Prezza's Retirement Plans: Review the Papers, Run a Blog and DT Column?

Iain Dale asked earlier today what John Prescott could get up to in retirement. Prisoner's Voice quotes this suggestion:

When he is not a constituency MP he will be able to spare the time to go on the telly and review the papers when they are caught short handed, write a blog perhaps, string together a column about how women tend to decide how to vote. You know Iain, that kind of thing that a non-MP can fit in.

Mr Dale seems to have removed it for some reason.

Durruti Column: Worried Over Next Cabinet Meeting!

Ha ha ha. What are they like? Bless! You'd think that revolutionary situationist Buenaventura Durruti would know better than to worry about a Brown-Blair stand off at the next cabinet meeting! Some would say that would be business as usual. While others would simply jeer:
"Cabinet meeting? Next cabinet meeting? What are you on abaht?"
So very last week.

FA Cup Final: Extra Time

They should have scrapped the first 45 and started from half time. Good game now though. Well, until three minutes from the end it was.

David Lindsay: Interesting Developments

David Lindsay has got his side bar links going and continues to push out thinking and at times contentious blog posts. Some more links here soon.

Manchester, Chorlton: Play Acting and Farce

Michael Frayn's Noises Off was hailed by critic Frank Rich who said it: "is, was, and probably always will be the funniest play written in my lifetime." It is a classic bedroom farce based on a play within a play with the same action shown three times. A flyer like the one above has come through the door. If you plan to go, look away now as all will be revealled (source):

Act One is set at the dress rehearsal, the night before opening ... with the cast still fumbling with entrances and exits, missed cues, misspoken lines, and bothersome props, most notably several plates of sardines.

Act Two portrays a Wednesday matinee performance one month later ... In this act, the play is seen from backstage, providing a view that reveals the deteriorating personal relationships among the cast that have led to offstage shenanigans and onstage bedlam.

In Act Three, we see a performance near the end of the ten-week run ... when personal friction has continued to increase and everyone is bored and anxious to be done with the play. The actors attempt to cover up a series of mishaps but only compound the problems and draw attention to the bungling performance.

Much of the comedy emerges from the subtle variations in each version as off-stage chaos affects on-stage performance, with a great deal of slapstick. The contrast between players' on-stage and off-stage personalities is also a source of comic dissonance.

Oh, and a leaflet from another bunch of play actors arrives delivered by the same hands. Full of comic dissonance caused by the contrast between the truth and what is presented. Cllr John Leech MP and for all LOL know Cllr Ankers are members of the Manchester Road Players and of the local Libdemologists whose bleary Focus this is..

Listing: Weds 23 - Sat 26 May, curtain 7:30, £4.50 (£3.00) Manchester Road Methodist Church Hall. £1 off with flyer. See your MP and his chums lying and back-biting live on stage.

Later With Jools Holland: Simply Mick, Patti Smith, Joe Cocker

Interesting. Knew Mick from early City Life Co-op days (say 1983-85) and before from down the pub when he was an art student at the Poly (my bro Mike did some of that too at the same time) and later the overpaid DJ on Wednesdays.

Then hopefully the editorial and paste up team would get down to the Mandela Building for Mick's (and later Andy and Lou's) Black Rhythms disco. After putting the mag to bed. Often exhausted. We'd always insist that "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" made it to the turntables.

Later I outed him as the "next big thing" on our pop pages, we co-promoted his last unsigned gig in Manchester, still later I interviewed him in the Clynes Wine Bar (now Cavendish) where we had both hustled pool for years, published then with R-E-D drop capitals and again as one of the selected items for the 500th or some other anniversary, and despite a few strange fall outs the Distant Cousins opened for them, playing to 200,000 people on their 89-90 UK Arena Tour.

Tonight I just missed the start of Mick's first track ... He had an acoustic guitar as a prop. I don't much like the words, though Gota's guitar solo is something to behold. Second track perhaps better. But what do I know?

Cocker is back after a ten-year break - did you realise Later is more than ten years old? - and he and Patti are looking fresh and well in themselves.

Freedom of Information Vote: Tories and Lib Dems Will Whine But Did Absolutely Nothing

Mail-man Ben Brogan names and shames the 96 MPs who voted for an exemption for certain parliamentary business from the Freedom of Information Bill and congratulates 25 who voted against. He doesn't say much about the 500 plus MPs who had pissed off early for the weekend though he does notice that Dave-id Cameron and Ming Campbell did next to nothing about it. Both will no doubt join certain bloggers and local politicians whining about it.

Gordon Brown: You'll Have to Wait ...

Don't feel inspired just at the moment. Just impressed by competence and commitment. And the way the man's relaxed.

