Tonight I shall mainly be listening to Western Swing, with the songs of Hank Williams to the fore.
Fans of the Lonesome and Penniless Cowboys should mosey on down to this select Old Landsdowne Road venue to see Thin, Snuff, Mog, Trundle and Mellor plus some bloke on rhythm and pedal steel. (Martin as it goes)
They may even do 'Cash Rap'.
It's their head of logistics' birthday. But genu-ine Hank fans all welcome. Late bar.
It seems that Mr Cruddas was lined up to be the Minister for the South East - as well as getting a Labour Party role as one of four Vice Chairs. In the heat of the moment he is said to have considered the offer "too nebulous".
As we all know from reading the comments if not the headline over at my good friend Dale's place this area was subsequently bundled with London as the patch for Tess of the Jowell-Mills'.
I think it could be unbundled. And I think that Jon should take the role on. Be as good a reason as any to visit his constituency home more often.
CORRECTION: The South East post has already been unbundled but went to Jonathan Shaw MP (thanks Andrea). I can't help thinking that Jon Cruddas has messed up big time by not accepting either a first Ministerial job or a Party role. Did he really think he was going to be Home Secretary? I'm off to enlighten Mr Dale.
This afternoon I took my three sniffer dogs down to Marie Louise Gardens on which I am preparing a blogpost. Very nice. Showing its age in places. And then went and found the mysterious Albert Club to which I have not one but two invitations this week - having never heard of it before. More anon. Really.
Unity has a scoop on the current favourite to win the Labour selection as PPC for Ealing Southall. Gurinder Singh Josan (right) who is a Councillor in Sandwell. There has been a discussion going on for sometime about shortlisting for both by-elections over at Antonia's. One Gurdeep Singh of the Sikh Federation UK has been prominent in that and their site also announces productive links with Brown's new government.
Perhaps we'll get an All Woman Shortlist in Sedgefield?
Unity also provides the SP on the extraordinarily opportunistical Tory candidate for the seat. Dale prints his picture with Dave-id.
Yes, really. She seemed to have Lord Mark Malloch-Brown's name biro'ed on her proverbial sleeve. Once this became apparent Michael Portillo couldn't keep his eyes off Diane's lower arm, looking for clues as to her next moves. He's a card that one.
Sadly Michael insisted he had not been approached for a role with Brown's team. Even more surprisingly Diane had also escaped the notice of the selectors. There's always tomorrow. Lib Dem Rosie Boycott thought Lord Pantsdown should have taken the shilling. For the good of the nation.
Er, still yes. And Michael Howard is still a liability for his crew. Yvette Cooper was clever and quick. Piers Morgan was clever and a bit slow. Dimbleby teased manfully. I do like him better than his brother.
But we didn't learn much about anything much now did we?
Poor Susan Grim has not been enjoying the Leadership succession very much at all. Our Comrade dubs Brown's Labour Blue Labour. It may never happen. I am an optimistic sort myself and reckon Brown's arrival is a small part of a recovery for the people's party, both in terms of working for the "many not the few" and also electorally.
David the blogging Methodist Preacher has a heartening story from 1994 when he had Brown and Blair both in his Astra. Here's a taste:When Tony spoke to a group of people or an individual it was clear who was most important in the conversation - it was the politician. When Gordon spoke to people I noticed how easy he found it to listen, almost absorbing information from the people he was talking to. The most important people in those conversations were those that Gordon had come to canvass.
David Hallam's wiki shows where he's coming from.
Nick Brown is to be Deputy Chief Whip (and actually do Buff's job) and also be Minister for the North.
The BBC Report is pretty definitive.
First woman Home Secretary.
Brothers in Cabinet.
Nine women, though not all full members.
Several Blairites.
First commoner as Lord Chancellor.
A Lordly US irritant dealing with the UN.
Buff as Chief Whip - excellent; given the high esteeem in which he is held in the PLP.
Des Browne the ONLY settled incumbent of 23.
