Andrew Gilligan: Is He Boris Johnson's Little Helper?

Boris Johnson's little helper Andrew Gilligan has yet another smear story in The Standard today. Under the headline Ken aide "breaks rules over election website" Gilligan shows no such thing. Do go and have a read and see how many deliberate mistakes you can spot.

As Mark Twain might have said confronted with this rather than Victorian science: "the wonderful thing about Gilligan's journalism is the huge return of conjecture one gets from such a small investment of fact".

Conjecture, innuendo, smears and in the case of the headline what is on the face of it arrant rubbish. Essentially the new facts in the piece are these:

1. Three web domains were registered all pointing to a campaign website;
2. Apparently registered by a web design company;
3. One that like dozens more has had some GLA or LDA contracts;
4. They used their own postal address;
5. But the contact name of one of Ken's advisors was given;
6. The registrations were made at 11:37 on Friday 13 July;
7. On that date at that time the advisor was working at City Hall.

Sadly, so far at least, The Standard have not published the comment I left three hours ago.

What is the accusation exactly? That someone spent 10 minutes and 5p of council tax precept on a private 'phone call while at work? No it's not even that really is it? You don't know when the call was made or from where or by whom do you? Or that someone else didn't use their name and contact details at 11:37? This is thin Mr Gilligan. Just an excuse to repeat other smears and half stories. It is very thin indeed. Are you actually working for the Boris Johnson campaign yourself? Is that true? Getting paid by The Standard but actually working for BoJo? Sweet.

As indicated above various other stories are rehearsed incompletely. That there was an issue in 2004. That there had been an investigation on grants. And so on. Without indicating the results. Smearage plain and simple.

For all I know this guy has spent five minutes of work time and either a mobile, a web browser or 5p of landline registering these sites. Then again there are many other possible scenarios to explain the facts. Such as: the web design company registered the site. Then there is of course the implication that this design company has been favoured in some way in the past and is returning that favour. But that's odd you know. Because as I say in the rehearsal of the facts above many companies will have won contracts from the GLA, LDA and related accounts.

Coming hot on the heels of the pile of steaming Martin Bright polemic on Channel 4 last night - including of course a reminder of the Standard/Finegold's action against Ken, though not that it collapsed - this shows basically how Ken's enemies know that there is literally NOTHING GOOD ABOUT BORIS versus the Mayor of London's Job. So instead of attempting a positive job selling that gaffe prone clown they are trying to nail Ken with flimsy "investigations" and flagrant dishonesty. Like that presumptuous headline of theirs.

Andrew Gilligan: Is He BoJo's Right Hand Man?

According to Chris Gale in Comments at Tom Watson's blog the famous journalist Andrew Gilligan, who has been using the festering and diseased organ that is the London Evening Standard to attack Ken Livingstone, is deeply implicated in Boris Johnson's campaign. "Right hand man" even. And there was the world thinking Gilligan was an anti-war lefty.

Baby Sitting: Bribing Big Brother to Play Nice?

Extraordinary. At last night's Chorlton Labour Quiz we found a parent who paid the biggest child in their brood to not beat up their sibling(s) in front of the babysitter. This sounds like a protection racket by the child on their parent. Any other examples of strange contracts between parents and offspring?

Guido Fawkes: Boris Johnson Pants Down Fixation

Ho ho ho. Sewer blogger Guido Fawkes aka Mr GuF has updated his tedious media sleeping with the enemy story by claiming those of the left who think he's a pillock and more importantly betraying his supposedly libertarian philosophy by moralising in this way ... are hypocrites.

GuF's saying everyone on the left was up for jeering when it was Boris Johnson being caught with his big pants round his ankles.

Actually it is mostly the Tory sewer press that enjoy covering this stuff. But anyway, the difference is that Boris is an elected politician, a shadow mimicster, a London mayoral candidate. He's not a mere scribbler or TV presenter.

Perhaps I should give Guido another example?

If the recently defected Manchester councillor Faraz Bhatti - now a Cuddly New Tory, ex Libdemologist - was not an elected member but was instead a journalist and was caught adulterising ... his community might well be scandalised.

Perhaps his wife's family would give him "a good talking to" for dishonouring their family name?

But as he is an elected member he would also stand to lose his so-called "personal vote". And he couldn't complain if the newspapers went after him for it.

This is of course why most political parties aim to select level headed and highly moral individuals as candidates. David Cameron will have done his due diligence before accepting Faraz Bhatti's highly principled request to join the Tories.