Labour Deputy Dawgs: Hari Hari Harri Christener

Johann Hari who was one of those "leftie intellectuals" who backed the war in Iraq has christened Harri as the best fit for Gordy. His CV is HERE. Scheduled to defend the war in an Independent debate in Manchester Town Hall he bottled it on one of Waterhouse's fine staircases and admitted the war had made the world less safe at the outset. Robert Fisk made mincemeat of the young pretender. But here's his Harri hype:

Okay, so Harriet Harman is not offering "an intergalactic revolution"*. It is unlikely space-aliens will bring socialism the day after she is elected. But she is offering a combination of real feminism and electoral popularity. As Labour faces its toughest election and most demoralised members since 1992, can it afford to say no?

You can join the campaign to make Harriet leader here.

Although his essential point below is a good one - which Labour can achieve however our women are deployed - I cannot approve of the gratuitous insult to dear Ann Widdecombe which rather detracts from Johann's proud feminist credentials:

Harmanism can trash David Cameron's flimsy, inconsistent bid for the women's vote. The Tory leader conspicuously belongs to a small clique of rich men, with barely a woman in sight. Out of 179 Tory MPs, only 17 are women - and that's if you count Ann Widdecombe as female.

Write in and complain: here or here.

It's also worth noting that Red Harri and the Daily Telegraph Health pages were a couple or four months ahead of this game of Yin and Yan.

* Reference to one of Tony Benn's fellow travellers of yesteryear.

Deputy Leadership: Link to Fabian Society Transcript

This is a link to the Fabian Society DL hustings which Newsnight straw polled. A joint meeting with Progress.

Grateful Dead Jerry Falwell: Bloggers' Hallelujah

On May 15 Newer Labour hoped Jerry Falwell would rot in hell, Iain Dale used the line the very next day. United in disdain for the charlatan. There is no hell, except other people, and now there's one less bad 'un. Christopher Hitchens tells CNN how it is above. Found by Dizzy.

Labour Leadership: Gordon Brown and the Spaceball

Lorenzo's Co-op Blog has dubbed me Top Political Blogger in Manchester and insisted I will be blogging a bit more than I have so far about Brown's triumphant return to our fair city.

Dog walk first, then we'll see. This picture, from Lorenzo is tagged "Spaceball" and has a readily identifiable UFO answering that description hovering to check if anyone didn't join in the standing ovation. A petulant but popular trick in the bad old days of Blair Labour.

UPDATE: Looks like Spaceball has a D Notice on it. The code's there. Will try again later.

New Deal: Iain Dale Refuses to Link to his Sources

Iain Dale has thrown out a statistic on New Deal without proper attribution or a link. He is being very self righteous and very rude about that. As someone commented I'm only asking for a link.

There is a chance the statistic is wrong, though not necessarily in a good way for Labour. It certainly is not complete. Fraser Nelson who cited it is a political commentator on the Spectator. His column is about how Gordon can (and surely will) win the next General Election.

Right: The secret Fraser Nelson link is HERE.

It is on the second page of the article which is, as I say, telling Gordon how to win the next General Election. Something Dale might have mentioned. He has pulled it right out of a context 95% of which is nothing to do with New Deal.

I'm not sure the figures for youth unemployment or NEETs - Nelson doesn't clearly say - was 14.5 now 14.6 are right. They may be too kind. Or if the number in this cohort has increased by around 23% (a detail too far for some people) they may correspond with Frank Field's statistics here.

Citing sources for statistics one relies on and providing links are not whims they are standards. Here are the links Iain, stick them in like a good chap. And give me a hattip.

UPDATE: Oh, alright then the careless Iain Dale post is HERE, added post-partum.

Madelaine: Conspiracy Theorists Should Explain

The man with the Ming Zing question on Question Time also made the point that because Madelaine's parents are middle class Doctors they have escaped being villified for leaving their kids alone, albeit nearby.

But there are one or two bloggers out there suggesting the parents have organised the kidnap themselves. One offering to eat his baseball hat if he's wrong.

I don't believe this myself for one minute. I am looking forward to a hat eating appearing soon on You Tube.

What was the motive? Where was the opportunity? Where is Maddie now? This theory appears to come from the Prof Sir Roy Meadows school of detective work. The accused mother in the most celebrated case Meadows cocked up later died in tragic circumstances.

UPDATE: I am reminded that Prof Southall was the one that diagnosed by TV, and the pathologist failed to report his findings on bacteria he discovered. There was a professional triple whammy.

World Bank: Sock! Pow! Yet Another Bushy Warmonger Bites the Dust

At 6.15 am Reuters finally reported the inevitable demise of Paul Wolfowitz, the architect of the Iraq War who has "resigned" over management matters including massively boosting his girlfriend's salary.

Out going UK Prime Minister Tony Blair is among those named by Reuters (above) as a possible successor. On Tuesday the Whitehouse declared Wolfy's shock and awe behaviour "Not a Firing Offense" which came in a long line of "White House support him fully" type announcements.

Who appointed this chump?