Shaun Woodward shows the way open to the defector which will be popular with the hard left and the hard right alike.
The BBC give a handy Out with the Old, in with the New. Tessa keeps the Olympics. Richard Caborn specialises in Soccer. Beverley Hughes is poised for promotion. Though having said that, crises permitting this well-crafted front line, with permission to have an input, has the look of a keeper.
Let's hope Iain Dale has more joy on the Shadow Cabinet than he did on the real one.
Former Attorney General. Confirmed. Latter First Secretary to Treasury tbc. LOL wonder whether Balls could go to Cabinet Office? Hilary Benn confirmed at Environment/Energy as expected. Margaret Beckett to get the Leader of the Lords job after a hiatus? Stop gap for Kinnockio? In which case I'll wheel out an anecdote or two.
No idea when this happened. BBC have no information. I'd better pop over to Guido's. They are reporting however that the CPS were not satisfied with the dodgy dossiers they were given initially by Yates of the Yardarm.
UPDATE: Guido doesn't seem to have covered this story yet. And he has removed my post tipping him off. What an operator.
Baroness Shirley Williams seems minded to take an unpaid, independent, advisory role. Dealing with Weapons of Mass Destruction. Almost a LOL moment when Shirley said she wasn't changing parties. "I wouldn't dream of it" she said as if she'd never been there. Hilary Benn probably to Environment, perhaps Education (Vocational and HE). Ed Balls still tipped for Education (Schools).
Tessa Jowell for Olympics. Meg Munn perhaps for Equality - and in cabinet? Can Yvette work with Hazel? yes she can. Housing post in cabinet? Bev Hughes is the other Education maybe. Dawn Primalaro, Nick Brown and Ed Miliband among those still hanging on the telephone.
Second appeal has been recommended for Comrade Al-Megrahi in an 800 page report. Tam Dalyell and Jim Swire are among his supporters. I was sitting in a bedroom in a London Hotel with the members of the band Distant Cousins as this crime unfolded.
She has had no previous roles in the Home Department as far as I know. Which may be a good thing. Looks like she has Jack Straw over at Justice, and possibly with another hat as Alternate for Brown. Ruth Kelly to Transport. Metro for Bolton? Hazey gets Communities. Good.
Des Browne to stay at Defence with Scotland bolted on? Hazel Blears to get something. But if the Jacqui Smith story is on the money not Home. (Another without an Avatar, but sorted). Also a blow for John Denham though he may be a promotion light of the weight for the job. But then again ... J Smith. Phil Woolas was telling a tale of packing cases greeting him yesterday "Just in Case, Minister". Hutton for Trade and Industry. James Purnell for DCMS - well done Iain Dale. Tessa Jowell will stay in the government. Presumably Olympics?
Hutton perhaps staying at the Department of Work and Pensions. He's such a Blairite that Fishburn Hedges don't seem to have an avatar for him ... LOL are on to that.
JUST IN: Alan Johnson to Health. Could be just what the Doctor ordered. Hain is reckoned to be a survivor ... In fact he gets Work and Pensions. Perhaps Hutton can go to Siberia Stormont? By-elections will be on 19 July. Still just the two of them.
Harriet Harman will be Leader of the House, Deputy Leader and Party Chair. And counting.
Family man Ed Balls for Schools? Hyde MP James Purnell for Skills and Universities (FE/HE)?
BBC are suggesting John Denham will get Home Office, giving a sign to anti-war members and MPs. They have just suggested that D Miliband was very uncomfortable with Blair's position on Lebanon. Suggestion too that both Trade and Scotland will be bolted on the Douglas Alexander's portfolio. And he has a campaign to run too.
Fishburn Hedges Cabinet Engine. Click to enlarge.
Fishburn Hedges Cabinet Engine
JUST IN: David Miliband is Foreign Secretary
Young Douglas Alexander has been given the International Development brief. Baroness Scotland is beaming. But is the beam for Atttorney General or Leader of the Lords? Jack Straw now tipped for Justice rather than Home. David Miliband for FCO? Alan Johnson is doing Education Questions at 10:30, but tipped for Health.