POLITICAL INSIGHT: One possible political difference between Faraz and the Manchester Lib Dems has emerged recently. Enough to cause his defection?

The Lib Dems have been ignoring true falls in crime figures and rises in police numbers since 1997 and calling for more police while simultaneously calling for less action on anti-social behaviour.

Following a recent misunderstanding with police officers in a car park near Manchester Airport Faraz Bhatti is campaigning for less police and more turning a blind eye. "Don't you know who I am officer?"

Hazel Blears Triumphs: Tory Iain's are Polarised

Iain Lindley, a Tory of Salford's Fair City, has been parading his lack of insider knowledge for more than thirteen months now. Iain Dale believed his forename sake. Back in December 2006, and again a few days ago.

Lindley's propaganda has basically been that Hazel Blears will get run very close or actually lose the candidacy for the seat of Salford and Eccles. Last time Mr Lindley came out with this crock and Mr Dale drew attention to this we went to L's site and provided a comment predicting that Hazel would win by 2:1.

Yesterday afternoon it emerged that Hazel Blears had won ... by 2:1.

Mr Dale keeps up his adulation as immortalised by Theo Spark (right) and referred to in one of LOL's very earliest posts.

Mr Lindley continues to whine disingenuously.

He is a Tory after all. What do you expect?

London Mayoralty: Hands in Pockets For Our Ken

Tom Watson MP is wondering how son of the trade Etonian Boris Johnson is managing to pay for his spliffing campaign printing and adverts. Above he's with billionaire alleged ex-Eton-toker and fellow serial adulterer Zac Goldsmith. Both adopting old school hands in pockets look favoured by royalty and uber-toffs.

I'm only guessing at this point but I'd toddle down to Aspinall's to see the old boys and wager a tidy sum that one or two members of the landed gentry will be putting their hands in their pockets for Boris over the next 100 days or so.

Ken needs plenty of horny handed sons and daughters of the soil and Oyster lovers to donate here.

Keep the toffs out of County Hall!

Beneath Gutter Blogging: Mr GuF Hits The Sewer

Running a story which he says has been "common knowledge for years" on Friday but with no public interest whatsoever. You've only just found out Guido. It might not even be true given your lack of interest in fact checking.

You are a bitter and twisted individual. Guido Fawkes, or Mr GuF - "Journalists have affairs - Who Cares?"

Dale's Telegraph Column: Dog Bites Man Shock

Apparently all the Deputy Leadership candidates were warned routinely of the reporting rules for donations. Leadership Election expert Iain Dale tells us so.

Next week we can presumably expect Iain to explain the travesty of Osborne's failure to declare almost half a million to either the EC or RMI. His reply to a point about this made as comment 1 is either very disingenuous or rather ignorant.

Osborne didn't ask anyone anything. The office of the Tory Chief Whip asked the commissioner a question which apparently enquired which donations stuck on the RMI also needed putting on the register at EC. Not the other way round. The assumption in the commissioner's answer was that these were already on RMI.

Wrong generic question, wrong timing 11 months in, absolutely bang to rights concealling who was propping up Osborne's continuous mendacity and spin on treasury matters. Outrageous. Far worse than Hain. Much later. Much more money. Much more calculating.

What other questions were asked by the Chief Whip's Office? Or others among CCHQ or individual MPs' organisations? Let all the enquiries made in the last two years be put into the public domain.

Hain's position is that he didn't knowingly do anything to hide contributions. His team were just late in full disclosure.

The only thing his campaign really has in common with David Davis campaign - which Iain of course managed - is that Hain did remarkably badly as did Davis.

I'm not sure why Iain Dale wants to keep reminding people of his part in that debacle? And he must begin to deal with Osborne honestly. An outrageous and wilful avoidance of transparent reporting by the Buller boy. And by the look of it repeated by others in the Shadowy Tories - apart from David Willetts who apparently got it right first time.

Guido Fawkes: Snivelling, Unprofessional Scoundrel

What an unreconstructed, cowardly, snivelling, unprofessional scoundrel the "top drawer" right wing libertarian blogger Paul Staines aka Guido Fawkes aka Mr GuF really is. Yesterday, Thursday at 11:06 am he posted a story with the headline "Electoral Commission Wrote to the Midland (sic) Industrial Council, stating without attribution or link:

" ... that the Electoral Commission wrote to "certain" unincorporated assocations last week including the Midland Industrial Council. Lisa Klein, Director of Party and Election Finance, wrote the letter reminding them about original money sources being permissible donors."