Meanwhile Guido linked yesterday to a Wall Street Journal report involving former and future Brown aide Tom Scholar in a secret liaison with another member of World Bank staff.

Semi-anonymous tipsters have told the WSJ that Mr Scholar also influenced his beloved's career position.

Question Time: Has Ming Lost His Zing?

Good question. And at five words the shortest I can remember. Chris Huhne defends Ming bravely. But of course Chris is a Lib Dem and he may well have a dagger under his cloak.
UPDATE: Zing is all the Tories have says the questioner. Ming bedded in and fallen asleep? asks another.

Fib Dems: Exclusive Picture of NO to Ming Rally

Fib Dems somehow got hold of this top secret snap.

Join the Labour Party Today: Choose the Leadership Deputy Leader

Join Labour HERE by 1 June 2007 and you can cast a vote in the Leadership and Deputy Leadership contests.

For students it was £1 a year last time I looked.

For unwaged and levy paying affiliate members the cost is just £1 per month = £12 per year. For waged it is £3 per month = £36 per year.

Labour Deputy Dawgs: A Gleaming Six Pack

Hilary Benn has made the cut as predicted for the Deputy Dawg Challenge, now widely seen as for only a minor party role and not as a contest for any Deputy Primeministership which could either be discontinued or appointed personally by Gordon Brown.

There is also speculation that the runner up or one of the field willing to take the job on will become the Chair of the Party, indeed this is more or less the role than Jon Cruddas has set his sights on.

The Hilary Benn link analyses the betting and polling so far which see him as a favourite. Alan Johnson however has the most nominations, Harriet Harman is seen as the Brownie candidate, Hazel Blears as the Blairite with a boost from some Newsnight fun last night, and Peter Hain? well he's one on his own that one.

Graphic from Guido Fawkes.

Grammar Schools: Perhaps Tomorrow ...

Ha ha ha. The Tories are in trouble on this one. Our great Grammar Schools and (now) Independent Schools were in many cases set up expressly to educate the ragged underclasses. Their world has turned upside down. Aiming to blog this tomorrow.

Tim Lott: Are We All Middle Class Now?

Some good bits. Moregeousie/Bourgeousie is quite gifted. The recycling centre being the new Sunday duty, in Sunday best, did strike a chord. Unicorn Grocery meanwhile still require genuflection and holy water on entry and exit. But no milk and honey on the other side.

Independent: For an Early Handover

The grizzlers at The Independent have picked up the LOL idea of an early visit to the Palace for G Brown and an early bath for T Blair.

UPDATE: Meanwhile the BBC analyst Nick Assinger suggests that six weeks in the doldrums is simultaneously too long and too short.

Stop dithering man! Get off the fence!

Newsnight Mock Election: Labour Deputy Leadership

Can't quite remember all the numbers. But in the first round of this poll of 500 people who went to the Fabians/Progress event in London tonight Hazel Blears came first on 26% I think with Hilary Benn second on 22% and Cruddas I think on 13% and Hain on 10% the first to go. Harman and Johnson are all in the mid teens.

I'd expect Cruddas' seconds to go quite widely, but perhaps not many to Blears. We'll see. As Michael Crick and Gavin Esler point out it is only a bit of fun, and a specific kind of London audience may not be typical. Was Luke there whipping the votes for Hazey? I think we should be told.

UPDATE: Correction and full figures in comments thanks to Luke Akehurst. Will hope there is some news on the exhaustive transferring on the website. Newsnight/Crick underestimated the process but Crick seemed to think Hazey won.

PREDICTIONS REALISED: Three, IN PLAY: Two

First: Hilary Benn is on 42 with 30 or so in play. He needs three more. 10%. Don't break his heart PLP people. Let's have him on that ballot.
Second: Just enough nominations for Gordon Brown to make it a no-contest. Hard to avoid when there is such a very strong consensus that it's gotta be Gordon.
Third: Some slowtrack MPs did indeed manage to keep their powder dry. But Jon and Jon - the Compass Two - did jump 'how high' for Gordon. They may come to regret that.
Fourth: Gordon did indeed have a big conversation with the party in Manchester. And he was very good.
Fifth: Early visit to Palace. Probably unlikely ... barring an emergency.

EXCLUSIVE PREDICTIONS: The King is Dead, Long Live the King

Having spent most of the day lobbying or publicising the struggle to get John McDonnell on the ballot paper. So that ordinary members - like myself; levy paying Trade Unionists - like myself; and members of affiliated organisations - like myself; all get a chance to vote for Gordon Brown, or not. Well, it gives me no great pleasure to share my instinctive prediction on what happens next. Hoping to be wrong. But fearing that I'm right.

First off, Hilary Benn will probably get the five extra nominations he needs. It's on a knife edge but I'm not sure the courtiers of his enemies at court can now stop this.

Second off, at least eleven of the 26 MPs still holding nomination forms in their paws will put an enthusiastic cross by Gordon Brown's name and make him certain to be the next leader of the Labour Party and the next Prime Minister.

