By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Cover boy – Boris sporting a very nice silk and patriotic handkerchief in his suit pocket. It's that time of year again when GQ names the one hundred most influential men in Britain. I've read it so you don't have to. In no particular order of importance (or silliness) […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter. The witching hour was gone; the iron tongue of Big Ben had tolled twelve, and only the mice were stirring in Room 101, Portcullis House. Apart, that is, from its occupant – J.Alfred Prufrock, MP for Grummidge West, who was finishing off his pre-Christmas constituency correspondence. Through thick lids […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Actress Helen Flanagan met Ed Miliband at an awards event last night and has just Tweeted her fellow jungle celebrity Nadine Dorries with this…
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Oh…hang on a moment…
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Picture from KP's Twitter account. This from James Crabtree in the FT (£): "At first glance the hefty, Eton-educated politician would seem to have little in common with the prickly South African-born England cricket star, currently midway through a tour of the subcontinent. Yet, look more closely, and the […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Michael Gove's remarks at yesterday's Spectator awards were well-reported earlier today (and were covered yesterday on this site by Matthew Barrett). Less well-reported have been the follow-ups – taking their inspiration from the Education Secretary – that have been doing the rounds in Westminster and on blackberries this morning. […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter Quoting figures from the Public Appointments Commissioner's Annual Report, Tim Montgomerie recently highlighted the worsening under-representation of Conservatives on public bodies. Look at the table above: ten times as large a percentage of appointees are declaring a Labour political background as a Tory one (and the Liberal Democrats are […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter One of the themes of Conservative Conference has Boris Johnson being 'on message' – pouring praise on David Cameron's head and the wider government. He was loyal at ConHome's Monday night rally and in yesterday's main stage speech. Again and again he turned his fire on Labour and the […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter "Casca; tell us what hath chanced to-day." (Julius Caesar, Act 1, Scene 2) "The Mayor of London blew into its conference in Birmingham, a hurricane of blond hair, media attention and other people’s speculation about his prospects of one day taking David Cameron’s job." (James Kirkup, Daily Telegraph) "Why, […]
By Benjamin DisraeliYou cannot follow Lord Beaconsfield on Twitter, since he hasn't a clue what it is. I cannot deny that my grasp of public affairs is not as sure as it might be since, for reasons that readers of this publication will understand, I am presently incapable of taking my seat in the House […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter The Telegraph is reporting that UKIP is ditching its pound sign logo. Nigel Farage tells journalist Christopher Hope that Britain's currency is now safe and it is no longer such a potent emblem for his party: “Our pound sign has been a fantastically simple image. But now it is […]
By Paul GoodmanFollow Paul on Twitter J.Alfred Prufrock MP (Grummidge West) opened the next e-mail in his inbox. It read as follows: "Hey Prufrock, you old f**kbag! What are you up to while reading this, eh? Fiddling your expenses or knocking back champagne in some subsidised bar, I suppose. Well, listen to me, b*****d. What […]
By Tim MontgomerieFollow Tim on Twitter Fortunately Tony Baldry emerged from the incident unharmed but covered, The Metro reports, in blue toilet paper. You really couldn't make it up.
Today's Guardian frontpage.