Manchester Withington Selection: Busy Day

Today, contact with four of the five final teams. Letter from Yogesh including her website. 'Phone conversation with Nargis aide. Mug of tea with Naheed. Stop The War meeting with Jenny assistant.

Also finalised Tomas in Hastings Half Marathon (Sunday), dropped son to Meech's basketball academy, took Tarus to lift for National Cross Country (Sunderland), picked up hoopster, signed up a Co-op Party member, some Private Eye story plotting, taking in a little Irish festival, a photocall with a dozen of Labour's 14 women council candidates for May, and moderately extensive dog walking.

Some catch up blogging to be done ...

The 2020 Vision: Blairy Vision Soft Contacts

Hugh Muir's Guardian Diary covered the Clarke/Milburn Brown spoiler "Blairy Focus Group" thusly:

Surely everyone can see by now that Charles Clarke and Alan Milburn are up to something deeply sinister. We have not been taken in and we know that while everyone was watching Miliband, the "Alan Milburn Support Listing and Website" moved quietly into post-Blair battle mode. Its 16 members are a "small but ever expanding group" of girls and they specialise in downloading dreamy pictures of the MP for Darlington. But come the bloodletting, they'll be there.

And their friends in high places thusly:

And who else have Clarke and Milburn got on side? Who's pulling the strings? Well, at the top of the list of links on their website, the2020vision.org.uk, they have the Policy Exchange, which is a centre-right thinktank close to David Cameron. At the bottom of the list we find the Smith Institute, a thinktank famously close to Gordon Brown. Now come on, you don't have to be Einstein.

Their Links didn't touch the ground. The utterly Tory Policy Exchange has been bumped down the list and Brown's friends at The Smith Institute have been removed. I'd guess at TSI's own request.

Graphic from FT of early September 2006.

Iain Dale on Newt Gingrich: Yesterday's Blogger Telling 1999 News

Iain Dale has another breathless exclusive this morning. Apparently Newt Gingrich has been a serial philanderer and all round bad old boy. Shock horror!

Trouble is the story hasn't moved on that much since 1999. That is the last time there was a Republican selection race on the cards.

Newt has all sorts in his resume, including having his first wife sign divorce papers immediately after her third cancer op. Reason given - too ugly to be First Lady. Second wife not treated much better. Third wife was bit on side while Newt was pursuing Clinton. Like Clinton he was a hypocritical churchian toker and a man for whom oral was not sex.

Yesterday's blogger telling 1999 news.

Manchester Withington Selection: You Tube

Man Wit candidates have gone digital. Your first You Tube link:

.

Very well done to Team Nargis. An excellent start. First website. First candidate political broadcast.

FIRST PUBLISHED: 11pm Thursday.

Times Up in Liverpool Speke-Garston: Lib Dems Found Out and Humiliated in Flagship Liverpool

We looked for the result of yesterday's Speke-Garston by-election on the (Lib Dem) Liverpool Council's website. Nothing doing.

The Liverpool Daily Post showed why. There was a complete meltdown of the Lib Dem vote in this ward. Going from a 700+ majority for the Fibs to a 700+ majority for Labour.

Biblical numbers. Being seen by the Lib Dems as a barometer for the "success" of their post-Storey story! To my eyes Cllr Warren Bradley is a complete lightweight - a bit like a charmless version of dear Simon Ashley in Manchester - and the disgraced Storey is already clawing back his power.

For Labour this was to be a signal over whether they might expect to make a significant breakthrough in May. This now looks almost certain if they put in the work. There is little doubt that Liverpool Labour were in a terrible state as they declined.

But now they are deserving respect and winning back the power.

As Labour group leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “This by-election was a referendum on Liberal Democrat control in this part of the city, and Speke has spoken with a voice that says ‘we’re sick and tired of being neglected’.”

Cllr Richard Oglethorpe, the Lib-Dem agent, said: “I’m proud of the campaign we fought and obviously disappointed by the result.” Conservatives were beaten into fifth place by candidates from both the Green and the far-right British National Party though they did hold off UKIP. By FIVE VOTES.

Colin Strickland (Lab) 1,984; Lynnie Williams (Lib Dem) 1,218; Steven Greenhalgh (BNP) 281; Cherry Fitzsimmons (Green) 68; Brenda Coppell (Cons) 54; and Mark Bill (UKIP) 49.

Elections in the North: Slugger O'Toole, plus the Raytheon Nine, Protesting Against Lib Dem's Murderous Hobby Horse

Have been meaning to blog on the elections in the North of Ireland and indeed on my recent visit to the frontline. But meanwhile I'd recommend Slugger O'Toole for results and commentary.