Third off, this news may mean that other slowtrack MPs keeping their powder dry as nominators of last resort for McDonnell may escape without backing him. Compassites Jon Cruddas and Jon Trickett among them.

Fourth off, just by chance young Gordon will have a speaking engagement - somewhere in the North of England - kicking off at 6:15 pm. He could indeed be crowned here in Manchester, TONIGHT.

Fifth off, and this is the biggest punt of the lot, setting aside Iain Dale's flimsy "hot scoop" of earlier this afternoon, I can see the logic of Gordon Brown making the rest of the five week tour of the country AS THE P.M. if that's constitutionally and practically possible.

Could the new King be off to the Palace sooner than expected?

WARNING: I'll have no gags in comments about Tony Blair being the "Lying King".

Dennis Skinner MP Rings: "I've Already Done It"

Seems like Mr Skinner MP shouldn't have been on the email list. He wasn't on Duncan's list to be fair and came from the other one. But he 'phoned personally to tell me. What a star.

Iain Dale: Blair to Step Down as an MP in Weeks

My good friend Iain Dale has published another of his hot "scoop" stories. That Tony Blair will step down within weeks of Gordo's Manchester Coronation as PM.

Good scoop? You're kidding. This has been reported in the MSM in various ways for months, nay years, including same name(s) of front runners that Iain has. And yes those rather half-hearted denials which may need a serious looking emergency to override them.

This seat really ought to be an All Woman Short List (AWS). Though to be fair in the NE representation of women is fairly good. But it would be fairly interesting to hear what excuses the NE Region and NEC could come up with for this NOT to be an AWS.

It would certainly have to have BME and women candidates each making at least one third of the six-person short list unless there is some exceptional overriding of the guidance. If there were a crisis say.

May 2008 is not out of the question I suppose. But as speculated continuously for months and years a rather earlier departure cannot be ruled out by any serious commentator.

Gordon Brown: Seven-Point Plan for His Primacy

LOL agree with El Tom's Newer Labour that Freedland is right on the money. Perhaps not on the Chancellor appointment (D Miliband), but the idea of picking a Labour Party Chair from the Deputy also rans, possibly John Cruddas, is so good that I suggested it myself in comments here before reading the Freedland piece.

Labour Leadership: Appealling to Gordon Brown's Commercial Instincts

Memo to Labour Party General Secretary, Treasurer and NEC: If there is no contest for Leader, the Join to Vote initiative could well fall flat on its face. With one there could be a bonanza. Hurry, there's not much time left.

Conservative Future: Safe in Their Hands

Sadly they don't seem to be Etonians and may have to go with UKIP. Once they've got their Ancient History pass degrees. Hat tip Recess Monkey.

Labour Leadership: Updated MPs to Nominate

There are 26 MPs holding unused nominations for the Leadership. John McDonnell needs 16 of these to come his way to prevent the deflation of a "no contest" situation. Hilary Benn still needs five to make the quota.

The MPs who are yet to nominate (1pm Wednesday) in the Leadership election are:

Anne Begg/ Joe Benton/ Colin Burgon/ Charles Clarke/ Jon Cruddas/ Andrew Dismore/ Jim Dowd/ Gwyneth Dunwoody/ Frank Field/ Dai Havard/ Kate Hoey/ Piara Khabra or alt/ Peter Kilfoyle/ Andrew MacKinley/Fiona Mactaggart/ Siobhain McDonagh/ Rosemary McKenna/ Alan Meale/ Austin Mitchell/ Terry Rooney/ Graham Stringer/Jon Trickett/ Paul Truswell/ David Winnick/ Anthony Wright/ Tony Wright/

The mailto links are in. Hat tip to Duncan commenting on Susan's blog.

John Angliss has this list with some sense of priorities here. Please don't hesitate to send corrections and additions in comments.

As a plain list:

begga@parliament.uk
bentonj@parliament.uk
burgonc@parliament.uk
clarkec@parliament.uk
cruddasj@parliament.uk
dismorea@parliament.uk
dowdj@parliament.uk
dunwoodyg@parliament.uk
fieldf@parliament.uk
havardd@parliament.uk
hoeyk@parliament.uk
khabrap@parliament.uk or miksj@parliament.uk
kilfoylep@parliament.uk
mackinleya@parliament.uk
mactaggartf@parliament.uk
mcdonaghs@parliament.uk
mckennar@parliament.uk
mealea@parliament.uk
mitchella@parliament.uk
rooneyt@parliament.uk
stringerg@parliament.uk
trickettj@parliament.uk
truswellp@parliament.uk
winnickd@parliament.uk
wrighta@parliament.uk
wrightt@parliament.uk

Labour Leadership: Open Letter to Jon Cruddas and Compass Company

Dear Jon Cruddas

According to my information you have yet to nominate in the Leadership contest. I believe it would be a service to Party Democracy and to the Labour Party's standing in the country if there were a contest for Leader.