Blair was brilliant at PMQs. A class act. If only he had been singing these last 10 years from a more fundamentally Labour hymnbook. Ming Campbell was very poor. Paul Rowen was absolutely clucking useless. And the one with the Hucknallesque auburn hair and the question of Antidisestablishmentarianism deserved "Am I Bovvered?" and got it.
David Cameron was much better than the Minging Lib Dems. But just as his blandishments were reciprocated his cohorts, most especially those Wintertons and facebook David, were frankly embarrassing. Au Revoir, Auf Wiedersehn, Arrivedecci indeed.
Ian Paisley - my parents' and brother's MP - was terrific and his wishes for Blair success in the Palestine mission will be shared by us all.
Newsnight's MP panel of Burnham, May and Clegg had an unsatisfactory natter for the Second Estate. Talk of requiring an immediate election from Tories is clearly hypocritical rubbish. And why the Lib Dems are doing a "Black Knight" when they're on 12% is beyond this citizen. Rawnsley, Ashley and Letts did rather better for the Fourth Estate.
Fishburn Hedges (which has a drag and drop 'game' as well as their own view) and Iain Dale (bizarre) did theirs before some of the structural clues emerged. Progressive magazine is still open for champagne lovers to bid for a bottle with a superior prediction.
Those decisively OUT of current roles or 'resting' are:
Lord Goldsmith, Patricia Hewitt, Valerie Amos, John Reid, Margaret Beckett, Charlie Falconer, Margaret Hodge
Those decisively IN are:
Gordon Brown, Harriet Harman, Ed Balls, Jack Straw, David Miliband, Alistair Darling, Hilary Benn, Alan Johnson, Yvette Cooper, Nick Brown, Douglas Alexander, Des Browne
May SURVIVE or even PROSPER or take a clunking:
Ruth Kelly, Hazel Blears, Tessa Jowell, Tony McNulty, John Hutton
Bubbling Under:
Beverley Hughes, Caroline Flint, Andy Burnham, James Purnell, Megg Munn, Jon Cruddas, Vera Baird, Ivan Lewis, Liam Byrne, Ed Miliband, Dick Caborn, Phil Woolas, Angela Eagle, Mary Creagh, Angela Smith, Jacqui Smith, Baroness Scotland, Stephen Timms, Jim Murphy
One Time Rebel:
John Denham
Complete Wild Cards:
Michael Portillo, Sebastian Coe, Menzies Campbell, Helena Kennedy, Gerry Robinson, Diane Abbot, Charles Clarke, Alan Simpson, Ken Clarke, John Leech, Shirley Bassey Williams, John McDonnell
GRAPHIC: The Fishburn Hedges platform. Click to enlarge or go and make your own. Not too far off LOL say.
Iain Dale made a solemn promise at 10:23 AM yesterday:
I'm not going to comment on every single poll that is released, but I thought it worth mentioning this one as it proved my point!
And fourteeen hours later ... he's back commenting on every poll. But 12% for the Lib Dems! Hey hey. Though Iain doesn't bother referring to the electoral calculus that now predicts a workable absolute Labour majority of 28. Their last prediction was just four so this is moving fast and in the right direction. The best recent poll of course was at a 70-80 majority.
Next Iain will be standing by his promise to stamp out gratuitous abuse and swearing and stopping his sock poodles calling me "cunt" in comments.
No, actually he will not. He says one thing and does another all the time. Like a good Cameroon nu tory should.
UPDATE: Mr Dale suggests, possibly disingenuously, that he had no idea; claims I only had to ask, which I did; and kills at least some of the potty mouthed banter.
K Cross Clanster Billi Onree is not only a not very secret MySpace listed Scientologist; he is also apparently - and barring Councillor Kerron - a Billi No Mates, gaining fully double the nominations of any other housemate.