Particularly good to see a link with the Raytheon9 who have been charged under the Terrorism Act (meaning a Diplock Court) for protesting against the cluster bomb and bunker buster makers Raytheon which Lib Dem chancer Willie Rennie MP has been bigging up while simultaneously standing up with Cllr John Leech MP and others pretending to slam their products.

HERE Labour of Love scripted an attack advert against this Cluster of Lib Dem Bombers; HERE we speculated about the fibber Rennie and the fibber Leech's poor re-election prospects; and HERE with links to earlier Fib Dem and LoL stories we wished Willie a happy Burns Night.

What fuckwitted hypocrites these Lib Dems are. Slugger's picture shows Eamonn McCann, Social Environmentalist Alliance candidate for the Foyle constituency (and I think one of the Raytheon 9). "If destroying some Raytheon computers saved just one life, it was worth it."

Hat tip to Iain Dale for reminding me about Slugger's works.

Daily Torygraph: Op-Ed Columns as Job Applications

Squire Dale uses his Daily Telegraph column today to apply for the job of being Dave/id Cameron's "man up the backside" of the US presidential campaigners. Trying to rectify the damage of DC's clumsy positioning.

Dale is least looking forward to climbing up "god forbid" Hillary's sphincter. This last comment may rule him out of consideration as Dave/id's transatlantic brown noser would of course have to go anywhere he or she was sent in the cause of artifically inseminating future US presidents with the notion that the Oxford Bullingdon tendancy has a safe warm hand to feel perfectly comfortable with.

Rather than the cold shoulder offered so far. Squire Dale HERE.

Libdemologist Spin Doctor: Has Been Planning to Go "Since November"

Mark "Bright Spark" Littlewood the Lib Dem head of own goals and sabotage has been planning to leave for sometime, allegedly. He is claimed by Lord Rennard to have indicated he was resigning in November 2006 and will now go within two months.

Alert Lib Dems are pointing out that the gaffes over Ming's deadly dull "spring" speech could have been embarrassing. Could have been embarrassing? Come on you Lib Dems, get with the programme. Mark is an ex-Liberty Head of Campaigns and before taking on his Libdemologist chores he was in a flap about Ken's brilliant Oyster Card system with a grand conspiracy theory.

Manchester Withington Selection: Hustings Venue

Hurrah! Miraculously an alternative venue for the final hustings has been found which does not favour any of the candidates. Hats off to the procedure secretary and the fairness compliance officer and most of all to those who politely complained and those who politely listened.

Hopefully there will be no "gags" about beauty contests and no lines about "my, how this place has improved, thanks to a Labour government, since I went to school right here" (and before I sodded off to London). We had both these winning moves at the initial hustings.

Two or three stuck in the beauty contest one. Only one of these has survived. Only one was able to do the school one. Her much improved primary school, due to have been followed because of force majeure by her much improved secondary school. I kid you not. But they've seen sense.

We'll not have these lines at the final hustings. Hurrah for people power!

Yesterday, a Magistrate; Today, a Tory Shadow

Iain Dale and other Tories are generally agreeing that David Cameron was right to get rid of cow wary Patrick Mercer who came out with strange anecdotal generalisations about BME soldiers. But plenty of excuses and quibbles in Tory-mooland and Tory-blogland.

Mr Mercer generalized from the particular in a dangerously agile, and yes racist way. From one soldier allegedly playing hooky to see his girlfriend and using an excuse of racism. Someone else might have used an excuse of a grannie's illness.

But Mercer's anecdotes generalised in effect to the idea that black soldiers are lying lazy skivers, and more so than say scousers, gingas, Irish or god preserve us the triple whammy of an Irish scouse ginga.

Mercer also unwisely uses "lots" and lots of other vagueness also. He was right to resign. DC was right to require him to do so. That all this coincides with scandalous accusations about black Commonwealth soldiers and that it was effectively volunteered to The Times means Mercer was and is a liability. The fact he's shown the door quickly does not mean he is not the tip of an iceberg of a party for which Cameron himself was masterminding a dog whistle race campaign - not two years ago.

Green wellies and Grecian 2000: the tools of the Modern Tory Colonel

Reclaim Labour: Have Comrades Given Up Hope and Sold Out to Big Pharma? Reclaim Viagra?

What on earth has happened to the famously fearless ReclaimLabour blog?

UPDATE: Search parties are out for Harry, but there is a virus warning on the remnants of the site. Avoid.