Before he had allowed any comments on that, or having removed initial comments, within about an hour later, GuF changed the sense of the post completely - but not sadly the headline - by adding the word "not" in camp red italics ahead of the word "including" and most likely adding an "s" to Midland in the body text but not the headline (above).

You can still see that version right here in Google Cache. Not mentioning that he had been the one who "broke" this extraordinary non- "story" that he was vehemently rebutting about the Midlands Industrial Council.


The current version (above), with a changed headline with more Camp Red Italics, and with eight comments at the time of writing can be seen just here. Some of those comments look like they might refer to version 1 to be honest. Sadly the way Blogger works the permalink post title STILL gives the game away.

LOL will not be rubbing Guido's nose in even a sample of all the examples of sly updates and history re-writings of this kind. But do excuse this repetition: [camp red italics]what an unreconstructed, cowardly, snivelling, unprofessional scoundrel the "top drawer" right wing libertarian blogger Paul Staines aka Guido Fawkes aka Mr GuF really is![/camp red italics]

Arts Council Cuts: Please Sign Queer Up North Petition

Stephen Petronio, whose Company are due to to UK premiere a dance collaboration with Antony and the Johnsons as part of the Queer Up North Festival in Manchester in May, was a guest in several seasons of training and masterclasses we organised as Physical State International more than a decade ago. A company incidentally which lost its funding in bizarre circumstances.

Arts Council cuts now threaten QUN's very existence. Please sign the QUN petition. And tell your friends. There are also a good few Number 10 petitions on related subjects. This one is straightforward and universal. There is a selection of QUN media coverage right here.

Clearly the Arts Council wishes to innovate and be dynamic. But they have many mouths to feed. Including some huge great sacred cuckoos. And limited nourishment. And so their appetite for change can only be sated on a one out one in basis. Which has led to a lot of belly-aching, much of it justified.

Clearly ACE could restrict and even cut the largest institutions who are most able to raise private sponsorship, most able to charge hefty ticket prices, with the most extravagances to trim. But the rich get richer and all that.

Clearly ACE could go back in to bat for ever higher settlements from the DCMS and with more justification in terms of the cultural industries' importance and their inspiration and support by the funded sector.

But if they cut new and exciting events and companies to make room for other new and exciting events and companies they are being pretty weak and pretty foolish if you ask me.

DECLARATIONS OF INTEREST: QUN have been one of the charities I've supported over recent years, running the Great Manchester Run for them in 2005. I have been a Trustee of Walk the Plank which is an Arts Council Regularly Funded Organisation for around a dozen years now.

Shock Horror: High Tory Blogger Iain Escapes Bullet

Sunday 13 rather than Friday 13 but I can now reveal that those attempting to assassinate Tory Blogger Iain have missed their target. Was it perhaps Iain's little chipmunk Hazel Blears trying to spike a hostile story or even the leadership for allowing a Lad's Club protest?

Glad to say Iain's in fine fettle and shrugging off a carefully choreographed attack with a high performance rifle from a grassy knoll as "just one of those things my people experience every day". Something of the sang froid and spirit of a Bhutto, a Luther King or an old school Arch Duke. Well done Iain!

More Tory Funding Opacity: The Boy Mann Done Good

Eighty, count 'em, Tory MPs up for slapped wrists and perhaps even confiscated donations as my Man Uni contemporary John Mann MP rattles their cages.

The Boy Mann Done Good. LOL still feel that Labour and the media are missing a trick on the GOOey mess that is George Osborne's money laundering.

The exonerating emails were no such thing. From the last post on the subject:

First observation. Source. The correspondence was with the Chief Whip's office, not Osborne.

Second observation. Timing. This comes months after donations became news. Approximately 11 months after this passporting of funds is known to have begun. And as Hain chase begins to wind up.

Third observation. Overlap Concept. The basic email covers "overlap" but from the perspective of EFFECTS THAT ARE DECLARED TO RMI and which must also be declared to the EC.

Fourth observation. NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND.

Fifth observation. This gets no-one off any hooks.

Finally I'd observe that while these monies have apparently been declared to the Electoral Commission by the CCHQ they haven't been declared by Osborne have they? If Manchester Labour or one of our constituencies gets some cash donated the appropriate accounting unit(s) will declare these. If monies are then given to a candidate's campaign the candidate will put these in their declaration of expenses and if they are bound by RMI in that too.