In an interesting twist both Billi and Charlie were disciplined for speaking about nominations after the fact. Their own nominations were discounted as "punishment". So bizarrely Charlie ESCAPED being up for nomination BECAUSE she had transgressed. Nicky was also saved from the vote.
As long as no one suggests that Endemol or Channel 4 are corrupt and wanted to keep these two wildcards in the house.
Meanwhile Dave's Part reports the New Statesman Diary:"At no point did Carole Vincent consult the SWP leadership about joining the programme," declares the commissar, "and it is not part of our strategy to enter BB in order to manipulate the media."
At least they're not scheming Trots like Anatoly Baranov! They are? Only they're not joking. Oh well. Party discipline is everything. Carole should toe the line. Though she's right to worry that missing two night's sleep could have caused calamitous weight loss. I'm so glad they've packed the sleep deprivation task in.
Unlike his namesake Anatoly, fighter ace Michael Baranov was never renounced as a Trot
It's like Hatton or Galloway all over again. But in the old country. MoscowTimes.com reports the hapless or devious webmaster Anatoly Baranov being renounced for deviating from the one true path: Baranov called himself a "neo-Trotskyist," but said it was a term used ironically by young Communist activists. He charged that pro-Kremlin forces were trying to make the party look silly.
So, it's the Communists versus the Kremlin. And within the communists it's their McDonnellites versus their Compassites. Or something like that. Funnily enough Young Compassites ARE being ribbed as 'Trots' and 'Trotty' and told their careers are 'so over' by Mainstream Young Labour/Labour Students. Allegedly.
First they came for Baranov ... then they came for Young Compass ... and when they came for Labour Bloggers there was no one left to speak out. Can't risk it. Hands off Tavarish Baranov!
MEANWHILE: By 2020 most of the Russian Proletariat will have joined the petty Bourgeousie.
Mike Smithson at Political Betting has a lovely quote to go with his montage. And reckons today's defection screws Cameron and assists Blair's swansong PMQs.
Whereas I'm initially quite amused by the Quentin Davies defection, and very impressed with the ammo provided by his resignation letter, the new blog voice of the Labour Left Fightback, taking over where Reclaim Labour left off, is not impressed with this catch.
Brown and Blair (above) are considered as bad as each other and the weekend's Coronation Set Piece and Deputy Dawg Fight is seen as both annoying and a reason to take heart.
I'm preferring more of a negotiation with the current hegemony and secretariat of OUR PARTY, non violent communication, conflict resolution and win-win outcomes. But this is a blog to watch. Well written. Rich in hypertext links. With instant community from the John4Leader campaign.
BBC News 24 has announced that Mr Blair will be standing down as MP for Sedgefield making for a double by-election when Ealing Southall also elect their new MP. It would be a good thing if Labour took positive action to improve the situation of under-represented groups - such as (Asian) women - rather than increasing the representation of friends and relatives of high ups in both these safe seats. We wait with baited breath.
FULL TEXT OF DAVIES LETTER TO MR CAMERON
"I have been a member of the Conservative Party for over 30 years, and have served for 20 years in the Parliamentary Party, in a variety of backbench and front bench roles.
This has usually been a great pleasure, and always a great privilege. It is therefore with much sadness that I write you this letter. But you are entitled to know the truth.
Under your leadership the Conservative Party appears to me to have ceased collectively to believe in anything, or to stand for anything.
It has no bedrock. It exists on shifting sands. A sense of mission has been replaced by a PR agenda.
For the first 19 years of my time in the House, in common I imagine with the great majority of my colleagues, it never occurred to me to leave the party, whatever its current vicissitudes.
Ties of familiarity, of friendship, and above all of commitment to constituency supporters are for all of us very strong and incredibly difficult to break.
But they cannot be the basis for living a lie - for continuing in an organisation when one no longer has respect for its leadership or understanding of its aims.
I have come to that appreciation slowly and painfully and as a result of many things, some of which are set out below.
The first horrible realisation that I might not be able to continue came last year. My initial reaction was to suppress it.