Could you please therefore nominate John McDonnell to ensure a contest.

This would demonstrate your commitment to a real debate in the party, to renewing from the grassroots, and to restoring party democracy and respect for the rank and file members who form the party and the movement.

Please ask your supporters and Compass friends to do likewise.

Thank you

Chris Paul

Party member since 1983

Labour Leadership: MPs Yet to Nominate

The MPs who are yet to nominate in the Leadership election are:

Anne Begg/ Joe Benton/ Colin Burgon/ Stephen Byers/ Charles Clarke/ David Clelland/ Ann Clwyd/ Vernon Coaker/ Michael Connarty/ Jim Cousins/ Jon Cruddas/ Andrew Dismore/ Jim Dowd/ Gwyneth Dunwoody/ Frank Field/ Bruce George/ Nia Griffith/ Mike Hall/ David Hamilton/ Dai Havard/ Sharon Hodgson/ Kate Hoey/ Brian Jenkins/ Piara Khabra/ Peter Kilfoyle/ Andrew MacKinley/Fiona Mactaggart/ Chris McCafferty/ Siobhain McDonagh/ Rosemary McKenna/ Alan Meale/ Alan Milburn/ Austin Mitchell/ Chris Mullin/ Jim Murphy/ Stephen Pound/ Terry Rooney/ Dennis Skinner/ Graham Stringer/Jon Trickett/ Paul Truswell/ Rudi Vis/ Michael Wills/ David Winnick/ Anthony Wright/ Tony Wright/

The mailto links are in. Hat tip to Duncan commenting on Susan's blog.

John Angliss has this list with some sense of priorities here. I'll add that annotation here in a minute after another slurp of coffee. Bold equals in top 56 rebels. Have found some errors and corrected them - including a couple of MPs who are disputed on whether they have nominated. Please don't hesitate to send corrections and additions in comments.

As a plain list:

begga@parliament.uk
bentonj@parliament.uk
burgonc@parliament.uk
byerss@parliament.uk
clarkec@parliament.uk
clellandd@parliament.uk
clywda@parliament.uk
coakerv@parliament.uk
connartym@parliament.uk
cousinsj@parliament.uk
cruddasj@parliament.uk
dismorea@parliament.uk
dowdj@parliament.uk
dunwoodyg@parliament.uk
fieldf@parliament.uk
georgeb@parliament.uk
griffithn@parliament.uk
hallm@parliament.uk
hamiltond@parliament.uk
havardd@parliament.uk
hodgsons@parliament.uk
hoeyk@parliament.uk
jenkinsb@parliament.uk
khabrap@parliament.uk
kilfoylep@parliament.uk
mackinleya@parliament.uk
mactaggartf@parliament.uk
mccaffertyc@parliament.uk
mcdonaghs@parliament.uk
mckennar@parliament.uk
mealea@parliament.uk
milburna@parliament.uk
mitchella@parliament.uk
mullinc@parliament.uk
murphyj@parliament.uk
pounds@parliament.uk
rooneyt@parliament.uk
skinnerd@parliament.uk
stringerg@parliament.uk
trickettj@parliament.uk
truswellp@parliament.uk
visr@parliament.uk
willsm@parliament.uk
winnickd@parliament.uk
wrighta@parliament.uk
wrightt@parliament.uk

Libdemologists: 54% Ming Must Go, 39% Can Stay

In The Times this morning:

The most damning figures, though, come from Lib Dem supporters themselves. By a margin of 54 per cent to 39 per cent, party voters assert that Sir Menzies should be replaced rather than retained. That is a damning figure, and he will be damned if there is not a significant change in his performance and ratings.

The piece concludes:

Sir Menzies has to project strength quickly. If he has fresh ideas, he cannot afford to wait for months before revealing them. .... Above all else, Sir Menzies has to ask himself whether he has the necessary fire in his belly for the task in front of him. If not, then it is but a matter of time before his leadership is extinguished.

He can stay as long as he wants.

Tory Pundits: Melissa Kite Handbags Iain Dale

Melissa Kite has given Tory bloggers a good seeing to. This follows her good friend Iain Dale's fisking or shredding of Melissa's perfectly reasonable piece of near-future punditry.

My response suggesting in the last para that this post may be part of a pattern of misogyny from Master Dale got a fierce rebuke (pictured) which got a characteristically reasonable response from your blogger (also pictured).

Iain Dale has been behaving a bit better over the last week or two but this state of affairs surely cannot last. LOL will be here to advise should he again stumble or fall in the battle of the sexes.