Nothing in the advice suggests that the payments should not have been declared to the RMI. That was assumed as a given by the Commissioner. Because of the question that was apparently asked.

The Tories are not representing that these are the only exchanges in writing between themselves and the EC and RMI over the rules in the last 12 months or so. Let's see the whole lot! Can we do a Freedom of Information Act enquiry and obtain them?

Perhaps I'm wrong. But it seems to me these donations have been declared ONCE. But they should have been declared THRICE.

First, by Tory Central Laundry with Electoral Commission shortly after their receipt. Tick, very good.

Second and third, by the Office of Sir George GO Osborne MP with the EC when received from CCHQ, identifying the original donors as passported to him. And obviously this needed to go on the RMI too. Cross, could do better.

As Miranda stage whispered: "Oh, Brave New World that has such Mooncalfs in it". Well something like that. Seriously, Caliban himself - in the eye of the storm - would have done better than Osborne on this.

My regular correspondent Evan protested recently that I hold that Hain is a clown but that Osborne, Cameron and Co are "at it". I am willing to change that view to make them all clowns, you know incompetent, slapdash, unreliable, maverick. But I cannot concede that Hain was "at it". Clearly a cock up. There being no conceivable benefit for anyone from his inactions.

So are the highest reaches of the Tory Party confessing to be as clownish as Hain? But for many more months? And for at least one order of magnitude more wonga? Or are they going to continue to try to be neither nor? Neither incompetents nor conspirators. That simply won't wash.

Ms Leslie Ash: £5 Million Compo for MSRA, Outrageous?

Ellee Seymour ran a post about Leslie Ash's compensation when, following the Mail, she believed it was set at £500,000. Ash contracted MSSA - a strain of MRSA - after being hospitalised by what she claimed was merely energetic sex though in the first instance it was treated as an instance of domestic violence.

The £500,000 figure is I think incorrect. It is set at what seems an extraordinary £5 Million. Ash's action was reported by The Standard as being for £1 million 12 months ago.

Even half a million is an extraordinary settlement compared to what people get in other actions in clinical, personal injury (PI) and military fields.

One newsworthy case of course being the famous double amputee paraplegic soldier Lance Corporal Ben Parkinson. He has now been offered £285,000 - almost twice the first calculation.

His total package including the pension element is not that disimilar to the lower figure reported for Ms Ash’s damages. But it is of course dwarfed by the higher, correct figure.

My partner is a Clinical Negligence solicitor who also does some PI and a large number of military cases. So I have some awareness of how these things go.

As I understand it the defendant - be they Trust, Hospital, Clinician, or their Insurer - has to (a) be judged to have acted unreasonably (as judged by their peers) and (b) be judged that their unreasonable decision(s) result(s) in the harm to the plaintiff (c) pay compensation related to actual losses, including loss of earnings. If the plaintiff has contributed to the incident a percentage may be applied.

Being civil cases the burden of proof is balance of probabilities. 51% likely is good enough. But the hurdles of reasonableness and causation are difficult. Here's a summary of the Hospital (Chelsea and Westminster) side (from the Standard):

The hospital admits a nurse should have asked a doctor to examine Ms Ash before she was discharged but said it would not have ruled out Ms Ash requiring surgery or suffering long-term damage.
The hospital's legal papers say: "The infection could not reasonably have been avoided ... surgery would probably have been required in any event. There would have been some residual neurological deficit."

In other words they are saying what they did was reasonable and predicting that the problems would have occurred anyway. You may be able to see what they're attempting there!

The "tariffs" on victory can be extraordinarily low. Many many people who are harmed in hospitals and surgeries get nothing. Not even an apology or any empathy. 49% nothing, 51% everything. Though of course whatever the causation and whether the reasonableness is in fact reasonable they will face the same struggles and the same losses of earnings as their equivalents.

The families of those who die around the time of the incident or subsequently may seem especially hard done by. Particularly if the victims were retired or not great earners with dependents. They typically get tiny amounts. The whole system is crying out for a more humane and expeditious approach. Cases often run for years with a significant number of plaintiffs not living to see their settlements. Which are of course often reduced by the certainty and change of circumstances provided by their deaths.

It may be that Leslie Ash never again works as an actress. If so this sum - bizarre though it seems, particularly against that of Ben Parkinson - may be proportionate to projected lost earnings. Though if she received it as a lump sum and invested it wisely it could become a very significant revenue stream. And she might be able to resume work ... if nothing else as the poster girl for either the racier end of the compo industry or for bona fide legal support.