You had come to office as leader of the party committed to break a solemn agreement we had with the European People's Party to sit with them in the EPP-ED Group during the currency of this European Parliament.
For seven months you vacillated, and during that time we had several conversations.
It was quite clear to me that you had no qualms in principle about tearing up this agreement, and that it was only the balance of prevailing political pressures which led you ultimately to stop short of doing so (though since then you have hardly acted in good faith in continuing with the agreement, for example you never attend the EPP-ED Summits claiming that you are "too busy" - even though half a dozen or more Prime Ministers are always present.)
Of course I knew that you had put yourself in a position such that if you did not leave the EPP-ED Group you would be breaking other promises you had given to colleagues, and on which many of them had counted in voting for you at the leadership election.
But that I fear only made the position worse. The trouble with trying to face both ways is that you are likely to lose everybody's confidence.
Aside from the rather significant issues of principle involved, you have of course paid a practical price for your easy promises.
You are the first leader of the Conservative Party who (for different reasons) will not be received either by the President of the United States, or by the Chancellor of Germany (up to, and very much including, Iain Duncan Smith every one of your predecessors was most welcome both in the White House and in all the chancelleries of Europe).
It is fair to say that you have so far made a shambles of your foreign policy, and that would be a great handicap to you - and, more seriously, to the country - if you ever came to power.
I have never done business with people who deliberately break contracts, and I knew last year that if you left the EPP-ED Group I could no longer remain in a party under your leadership.
In fact you held back and I tried to put this ugly incident out of my mind and carry on.
But the last year has been a series of shocks and disappointments. You have displayed to the full both the vacuity and the cynicism of your favourite slogan 'change to win'.
One day in January, I think a Wednesday or Thursday, you and George Osborne discovered that Gordon Brown was to make a speech on the environment the following Monday.
You wished to pre-empt him. So without any consultation with anyone - experts, think tanks, the industry, even the Shadow Cabinet - you announced an airline or flight tax which as you have subsequently heard from me in a long paper (which has never been refuted) and I am sure from many others, is certainly defective and contradictory - and in my view complete nonsense.
The PR pressures had overridden any considerations of economic rationality or national interest, or even what would have been to others normal businesslike prudence.
Equally it seems that your hasty rejection of nuclear energy as a 'last resort' was also driven by your PR imperatives rather than by other considerations. Many colleagues hope that that will be the subject of your next u-turn.
You regularly (I think on a pre-arranged PR grid or timetable) make apparent policy statements which are then revealed to have no intended content at all. They appear to be made merely to strike a pose, to contribute to an image.
You thus sometimes treat important subjects with the utmost frivolity. Examples are 'inequality' (the 'Polly Toynbee' moment - again you had a paper from me!), marriage and the tax system (even your own Party Chairman was unable to explain on the BBC what you really meant) and, most recently, mass consultation of the public on policy decisions. (In view of your complete failure to consult with anyone, within the Party or outside it, on many of the matters I have touched on, or on many others, the latter was perhaps intended as a joke).
Of course I could go on - up to three weeks ago when you were prepared to stoop to putting forward a resolution on Iraq (demanding an inquiry while our military involvement continues) which it was admitted at a Party meeting the following Monday (by George Osborne in your presence) was motivated by party political considerations. That was a particularly bad moment."
Believe it or not I have no personal animus against you. You have always been perfectly courteous in our dealings. You are intelligent and charming.
As you know, however, I never supported you for the leadership of the Party - even when, after my preferred candidate Ken Clarke had been defeated in the first round, it was blindingly obvious that you were going to win.
Nor, for the same reasons, have I ever sought office in your shadow administration.
Although you have many positive qualities you have three, superficiality, unreliability and an apparent lack of any clear convictions, which in my view ought to exclude you from the position of national leadership to which you aspire and which it is the presumed purpose of the Conservative Party to achieve.