Cuddly Nu Tories: Old Etonians Singing from Different Hymnsheets on Religion and Race

How very queer. Hot foot from a couple of days visiting a Muslim family with Associated's scribblers, snappers and videoists in tow David Cameron came out fighting. Determined to out discriminatory language from facile politicians and media wallahs:

It’s hard to over-emphasise the importance of language. I know it sounds like a side issue, but it isn’t. We are just not getting this right. Every time the BBC or a politician talks about “Islamist terrorists” they are doing immense harm (and yes I am sure I have done this too, despite trying hard to get this right.)
Think of Northern Ireland – “IRA terrorist” was fine because it marked them out as part of a terrorist group,
Catholic terrorists would have been a disaster. Yet that is the equivalent of what we are doing now.

But Cameron posted this at Web Cameron scarcely a week after his Old Etonian (see comments) fellow Public School and Oxford comrade and arch-apologist Michael Gove almost hit double figures with mentions of Islamists in his Times column.

Islamist terrorists, Islamist idealogues, Islamist killers ... Gove mixes and matches the "I" word with great agility. Every couple of paragraphs in his remaindered 7/7 book too. And a double whammy for Cameron as he gets a facile, nay puerile politician AND a media wallah with just one barrel.

Hat tip to Mr Fawkes, telling it like it is for Toff Tories on Race.

UPDATE: Miles thinks Gove is "just like a miner" for his heroic industrial action on the Aberdeen Angus (or something like that).

Iain Dale's Diary: Gordon Brown Celebrity Watch

Iain Dale is splitting hairs and spitting fur over the latest alleged contradiction in Gordon Brown's racy lifestyle. According to The Sun Mr Brown had a £100 haircut at a swanky salon. Iain says this was an attempt to "be seen". Not so. One of Iain's groupies says it was a "take out" at home.

But either way Mr Dale is suggesting that because Mr Brown gets a haircut from a salon that also crimps some celebs he cannot also be aiming to sink personality politics ahead of taking down adonis Dave-id Cameron and toothsome Nick Clegg.

If we're going to get catty on this ... Just where and for how many yankee dollars does Dave-id Cameron get his various complex comb overs sorted?

I recall it was supposedly at his local barbers that a change was first made, though I do suspect that the various adaptations to the new look over the following days with diminishing locks to work with may have required more than the "£6 Tuesday morning special for distressed Old Etonians". Quite a struggle today deciding whether to put picture left, right or centre.

Join Labour: Choose the Leadership

Join Labour HERE by 1 June 2007 and you can cast a vote in the Leadership and Deputy Leadership contests. For students it was £1 a year last time I looked. For unwaged and levy paying affiliate members the cost is just £1 per month = £12. For waged it is £3 per month.

At 6pm today the Party is due to announce the first tranche of nominations HERE and you can then see how your own or nearest or favourite Labour MP has jumped.

Or, if they are yet to express a preference, you can lobby them to ensure a contest for the Leadership and/or to back popular favourites Jon Cruddas and Hilary Benn who seem to be the slowest to reach the starting line.

UPDATE: LOL will link to or publish lobby lists we find. Watch this space.
CORRECTION: Joining as a Student may still be just £1 per year while studying not £1 per month as originally stated.

Labour Leadership: BBC Website, Still Pointless

Well, still pointing at the wrong Fabians site. Blogged 22 hours ago. Emailed 15 hours ago. C'mon Beeb. HERE.

Newsnight: Michael Crick Predicts Deputy Dawgs

Benn, Harman and Johnson to be the three. If Benn gets nominations.

Labour Leadership: BBC Analysis is Gone Astray

Nick Assinder has attempted an analysis of the potential effect of a McDonnell candidacy for Labour Party Leader. He's right about the appetite for a contest in the party. But I think his idea that a better-than-expected result - which he puts at 75:25 - would harm Gordon from day one is pretty fanciful and may be the opposite of the truth.

It would do Gordon and the Party no harm at all to consider and respond to the issues and arguments of the Labour left. It could however do Gordon and the party harm if he responds only or mainly to the right.

Having a contest will clearly provide an opportunity for recruitment and retention of members and levy paying Trade Unionists. And it will provide far more media interest and coverage than a one-horse race, however frenzied the Deputy Dawg contest may be.

Deputy Leadership: Financial Times Straw Poll of MPs

This is a story from the Financial Times analysed over at Dave's Part. He also adds this:

UPDATE: That said, I've just noticed another FT story based on a BBC poll of Labour MPs. Seems that deputy leadership hopefuls Peter Hain, Hazel Blears and Harriet Harman all have the necessary 45 nominations or more, while Alan Johnson will announce tomorrow that he has more names in the bag than any of his rivals.

Cruddas, meanwhile, has just 24 backers. That, in other words, is the most support the unions can rustle up in the Parliamentary Labour Party, which says a lot about the state of play. And if anyone other than his dad is interested, Hilary Benn has only 16 MPs behind him.

That's about 270 accounted for. There are still enough unspent nominations floating around to finish off the other two. Possibly even for a seventh candidate. Will Michael Meacher have a pop?

Graphic from Guido Fawkes.

