain in Gord's arse

The story that won't go away continues to embarrass the government, as Cameron warns Peter Hain he has some 'splaining to do. El Gordo offers his full support to Hain, except, well, not. But wait! Boy George has some 'splaining to do too. Westmonster is flummoxed — who knew… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 14 Jan 2008 9:20 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Those wacky Americans…

All the dailies lead with Clinton's stunning win in New Hampshire, which Westmonster called before the AP and the networks. Read about it here, here, here, here, and here. And for those of you keeping score, Westmonster stayed up late last night to cover the election whilst Iain Dale… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 9 Jan 2008 9:05 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Here we go ag-Hain

Thought we'd found out about all of the undeclared Labour donations? Computer says no. Seems Mr. Hain failed to declare several donations from labour and business during his run for the deputy Labour leadership. So much for changing the subject. Davy sets the agenda again with a "tough" new… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 8 Jan 2008 8:55 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

The decorators have been in

BONG! The LibDems have a shiny new leader: all hail CleggHuhneMan! And more importantly these days, they have a shiny new homepage, featuring new leader without a tie. Gasp! Casual inclusiveness! BONG! Government proposes to cut tourist visas to three months from six for non-EU visitors, to prevent people "overstaying… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 18 Dec 2007 5:56 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Basra, BoJo and Bilderberg (possibly)

Basra's been returned to the Iraqis, although British didn't keep the receipt so all it got was a credit note. Nick Clegg's already planning his team, while Chris Huhne is busy stamping out web fires by picking on bloggers. Tories try the "Brown is Scrooge" tack again, this time claiming… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 16 Dec 2007 11:00 AM. Permalink

A Long Time in Politics

Cowardly, like a fox

Westmonster has been following all the hub-bub about the Gord's EU Treaty non-signing with a pile of salt on hand, what with all the hyperbole and bombast out there in the ether, just a grain isn't near enough to do the trick. At the risk of sounding like cheerleaders for… read more…

Written by Andrew Levy on 14 Dec 2007 10:00 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

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

Ministry for Things We'd Like To Know

Galloway's shady sheikhs

We missed this yesterday, but Chris Paul didn't: George Galloway's Respect Bunfight, sorry, Coalition, has got its very own loans scandal, according to this story in the East London Advertiser. Galloway is using it for his own ends as part of the continuing internal catfight at Respect, arguing that he… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 7 Dec 2007 9:07 AM. Permalink

News from the United Federation of Muesli Knitters

When there's something strange in the neighbourhood ...

... who ya gonna call? Caped Crusader, scourge of dodgy donors, and campaigner for truth and justice [draws breath] Chris Huhne has turned his forensic eye to the Conservative books, having spent the previous week analysing the Labour ones. From his official site:… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Dec 2007 1:10 PM. Permalink

Ministry for Paper Waving

LIVE!: PMQs, 5/12/07

So, what did we think? Again, Westmonster feels that Cameron was competent enough, but banging on about the chairmanship of a Committee stopped short of winning the They Talk About Nothing Else On The Streets of Rotherham Award. Possibly he was wary of dragging the Donorgate thing out any longer… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Dec 2007 11:40 AM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Airing dirty laundry in public

Perhaps one of the less bright ideas of the Conservatives was the debate yesterday on party funding as it gave the hitherto ignored questions ("they're just trying to smear us, you know," CCHQ had previously claimed, flouncily, when the words "Lord" and "Ashcroft" were put to them in any sort… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 5 Dec 2007 8:51 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Edifying scenes and the smearing smear

BONG! The party funding debate is rumbling on in the House of Commons as we speak, and what follows is the summary thus far. Conservatives: Labour's corrupt and funded by smelly working class people ... uh ... unions, we meant the unions. Labour: at least we're not funded by Darth Ashcroft and… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 7:15 PM. Permalink

Our Friends North of the Border

Torches and pitchforks at the ready

In case you've been living under a rock (or reading London Lite) for the past couple of days, you won't have failed to notice that there's a baying mob outside the front door of ol' Wendy Alexander. Will she go? Maybe. The Tories want her out certainly as it's quite… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 3:27 PM. 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

Don't Look Ethel!

Have Your Say is Revolting!