Believing that as I do, I clearly cannot honestly remain in the Party. I do not intend to leave public life. On the contrary I am looking forward to joining another party with which I have found increasingly I am naturally in agreement and which has just acquired a leader I have always greatly admired, who I believe is entirely straightforward, and who has a towering record, and a clear vision for the future of our country which I fully share.
Because my constituents, to whose interests of course I remain devoted, are entitled to know the full background, I am releasing this letter to the press."
Iain Dale has emptied his head into his blog on the sad occasion of the defection of a Tory MP to Labour. Rationale is the Emperor's complete and utter lack of new clothes.
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin.
Henman to serve.
15-love
2nd serve
30-love
2nd serve
40-love
40-15 ... it's started?
Game Henman
Two sets all, 6-5 to Henman
Potentially four points away from ... winning his first round match!!
Moya serves
15-love
2nd serve
15-15
30-15
Ace 40-15
2nd serve
40-30
Game Moya, 6-6, no tie breaks, to the death
Henman
15-love
30-love
30-15
2nd serve
40-15 smashing
Game Henman, smashing again 7-6
Moya
2nd serve
15-love
15-all
30-15
40-15
Ace, Game 7-7
Henman
Love-15
15-all
30-15 reviewed, stands
2nd serve
40-15
40-30 oo-er
Deuce
Ace A-Henman
Game 8-7
End change
Moya
2nd serve
Love-15
2nd serve
15-15
2nd serve
30-15
30-all Two points for GSM
40-30 Net cord fluke
2nd serve
Game Moya Reviewed, stood 8-8
Henman
2nd serve
15-love
30-love
2nd serve
30-15 passing brilliance
2nd serve
40-15
Game Henman 9-8
This is now at 4-3 for today
Moya
2nd serve
15-love
15-15 nice cross court hv pass
30-15
30-all pass down the line
2nd serve
40-30
Game Moya 9-9
Henman
Love-15
15-all
2nd serve, double fault
15-30
2nd serve
30-all
40-30
2nd serve
Deuce
A-Henman
Deuce
A-Henman
2nd serve
Game 10-9 Henman leads
Moya serves
(This is going to be the one, go Tim!)
Love-15
15-15
30-15
30-all
40-30
2nd serve
Game Moya 10-10
Meanwhile there is a live commentary on paint drying over at Dale's
Henman
2nd serve
15-love
30-love
30-15
40-15
40-30
Game Henman 11-10
End change
Moya
15-love
15-all
2nd serve
30-15
40-15
Game Moya 11-11
Henman
2nd serve
15-love
2nd serve double fault
15-all
30-15
30-all
2nd serve
30-40 Oh, dear
Ace, deuce
Ace, A-Henman
Ace? Review, given
2nd serve
Deuce
A-Henman
Deuce
A-Moya
2nd serve
Ace, deuce
A-Henman
Game Henman 12-11 crowd go wild
Moya
Love-15
Love-30 looking good
15-30
15-40 lobacious lob, 5th Matchpoint
2nd serve
30-40 6th Matchpoint
Poor miss, Deuce
2nd serve
A-Henman 7th Matchpoint
2nd serve
Double fault
Game, set and match
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin.
Henman to serve.
15-love
2nd serve
30-love
2nd serve
40-love
40-15 ... it's started?
Game Henman
Two sets all, 6-5 to Henman
Potentially four points away from ... winning his first round match!!
Moya serves
15-love
2nd serve
15-15
30-15
Are you sitting comfortably? Then we'll begin.
Henman to serve.
15-love
2nd serve
30-love
2nd serve
40-love
40-15 ... it's started?
Game Henman
Two sets all, 6-5 to Henman
Potentially four points away from ... winning his first round match!!
Nancy and Sven may be coming to Manchester, but Padma and Salman are less likely. Their lives are elsewhere. Anywhere else but the UK most of the time as far as I can gather. If anyone knows different please tell LoL by comment or email.
Danny Finkelstein's comment central rather jeers at Tony Parsons in The Mirror who in turn jeers at what he sees as the farce of knighting Salman.