Breaking News: Vacancy Opens at Manchester City

Stuart Pearce tried to do two jobs and even though one of them was only a few days a year he's now jobless. A lesson for City fan Cllr John Leech MP.

Labour Leadership: 16:26pm Michael Meacher has Agreed to Withdraw says John McDonnell

Word on the grapevine, and the BBC tickertape. "More soon". UPDATE: The Guardian also has the story and John and Michael's Press conference is just kicking off in Committee Room C at the HoP.

Labour Leadership: More VT From the Hustings

John McDonnell - Another World is Possible

Michael Meacher - Political Reinvention is Possible

Gordon Brown - The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth

Audience video, shot by Alon Or-bach. Hat tip DoctorDunc/Labour Home.

Labour Leadership: BBC Extract from Fabian Debate

HERE along with some links, including to Blair's latest goodbye speech and a patchy Bremner routine. Beautiful era/error gag. Ooops, there's a spoiler for you.

Labour Leadership: Nominations Open in 15 Minutes

Nominations open: 2:30 pm today 14/5/7
First publication of nominations on LP website: 6pm tomorrow 15/5/7
Nominations close: 12:30pm Thursday 17/5/7

Other diary dates: HERE

Deputy Leadership: Alan Johnson Hit From All Sides

Has Alan Johnson MP (above with stunt baby) got all his ducks in a row?

Iain Dale is suggesting that it is Alan Johnson's people who "leaked" some decade-old information on Hilary Benn to the lazy Telegraph who would, left to themselves, be unable to search the RMI at the HoP website.

Action Without Theory, possibly coming from a different place to young Master Dale, outed Johnson for having sat down at a fund raising dinner next to a local Labour grandee who happens to be very unpopular with Trade Unionists at the College he bosses.

There was a bigger story I thought on the night. As well as bigging up his Trade Union and lefty roots - such that he once said he wanted to reduce the TU vote at Conference from 50% to 15% - Mr Johnson also talked at great length about Britain's magnificent trading links with India.

We hear he did this because he knew there were some journalists at the do from Jammu/Kashmir - which is officially a state of India (apolitical Wiki page with one small para on the status quo). In fact the comrades were from an Urdu paper and while they would no doubt prefer an Independent state they would be rather more likely prefer Pakistan or even perhaps China to an undue association with India.

Map right. Click to enlarge. Jammu is one of the 13 states of Jammu and Kashmir and among the smallest of them. It is also unique in having a Hindu majority while J&K as a whole is the only state in partitioned India to have a strong Muslim Majority. 95% in the Kashmir Valley itself.

Overall I suppose Johnson's gaffe would be rather like trying to curry favour with Irish republicans in Boston by bigging up America's role in supplying the British Army. In fact recent supplies to India have included 60 or so Hawk Jet Fighters.

Blogger Power: Another Message to the BBC

The BBC have linked to the Fabian Society's OLD URL! This is the direct link to the full transcript of yesterday's hustings on the new site.

This is an excellent debate and well worth reading.

Blogger Power: BBC Crumble in Face of LOL Post

First thing (8:05) LOL reported the perfidy of the BBC in linking only to front-runner Brown's website - even though the others had been around for many months. Four hours later (12:03) - capitulation. Though the older links which some people will use have still not caught up.

Laugh Out Loud: Messing With Template

All still legible I hope. Normal service ... later. Perhaps much later.

NHS on the Web: Another Fine Mess with Hewitt's Healthspace Webspace

Another Good Question from Dizzy on the NHS Healthspace website. Many browsers are EXCLUDED from the "choose and book" feature. This is a particularly cruel blow for Macintosh users for which the preferred browser (IE) is no longer supported at all.

The failure is despite Accessibility Advice which suggests some understanding of an access for all agenda.

Web Stats: RAF Crash and Burn, LOL Flourish

Dizzy has an interesting Military Webbing story which shows that while the MOD, Navy and Army are in serious eight figure totals for hits the RAF is on just 8,000. LOL speculate that they are recording their hits by painting rival URLs on the side of their hangar and simply cannot keep up.

This absolute charmer painting up his kills is George Frederick "Buzzy" Beurling who reported this kill:

"One of my can shells caught him in the face and blew his head right off. The body slumped and the slipstream caught the neck, the stub of the neck, and the blood streamed down the side of the cockpit. It was a great sight anyway. The red blood down the white fuselage. I must say it gives you a feeling of satisfaction when you actually blow their brains out."

Plus ca change. Starting in the RAF, he moved to the RCAF and tried to join both the Chinese and US Air Force to get more killing done before rejoining the RAF. As well as "Buzzy" he was known as "Screwball".

Laughing Out Loud Stats

Meanwhile LOL crashed through both the 2,000 and 2,500 unique visitors barriers in one week and joined the Technorati top-100,000 as well. There are 71 million blogs in the world, allegedly.