I'm not quite sure quite what would happen if Ash has taken a lump sum but miraculously does go on to earn well. Will depend on the small print I guess.

Will other MRSA and similar victims fare as well - proportionate to their losses? I would say not.

Obama Girl: How Will Hillary Counter This Viral Crush?

Political betting ask whether Gord and Dave would benefit from similar?

Guido Fawkes: Now Smearing DWP Special Advisors?

Oh dear, oh dear. Guido has a story about a supposed DWP Press release which he says was disseminated by email at 10:21 am yesterday 15 January 2008 by supposedly politically neutral special Advisors. He's got the story from the definitely not political neutral Tax Payers Alliance.

Almost 30 hours on no media outlet seems to have picked up this purported story itself, or the story of the rogue email. Was it ever sent? And if so was it by DWP SpAds? Looks like "No" and "No". And looks like a conspiracy of nonsense and smearage from Mr GuF. Though of course the ideas that the Tories want to cut the public services and are not the pensioners friend are very true.

Here is the supposed Press Release:

DWP PRESS RELEASE

From: Special-Advisers DWP [mailto:Special-Advisers@dwp.gsi.gov.uk]
Sent: 15 January 2008 10:21
To: MOS-PR DWP
Subject: RE: FOR IMMEDIATE USE: Tories aim to destroy final salary pension schemes
Importance: High

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
TORIES AIM TO DESTROY FINAL SALARY PENSION SCHEMES

Commenting on yesterday's proposals by David Cameron to close public service final salary pension schemes – not just the scheme for MPs – Pensions Minister Mike O'Brien QC MP said:

"The Conservative Party plans to get rid of public sector final salary pensions, thereby destroying the best pension schemes in Britain.

"This would send a signal to the employers of hundreds of thousands of workers who remain in final salary pension schemes that the Conservatives don't care about them and are prepared to reduce their income in retirement.

"This should serve as a warning: if you are in a final salary pension scheme, don't ever vote Tory or they would destroy it.

"Although the numbers in final salary schemes have declined from 8 million in the 1960s to around 3 million now, many workers in the private sector remain in final salary schemes.

"In the 1980s, the Tories allowed employers pension contribution holidays and there were mis-selling scandals, and these resulted in deficits. Many employers left the schemes to avoid those deficits.

"In the new Pensions Bill, Labour has just introduced deregulatory measures to encourage employers to remain in these gold-standard schemes. Only a few weeks ago, the Tories claimed to welcome these, and wanted us to go further to keep defined benefit schemes.

"Mr Cameron's announcement that they plan to end final salary schemes for public sector workers sends the wrong signal. It shows they have learnt nothing from the mistakes of the last Tory government.

"The Tories have understood nothing and learnt nothing about pensions."

ENDS

For further information, please call DWP Special Advisers on 020 3267 XXXX

Iain Dale: Idle Tittle Tattle "Links" Nagel to Abrahams?

Iain Dale reports some tittle tattle this morning. His mystery informant seems to be suggesting unwittingly that if we get Willie Nagel (below left) to cough he - as a serial cosier up to Prime Ministers and politicians - will describe in excruciating detail the party funding activities, any schemes and any scams he was party to under Thatcher and Major?

Perhaps not. Perhaps Iain's headline, asking whether Nagel is "another David Abrahams", and his informant's gossiping around their shared networks INSERT/AMEND 14:49: may cause readers to worry that they are pointing at the worldwide jewish/zionist conspiracy to run the world, beatifically blind to party?

Take care with that one Iain! It's cobblers.

Apart from anything else Abrahams is clearly tribal Labour.

While he may have been considered "Thatcherite" by the Labour left, because of his occupation as a landlord, and have employed a PR spinner who has history with the Tories - (Guardian Profile) - that is absolutely clear in his background.

His father Bennie and mother Marion both Labour party stalwarts. Bennie in fact a Newcastle-on-Tyne Mayor and Marion too a Labour councillor there.

UPDATE 14:49: I have no intention of suggesting for one moment that Iain Dale is anti-semitic. But the juxtaposition of the headline and the content of the anonymous tip off may suggest that to some readers and that care is needed to avoid that impression. What ARE the links and simularities between the two men? What are the differences?

Iain Dale: Will Never Get a Conviction Out of Peter Hain!

Sad to say Iain Dale is again barking up the wrong damned tree. He will never get a conviction out of Peter Hain.