Yes, Tony he is a tedious writer and an arrogant and fortunate man. Yes, Danny he shouldn't be under threat of death for being tedious, arrogant, and irreverent. But should he be Sir Salman Rushdie anyway?
Perhaps there's a clue in the requirement to be a UK Citizen to sign the No 10 petition that Danny links to? Perhaps people should be UK Citizens and full time citizens at that, domiciled and resident for tax purposes, before they get massive and costly police protection and before they get UK honours? Does Mr Rushdie fit the bill? I don't think he does.
OUTERNATIONALS: who cannot sign the No 10 petition can sign here.
Hackney Chip Shop tour photos are now up. No sign of Luke Hakefirst. Probably had other fish to fry.
Nancy and Sven - Just the ticket?
Or a bit of a struggle?
Iain Dale's sock poodles think he's picked up Unity's chastity ring story (below) from here. But if so there's no hat tip (there never is) but just orchestrated fourth form abuse in comments. Ouch! Not sure I can stand this. I am not worthy to hang on this honorable giant's bootstraps.
Read all about it. A resume: 
"School girl" has been wearing ring without bother;
A sudden row is manufactured;
The girl has left the school at 16;
Her own mum and dad own the franchise for the SBT;
A Max Clifford character does the PR for the mad churchies;
They are anti-objectification;
They secretly employ a lingerie (and crochet) model.
The judge has reserved judgement to have a jolly good think. But Unity has been very thorough.
The family and all their associates should jointly and severally be liable for all the costs of this marketing legal activity plus punitive damages.
Perhaps this lot, beloved of Dale and Dorries with their new christian fervour, could really be the answer to Dave-id Cameron's prayers and help market his much admired new suit of clothes?
Attracted by the twilight tennis of Tiger Tim Henman's career here a Mr Yozzer from Blueberry Fields, Liverpool has visited. I have reciprocated.
My reward? A terrible/wonderful story of the Lib Dem yellow peril's slashing of the pay, terms and conditions of some of Liverpool's hardest working and lowest paid staff. Why on earth does anyone vote for these incompetent and uncaring chancers?
Liverpool Carers are to get a new contract which comes into force a week today. This new contract pushed through by the Lib Dems includes a gagging clause that stops the workers telling the media what's in it. That they are set to lose one third of their income by not being paid while they are travelling.
Presumably it doesn't apply this week!. Liverpool Lib Dems threatened to pull The Pops then cut it by 90%, they have run the city into debt with silly gestures, and as their losses mounted their leader was seen physically attacking a rival on election night. Liverpool "City of Culture" is a "City of Vultures" under this ramshackle Lib Dem regime.
The whole Homecare sector is under enormous pressure. There are thousands upon thousands of volunteer carers, including children. And paid carer jobs are so difficult and low paid that there is high turnover, low morale and cheap chiselling.
RESOURCES: Unison's Homecare Page; a model Word letter to your MP about carers; and Home Care petition (pdf).
Reposted from 20:38
Despite fulsome publicity from an award winning Tory Boy Blogger poor David Burrowes MP has received just one suggestion in three hours. Mr Burrowes is due to open the bowling against Mr Blair at PMQs and cannot for the life of him think of a decent question on his own. (Facebook link) Perhaps you can help him?
The description of his group is:
If I am your MP and if you want to talk to me (about anything) or come to the commons and visit me!
One of his Cuddly Nu Tory correspondents meanwhile is one Arleen Ouzounian who was responsible for this hilarious obituary notice on a Conservative Future website:
Yes, that's right Arleen. When a respected public servant dies, it's just like Christmas has come early.
Picked up like other Tory bananas by Recess Monkey.
Ooops. Deuce. Advantage Moya.
(Double Fault) Deuce.
(Pass down line) Advantage Henman. 2nd Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce.
Second serve. Advantage henman. 3rd Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce. Ace.
Advantage Moya.
Second serve. Deuce.
Advantage Henman. 4th Matchpoint.
Netted. Deuce.