More Tory Twaddle: Dale Analysis of Lords Votes

The more I read Iain Dale's attempted analysis of such things the less I trust it. Labour of Love have pointed out some examples of CCHQs blogger-in-chief's schoolboy errors HERE, HERE and HERE. This is another one to add to the pantheon.

Better to stick with the reasonable idea that an extra 90 Labour MPs voted for the 100% option because that is where their socialist or social democrat heads are than to make them - without the slightest foundation - into wreckers conspiring against their own ingrained politics. Of course there might be a few abolitionists in this group, but mostly they accept the idea of two chambers but require democracy.

If Iain is looking for wreckers and anti-democrats he should consider the anti-reform forces who piled in for the 100% elected but who actually favour the status quo, 100% appointed or some other undemocratic option. Only 28% of Tories backed the 100% option, which Iain says he favours, while 63% of Labour MPs did so. Time to cross the chamber?

Legal Outrage: "Bloody Foreigners" Magistrate (68) Stays on the Bench

Needless to say Labour of Love think that a magistrate responding to complaints about his offensive language from colleagues with a tirade against "bloody foreigners" and Rusholme curries should not be allowed to stay on the bench.

Mr Alan Mitchell (68) rejected a recommendation that he be downgraded to the Manchester supplemental list and on review of the case by the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice this old fool was reprimanded but not really disciplined.

The witnesses were colleagues including a woman JP whose remark that she was offended by his pathetic prejudice and had a husband from Iran actually triggered the latter outburst. And a Black British clerk also. Which I suppose shows something about how oblivious this character is to reality, though just about anyone would have been offended.

Mr Mitchell has we feel led something of a charmed life, leaning on his JP status more than a little to get out of scrapes, and LoL will tell at least a little more anon. Meanwhile anyone finding themselves in front of this barmy and reactionary beak would do well to object.

The Manchester Evening News report.

That YouGov Poll of Labour Members and Affiliates

Despite a drubbing for Hazel Blears Luke Akehurst rather likes this strange poll. PDF Results here

There were some very daft questions in there, like it was a first year student project. They even get Jon Cruddas' name wrong. Particular problems include the old business as usual vs leftiness lurch false dichotomy; steeped in personality over policy; no open questions at all. These questions would be useful:

If Gordon Brown were not available and in an ideal world who would you like to stand for leader of the party?
When should Blair have gone?
Will you pay any attention to what MPs do?
Are you interested in listening to a debate or have you already made your mind up?

What exactly is "too left wing" about John McDonnell's platform?
What is JMcD's platform?
Should public services be publically owned?
Will the Iraq War be an issue for you?
Will Trident be an issue for you?
What are your three biggest issues?

Is Gordon Brown too right wing to be leader?
Is David Miliband too right wing to be leader?
Is Charles Clarkes too right wing to be leader?
Is Alan Milburn too right wing to be leader?

Will you be trying to "bet" on the winner when you cast your vote?
Do you think that after 13 years waiting Gordon Brown deserves to be leader and PM whatever is going on in the world?

Not even:

Are you going to vote?
Did you vote in the last leadership election?
Did you vote in the last NEC election?
Are you actually paid up?

Clearly the results in the NEC election indicate a much more left/centre left bias in the real membership which regularly votes than in this batty YouGov polling.

Walk The Plank: Trust Us, We're The Trustees

Part two of our quarterly Board meeting proceeds last evening with yours truly in the rotating chair. Difficult decisions are duly made with a fax that arrived today from a body called the MCA sealing the fate of a short summer tour in our good ship Fitzcarraldo. We will have further discussions on that anon. Work in Liverpool, in big stadia events, and in fireworks is going from strength to strength.

The ship's berth is moving very slightly from the one pictured during the Liverpool dérive. And the world (today) has finally caught up with the Liverpool Post (friday) that the Manchester Ship Canal People are to rescue Liverpool with a £5.5 Billion investment along the river over the next 30 to 50 years. They're looking to the Towers of Shanghai for inspiration, which belies recent planning permissions or lack of them by the stuck in a rut Libdemologists.

[aside]They are saying that nothing will happen without consultation though we don't need a particularly long memory to remember the fourth grace consultation and Mike Storey and the Lib Dem horde picking the design with by far the least votes. Then messing that up anyway.