We all knew that the end of days would begin thus: by the arrival of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, or "Have Your Say" commentators as they are sometimes known. And they're all getting a little over-excited. From the trenches of the BBC moderation department, revolution is brewing, and… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 12:33 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

Hypocrisy and Hyperbole

Chris Huhne's posturing over Donorgate looks even more hollow (after we pointed out yesterday that Chrissy's honour-bound to bankrupt the LibDems if he ever becomes leader of them) as it is revealed - again - that the Durham business park had nothing to do with getting the approval of the comrades… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Dec 2007 9:20 AM. There are 1 comments so far. Permalink

Ministry for Things We'd Like To Know

Obsession (a new fragrance for Labour)

QUESTION: When is investigation and comment regarding donations to political parties that may be breaking the rules deemed to be an "unhealthy obession" and "attempted smear"? ANSWER: When the questions that are being asked relate to those who bankroll the Conservatives rather than the Labour Party. Like, duh!… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Dec 2007 2:01 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

Ministry for Paper Waving

LIVE!: PMQs, 28/11/07

Iain Dale reckons that Cameron slam-dunked it, but here at Westmonster we're not so sure. Yeah, okay so Davy managed a few jibes about Brown's trustworthiness but really, any child with an above room temperature IQ could have managed that today. Maybe he's worried about some hitherto undiscovered logs in… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 28 Nov 2007 11:41 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

Points, In Order

Rocking (ahem) the boat

BONG! Hopi Sen analyses the balanced media coverage of the Northern Rock saga. BONG! All together now: Labour's in the money! It's in the money! It's got a lot of what it takes to get in trouble with the Electoral Commission!… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 26 Nov 2007 5:47 PM. Permalink

While You Were Sleeping

"I go away for a couple of days ..."

Imagine the scene. You're a Prime Minister who has to leave the country to partake of tea, cucumber sandwiches, and pointless diplomacy with Brenda in Africa for a week. You leave a "to do" list pinned to the fridge, a list of emergency numbers by the phone, and stress to Alan Johnson… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 26 Nov 2007 9:31 AM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Oh, Darling!

BONG! As part of its mission to establish a record for the largest number of emergency statements in the shortest amount of time (three in the past week, by our reckoning), the Government reveals that Her Maj's Revenue and Customs lost the records of 25 million individuals in the, er,… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 20 Nov 2007 5:48 PM. There are 1 comments so far. 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

Gawd Bless Yer Ma'am

LIVE! Queen's Speech, 6/11/07

Well done Her Majesty! Didn't she read the list of legislation beautifully? Amongst everything else there will be legislation on the EU Reform Treaty, a Bill to keep da yoof in education, various stuff on climate change, reforms of the criminal justice system, a new Homes and Communities Agency is… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 6 Nov 2007 11:58 AM. There are 2 comments so far. Permalink

Department of Kite Flying

The Gord: real fame at last!

Gooood afternoon folks, it's time for the weekly round-up of the Sunday papers and let's start with some excellent news. Yup, negotiations are underway for the Gord is to appear in his very own episode of the Simpsons, and the Independent on Sunday has got its mitts on a leaked a… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 4 Nov 2007 12:26 PM. Permalink

That Was The Week That Was

Of Kings and knaves

Parliament went into prorogation on Tuesday, but that didn't mean it wasn't a week packed full of uproar beginning on Monday with the visit of King Abdullah and concluding when the verdict of the de Menezes shooting came in on Thursday and the backlash against Ian Blair started in earnest.… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 3 Nov 2007 12:25 PM. Permalink

Points, In Order

Handbagging at 4pm

BONG! The LibDem leadership contest is officially ON! Nominations closed at 4pm today and the unseemly bitchslapping between the only two candidates commenced almost immediately. Nicky Clegg gave an interview to the Telegraph outlining how Chris Huhne is a receding hairline away from being exactly like David Cameron, whilst Huhne contended that his advanced… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 31 Oct 2007 7:29 PM. Permalink

Ministry For Finger Pointing

Let's Talk About Party Funding, Baby

Christ on a bike, Westmonster thought she was the only one embracing the hot flushes associated with onset of the menopause, but it seems as Francis Maude can't keep his mind off The Sex for a single second, even when discussing the breakdown of the party funding talks: We are disappointed… read more…

Written by Lloyd Shepherd on 31 Oct 2007 12:55 PM. Permalink

Westmonster: “party funding”