Advantage Moya.
Game Moya.
2 Sets All, 5 Games All.
Play suspended.
Ooops. Deuce. Advantage Moya.
(Double Fault) Deuce.
(Pass down line) Advantage Henman. 2nd Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce.
Second serve. Advantage henman. 3rd Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce. Ace.
Advantage Moya.
Second serve. Deuce.
Advantage Henman. 4th Matchpoint.
Netted. Deuce.
Ooops. Deuce. Advantage Moya.
(Double Fault) Deuce.
(Pass down line) Advantage Henman. 2nd Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce.
Second serve. Advantage henman. 3rd Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce. Ace.
Advantage Moya.
Second serve. Deuce.
Advantage Henman. 4th Matchpoint.
Ooops. Deuce. Advantage Moya.
(Double Fault) Deuce.
(Pass down line) Advantage henman.
Ultimate Holding Company (UHC) is a rather slapdash and imperfect collective with socio-political underpinning.
I kinda like their flashy web interface (above), with plain text also.
They are engaged in an impertinent but Arts Council supported survey into the (non)-market for public art. 
I fear, alas, that this too may itself be an artwork.
There is a breakdown of the electoral college from Alex Hilton at LabourHome here. One MP has been spotted apparently going Blears 1 Cruddas 2 but not identified. Blears herself? Tony Lloyd perhaps? We may never know.
What this doesn't show is the number of votes cast in each round. Don't know quite why but these figures and in particular the last transfer suggest a fair proportion who backed one or two candidates and didn't use their other preferences.
While Kerron Cross dubs himself the voice of the delectable left he could hardly be less chuffed at Harriet's win. Meanwhile a new voice for the unremittingly uncompromising left Owen Jones has entered the blogging fray and is content.
Dizzy calls the Labour Blogging reaction "flat" but sadly did not link to one blogger who predicted the result and the mechanism, had Harrie in his 1-2, and like Owen if not for identical reasons is content.
Here's my comment at Dizzy's:I'm not only happy with the result but predicted it. Wifey voted Harman 1 and for no other. I had Harman and Cruddas 1 and 2.
Alan Johnson didn't even get a 5 or a 6 ...
Harriet's only serious error was not resigning over single parent benefit cut of £6 but she has a strong record on equality, has been sacked by Blair (!), has some quiet influence over Brown, and is more ahem embedded in the Labour Movement than all but Cruddas of the others ... and I include Johno in that.
He didn't exactly save the Post Office now did he? And his pronouncements on cutting the TU role in conference were hostile.
Blears has enough un-support in the party to be a Home Secretary (so she should be happy). Hain has reaped what he sowed as an eye brow raising maverick. Benn too quiet and a rubbish campaign.
Cruddas failed to mobilise the TU vote.
I'm satisfied with this result. The party is satisfied to have achieved this selection proces with no blood on the carpet and rocketing polls.
Michael Portillo's Sunday Time s Column has been dubbed "odious" by Iain Dale in yet another attack on the press, considered "incredible" by Andy Burnham MP speaking today at a Fabian event after the Special Conference, and "spot on" by LOL.
Cameron is pretending to be a Portillian. Hague is pretending to be a Portillian.
Portillo is simply pointing out that the Emperor and his Deputy have no fine new clothes. He is transparently naked into the conference season. Graphic and more.
BBC News dub Harriet Harman's victory as Deputy Dawg a "genuine surprise". Clearly they missed LOL's prediction that Harriet stood to catch up and go past Alan Johnston when Jon Cruddas' second preferences transferred.
So it proved. More BBC coverage and more links.
Jon Cruddas did well to best Hilary Benn for third, but hopes in his camp that he'd be offered the consolation of being made Chair were dashed when Harriet Harman was given this post. Her guarantee of a place at the Cabinet Table.
LOL agree with the commentators who are speculating that there will be no DPM post. Will draw up the rest of my cabinet predictions soon. And given this coup there may be more respect from Dale, GuF and their sock poodles.
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