Incidentally word has reached Labour of Love that the disgraced former Council boss and big-hair scarey Mike Storey has seen his post, more or less without portfolio, swollen to more than he ever had on his plate before. Meanwhile the supposed leader has next to nothing left, perfect as he's a useless windbag. Allegedly. The sooner the people of Liverpool have a return to a Labour regime the better. There is a bye-election tomorrow, Thursday.[/aside]

More on Tower Hamlets' show (right) shortly. The lanterns produced for the Commonwealth Games finale in 2002 (above) are still turning heads and generating business, with one VIP giving the view recently that this was the best work ever made for such a stadium event.

We Trustees are immensely proud of the team and all they do. Today's Guardian Society tells us that there are around 3,500 Charity Trustees in the City of Manchester alone, which is not much less than one in a hundred (population 430,000) which is a remarkable concentration of entrepreneurial do-gooders in any one place.

Guardian Letters: Cash without Honour

RH Page has it about right I think in today's Guardian letter's page:

Whatever may, or may not, have gone on in respect of cash for honours, it seems likely that it reflects accepted practice by all three main political parties over many years. Representatives of all three parties have been questioned. Is it really appropriate that the entire mainstream British political establishment should be traduced under a law which has long lain dormant, at the behest of nationalists, with an obvious axe to grind, and certain elements in the Metropolitan police about whose motives for pursuing this matter with such vigour it is possible to speculate?

Couple of contrary views from the same source posted in comments. The one implying the Guardian has thwarted the investigation by its reporting is to my eyes hilariously silly. And Blair's Harry Worth moment proves he's not a vampire.

Guardian: Did Lord Levy Ask Ruth Turner to "Shape" Her Evidence?

That is what the Guardian are claiming today. Having successfully resisted an injunction. Still ambiguous about whether the "particular document" is/was an email or not.

UPDATE: Stories are getting more and more specific. Latest (18:00pm) have Ruth Turner not being at all comfortable with Lord Levy's account of events. Iain Dale OOZES OPPROBRIUM about Lord Levy's own cries of "trial by media". But Levy's right and Tory bloggers like Dale and Fawkes have been the worst. Now they pussyfoot about as if what they say matters. Huh!

University Challenge: Manchester in Last Four Again

This time without a single Lib Dem activist or even one dodgy Doctor in our line up. Having won through the repechage Manchester knocked out the last Oxbridge survivors. Meanwhile Cold Blood II has been shot in the Christie, Whitworth and Arts Buildings at the University of Manchester. And in the Northern Quarter. Deserves conservation area status to keep the film industry happy. Including tomorrow's Life On Mars.

BBC Gag: Document is NOT an Email

Contrary to reports, including those linked here yesterday, the particular document concerned in the injunction on the BBC is NOT an email. It is a document drafted by Ruth Turner which concerns Lord Levy and which was intended for Ruth's boss Jonathon Powell. However, unlike an email it is not possible to know whether the document was sent, received or read. Even after a careful exposition of this by Channel 4's correspondent Jon Snow is however still saying the thing was "sent".

Recess Monkey: Deceased Maggie?

Parliamentary Blogger Recess Monkey scooped the field with an announcement shortly after midnight that brass-necked iron lady Maggie Thatcher had shuffled off to the great scrapyard in the sky.

Iain Dale, who has been promised the exclusive, was in a right Tory tizzy, nuancing a Maggie obituary, finishing a tie-in hagiography, and recalling Mark's Twain's oft-misquoted aphorism "The report of my death was an exaggeration".

Not one to harbour a grudge Iain has Recess Monkey blogger Alex Hilton on Blogger TV tonight at 9pm. Hilton did recant this morning.

Observer Sport Monthly: John Amaechi Interview

Good stuff: Amaechi's Basketball Centre is about half a mile from my house. My son plays there on Saturdays. John Amaechi's book Man in the Middle is published by ESPN. Meech's magical masterclass.

Libdemologists: W Menzies Campbell Speaks and We're None the Wiser

HERE IT IS (BBC VIDEO): W Menzies Campbell, the great unifier, has apparently set out his five demands for participation in a coalition with Labour - PR not required, soft on crime essential - and his merry men have been briefing and counter-briefing ever since. What a rabble. Scientologists should disassociate themselves.

UPDATE: Commentary at Political Betting is fascinating.

BBC Gag: Newspapers Test the Waters

Guido and News of the World suggest Labour have been the ones leaking to the BBC. The Mail on Sunday gets furthest in their disclosure stating that the leaked email was from Ruth Turner to Jonathan Powell, while The Sunday Telegraph and Guido and NOTW makes it about Lord Levy.

Meanwhile The Mail on Sunday also reveals that Blair's team can expect £75,000 golden goodbyes when he goes and Brown lets them go.