BBC Leadership Contest: Nona Theo Buvv Rallies

Brown is on the ropes again as Nona Theo Buvv almost doubles their support overnight.

McDonnell still has the edge over Meacher. But why is only Brown's campaign site linked by the Beeb?

Leadership Hustings: A Committed McDonnellite Account of Proceedings

TONIGHT: The long-awaited Fabian Society Hustings in London was blogged live by Marsha-Jane Thompson.

Marsha-Jane - a staunch McDonnellite - concludes with slight subbing from LOL:

Although not our home territory - the Fabian audience were more supportive of Gordon Brown - John McDonnell had a very good debate and didn't rise to Brown's digs, and went down well with the audience. McDonnell rebuffed Brown's criticisms excellently which is why GB had to resort to cheap digs about moving back 20 years! He had no other responses to John's proposals! The fact that GB did get slightly nasty at the end shows how worried he is!

Michael Meacher collapsed completely! He couldn't debate with Brown and when McDonnell was debating he just stood there watching! Meacher didn't answer any of the questions just parroted the answers John said prefixed with an I agree with John! Honestly man you need to withdraw before you make yourself even more of a laughing stock.

Will this encourage or dissuade Gordon Brown from allowing a contest. GB did in fact challenge the two lefties on costings as well as on being a 20-year throwback. Hat tip: Nick at 4glengate.

Libdemologists: Don't Let an Inconvenient Truth Get in the Way of an Election Campaign

Broxtowe Labour organised a showing of An Inconvenient Truth in Beeston.
But they had to cancel it and issue an Irritated Apology.

Why was this? Well, Tom Hamilton explains here how the Lib Dems insisted it be pulled even though they were invited to attend and speak. Tom concludes:

There are all sorts of ways in which the Liberal Democrats, as a party with an explicit commitment to more environmentally friendly policies, might be able to capitalise on being invited to a public showing of a film about climate change. This is one which wouldn't have occurred to me.

Here are the Lib Dems themselves urging you to see this very film:

Libdemologists: Millionairess Mimicster Featherstone Picks a Funny Way to Resign

The Vulcan Millionairess Mimicster Lynne Featherstone was the only one - including Ming - who managed to keep their eyes open as Ming explained his controversial Equality plan. Controversial mainly because they don't mean it.

"Well it would be foolish to say he looks like a young contender." Said Lynne to e-politix. "On the other hand I am coming round to favouring ... wisdom and integrity and actually meaning what you say."

Is Lynne in the wrong party? "While there might be an image issue ... I have no doubt the more you see of Ming the more people will like of Ming."

Well I know that the more I see of him and his polls and his election results the more I like the look of him.

But apparently younger Lib Dem MPs simply can't bear to look.

Parburypolitica: Queen's Advisor is a Tory Shock! And Little Lord Cameron Was a Pre-Teen Quaffer

Parburypolitica had a story last week about a former Tory PPC. Edward Young was a Reading Councillor and briefly leader of their grouplet. He then stood for parliament in Leigh ... a noble pursuit ... then opposition SpAd to Shadow Chancellor and Leader of the opposition. Then a turn in Granada/Carlton (?Cameron connection) ... and then the Royal Household. He's now hovering unctiously close on the greasy pole to being Principal Private Secretary to HM ER. Parbury thinks this is a shocker. Almost as if HM and her head SpAd have any sway these days.

Jane Griffiths, an ex-Reading Councillor and then de-selected New Labour MP and a blogger thinks Parbury is barking ... up the wrong tree. Then again the picture is of HM ER pressing the flesh ... in Reading. Spooky.

A better story is Parbury's bust of Dave-id Cameron as a prep school tippler. But at least I found out something about how Labour folk are still behaving in Reading. Which extraordinarily seems to be gradually crumbling not so slowly into Lib-Con hands. Twice spooky.

Leadership Challengers: Now's the Time to Bet

Political Betting has John McDonnell at 99-1 and Michael Meacher at 139-1. One set of odds will tumble at tea time tomorrow, Monday, or whenever Top Dog is announced. Have you ever noticed how bookies have four windows collecting money in and just the one paying out?

Libdemologists: Ming Must Stay, Barcharts Must Go

Fibs Dems has an enthusiastic round up of the Lib Dems' "mixed bag" of results in the recent elections. A feeding frenzy for a mixed bag of grateful opponents. Ming must stay!

Scientologists: That Sad Sick Crew In Glorious Panorama Vision

The story of this programme (Monday 14, BBC 1, 8:30pm) is HERE.

Scientologists in German push, Featured on South Park, Rowing in East Sussex, and Cult or Religion? defined (BBC e-cyclopedia).


This is the official trailer. A heated Scientologist - for which the embed option is disabled - is HERE and a very very heated BBC reporter HERE.

Let's hope Mr Sweeney - the Mr Angry reporter - motors in to the similarly dodgy Libdemologist franchise cult next.