The Electoral Commission are bound to refer matters to the police if they think there is a reasonable chance (who knows what the test for that would be) of some illegality worthy of a £5000 fine or a suspension. So they've a choice to make.

But I'm not sure lateness but with full disclosure would actually hit the button for that.

The CPS would then only prosecute if on the balance of probability they can get a conviction. And to get that conviction they would need a "beyond reasonable doubt". With Peter Hain it would be hard to get any conviction at all. Boom boom.

Still nothing from Iain about Osborne and the other Tory money launderers?

Even Guido Fawkes is covering it and he wasn't exonerating Osborne as of last night. And Donal Blaney was saying Osborne should get what's coming to him. If anything. Just like Hain.

Toastmaster: The Lakelander via Dale. I believe Osborne is on the other side. But there are limits to the art department's photoshopping skills and time. Couple of portfolios to run, doncha know?

GOO Gate: PCS Emails Say Zip, Labour Missing Trick?

Sam Coates' The Red Box blog at Times Online has the emails that are supposed to get GOO off the hook. Guido pointed me there. Don't think they get him off the hook at all myself. But here they are:

-----
From : Alda Barry (the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards)
Sent: 06 December 2007 14:44
To: Nikki Da Costa (office of Tory Chief Whip)
Subject: Overlap

Good morning Nikki
I promised Mr McLoughlin written confirmation of the areas of interest where Members must register both with me and also, under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA), with the Electoral Commission.
I hope the following brief summary is helpful, but Mr McLoughlin might also like to consult the Electoral Commission for more detail. I usually speak to Rachel Savage on 020 7271 xxxx
The Electoral Commission is
interested in 'political donations'. Benefits personal to the Member (eg tickets to sporting events) are not of interest to them.
The areas of overlap are concentrated in Categories 4 (Sponsorship) and 6 (Overseas visits). In the case of the latter, their threshold is higher than ours - they do not require the registration of visits worth £1,000 or less.
There are also a few interests which we register under Category 5 (Gifts, benefits and hospitality (UK)) which are regarded by the Commission as political donations which need to be registered with them if they are worth more than £1,000 - car parking passes or web-site design (if worth more than £1,000) are examples of these.
Under PPERA, it is the responsibility of the Member to report appropriately to the Electoral Commission. It has recently become the practice of this office to advise Members to consult the Commission if it appears to us that an interest should be registered with them, but I must emphasise that this is purely informal arrangement and does not absolve Members from the responsibility for being aware of, and complying with, their obligations under the Act. Nor can this office advise, expect ingeneral terms, about the requirements of the Act.
This office and the Committee on Standards and Privileges are aware of some dissatisfaction among Members that they have to register the same interest twice. The Electoral Administration Act 2006 opens up the possibility of a 'one-stop shop' for reporting where the requirements overlap, and it is hoped that the House will, before too long, be given the opportunity to consider the implications of such a system and decide whether it wishes to implement it.
I hope this helps
Alda Barry

-----

From: Da Costa, Nikki
Sent: 07 December 2007 11:03
To: BARRY, ALda
Subject: RE: Overlap
Thanks Alda.

This is very useful
Kind regards
Nikki

Nikki da Costa
Special Adviser to the Opposition Chief Whip

-----

From : BARRY, Alda
Sent: 07 December 2007 13:53
To: Da Costa, Nikki
Subject: RE: Overlap

Nikki
I think I misled you just now. THe register deals with donations to a member's constituency association and not to central offices. Sorry.
Alda

-----

From: Da Costa, Nikki
Sent: 07 December 2007 14:03
To: BARRY, ALda
Subject: RE: Overlap

Thanks. Understood.

------

First observation. Source. This is from the Chief Whip's office, not from Osborne.

Second observation. Timing. This comes months after donations became news. Approximately 11 months after this passporting of funds is known to have begun. And as the Hain chase begins to wind up.

Third observation. Overlap Concept. The basic email covers "overlap" but it from the perspective of EFFECTS THAT ARE DECLARED TO RMI and which must also be declared to the EC.

Fourth observation. NOT THE OTHER WAY ROUND.

Fifth observation. This gets no-one off any hooks.

Finally I'd observe that while these monies have apparently been declared to the Electoral Commission by the CCHQ they haven't been declared by Osborne have they? If Manchester Labour or one of our constituencies gets some cash donated the appropriate accounting unit(s) will declare these. If monies are then given to a candidate's campaign the candidate will put these in their declaration of expenses and if they are bound by RMI in that too.

So shouldn't these donations have been returned by CCHQ to EC. Then returned by Osborne to EC (including ultimate donors as CCHQ is an agent) and to RMI? Perhaps I'm wrong as the FAQs from Labour HQ don't go there:

Which other members of your Shadow Cabinet receive donations via Conservative Central Office to fund their offices? And in the interests of transparency, why don't you today publish the names of the donors, and the value of their donations?

Why did it take 11 months for George Osborne to check with the registrar whether the donations he was receiving via CCO to run his private office should be declared in the register of members' interests? What prompted him to check this in December given he'd been receiving these donations since January?

When David Willetts received donations via CCO to run his private office in August, he immediately declared it in the register of members' interests. Why did he do that automatically when George Osborne waited 11 months even to check whether they should be registered?

When Oliver Letwin was Shadow Chancellor, he gave up his directorships in a number of merchant banks because of the potential conflict of interest. Do you think it's appropriate for George Osborne's office to be funded by the managers of hedge funds and major investment banks, who would stand to profit massively from his proposals on stamp duty on shares, capital gains tax and so on?

In November, your local party office was forced to pay back £7,400 in donations which had come from foreign donors, relating to an auction prize for a holiday in Sri Lanka. Presumably someone in your office must have solicited these donations. Who was that individual and have you sacked them?

Congratulations: To Guido Fawkes, And Nadine Dorries

Yes, that's right! No, they haven't eloped. But both of them have today, this very morning, actually posted something worthwhile! Like a dog walking on its hind legs and so on and so forth.

GuF has detected The Guardian's new policy of outing right wing Libdemologists as Tories - in this case David Laws. "Not yet", as Guido wistfully comments.

Nads meanwhile still hasn't managed an effective permalink system but does have some rather progressive thoughts on what Westmonster of all blogs calls Brown's organ harvesting proposals.

Now, don't say I never catch either of them doing something right.

UPDATE 20:37: The Guardian still have Laws as a Tory spokesman.

Liberal Democrats: Cleggy Heads for a re-Branding?

Dizzy has spotted the young liberal democrats heading towards homage to the Hitler Youth (actually the "Liberal Youth"). Meanwhile Iain Dale is wondering whether an overall renaming is on the cards, forgeting that there is still the rump of "The Liberal Party"

LOL noticed that - as in his inauguration speech - Cleggie has just performed in front of a plain background. Is Libby - the Bird of Fibbery - about to be turfed out as predicted here four weeks ago?

Bullingdon Club: Whole Membership Now Fit in One Cab

Three of the current Tory front bench - AT LEAST - are members of the Bullers. The Bullingdon Dining Club. Old in song and story. The backbone of Dave Cameron's Future Fantasy Conservatism. De Piffle in County Hall. GOO in Number 11. And DC in Number 10. All raised on excess, mayhem, fox-cub mullering, and restaurant thrashing. A horde of Flashmen bullying their way from scrape to scrape. But Pendennis in the Observer has very sad news:

Students lose appetite for Dave's dining club Alarming news from the dreaming spires that, as the Oxford term kicks off, membership of the Bullingdon Club is down to four. 'The Buller suffered from its association with David Cameron's Tories,' I'm told. 'Remember both Cameron and George Osborne were members, as well as Boris Johnson, who's gone a bit downmarket recently. 'You have to be ready to spend a fair bit of cash to join, because you have to have a tailcoat made, not to mention hefty restaurant refurbishment bills, and it's not seen as very cool at the moment.' Perhaps Dave's dedication to putting himself across as a man of the people makes prospective members worry about the club's cachet.

In Manchester if you talk about the Bullers, among the cognoscenti, people have a different idea of who/what you mean. Though it must be said that every restaurant thrashing dining and boozing club I've ever belonged to in Manchester has pre-deceased the Bullingdon Club. So, boys, keep the faith.

There should be an upturn ... perhaps when Dave, GOO and BoJo have been shown up as the damp squibs that failed to ignite.

Tory Funding Scandal: Deliberate Obfuscation of Donors

The sordid details of the Sir George Osborne attempt to bury bad news for Peter Hain have trickled out all day.

These "Wish of George Osborne" donations have been steaming in throughout 2007. From January to December inclusive. It was not until 7 December 2007, as he continued his assaults on Hain's situation, that GOO asked for advice on whether he should have been registering the donations.

Although there was a short period in which the advice was that this figure almost approaching half a million pounds did not have to be added to the Register of Members' Interests this soon passed.

The full extent of this type of support for Shadow Ministers - with all but David Willetts failing to register their interest - will no doubt emerge in the coming days and weeks.

While I'd have to agree that Peter Hain is a bit of an embarrassment with what Steven Pound MP said might be "a think tank that doesn't think" and for his team's incompetence - not to mention his delusions of grandeur - that has been over an internal selection.

Cameron, Osborne and the like may have been receiving massive sums passported through CCHQ for their own operations without declaring it properly, and all the while making hay over Labour's rather similar system problems.

Sir George Osborne MP: Hiding Half a Million from RMI?

Sir George Osborne the wallpaper heir has admitted receiving the best part of half a million pounds without declaring it on the register of members' interests (RMI).

According to the Mail on Sunday headline he is blaming an administrative cock up at the parliament end for his concealment of the provenance of £487,000 of fat cat contributions to his utterly mendacious Treasury operation. Perhaps the donors were embarrassed by his persistent fibs?

Cameron claimed live on Andrew Marr's AM programme today that they got an email from the authorities saying "you don't need to bother". But he didn't mention that any advice along those lines had now been changed or that other Shadow Cabinet members had similar slush funds laundered by the same route. Apart from two brains Willetts - above board. Cameron and Osborne are in glass houses, not quite managing to resist throwing stones.

UPDATE 15:29: Good to see the Thatcherite blogger Donal Blaney calling for Osborne to get the same rocket as Hain.

La Haine: Jusqu'ici tout va bien - So far, So Good

Paul Staines aka gutter blogger Mr GuF is worried about Peter Hain being backed by Shaun Woodward. The least of his troubles I'd have thought.

GuF also believes that Gordon Brown is yet to pay his 15% tithe to party funds - a party matter I'd have thought, so butt out GuF.

Rather than having "spotted something interesting" (GuF) Dizzy has launched some wild speculation that Gordon got a discount on his 50p website that hasn't been declared. Looks like he paid 50p and got 50p's worth to me.

Staines/GuF finale so far today - and please note with amazement that he is blogging on his day off - is some puerile finger-pointing about Hain's supporters including a diamond dealer and a former supporter of South Africa's National Party. Which always seemed a bit like the Tories to me. Tut tut tut, naughty Peter.

This hatred is really driving these Tory Boy Bloggers wild. Even Iain Dale, who has not read Hain's statement, nonetheless condemns it as "the worst kind of Labour arrogance" whatever that means.

La Haine, the movie, has already been made of course.

London Mayoral: Boris Couldn't Even Mind a Pushbike

Iain Dale was on a panel discussing the chances of Blonde Bollinger Bullingdon Bombshell Boris in the election for London Mayor. At the end he found himself in a minority of one on the question of whether Johnson would win.

He then found a couple of shy Tories propping up the bar who admitted chickening out. Garbo at The Poliblogs has a level-headed appraisal.

Boris Johnson is basically even more of a maverick that Peter Hain to my eyes. No one serious would trust him to manage anything. He can't even look after his own pushbike properly. Or get home on it without stabilizers.

City of Culture: Liverpool 08 Lurches to Life

Went over to Liverpool this evening to huddle in the cool with 30,000 hardcore 'Pudlians and welcome Ringo Starr back on a flying visit. In a word: Cheesy. Report perhaps tomorrow. Will be interested to see the reviews.

Guido Fawkes: He's Hain Obsessing Unhealthily

Is there no end to Paul Staines' aka gutter blogger Mr GuF's sleuthing abilities? He's caught old Peter Hain, damn him, visiting another Welsh business. Making two in all this past three years. And spookily again receiving a campaign contribution from the boss.

Clearly Guido would prefer to have a reputation as a careful and reasonable newshound and not some kind of careless and pointless gossip. So I'm sure he will be making a list of all visits and awards and openings carried out by Hain in Northern Ireland and Wales these past three years and then provide an explanation of how 99% of them got away without making a contribution?

Clearly if Staines himself were fund raising for a political campaign he would get out the telephone book for a town he'd never visited and where he knew no-one and start cold calling.

Rather than ringing friends, acquaintances, customers, suppliers.

But most of us would go through our diary and our rolodex and systematically ring every bona fide contact with money we had any connection to.

Hain is in enough trouble with late reporting. Why won't Staines be satisfied with that and stop crying wolf?

Faraz Bhatti: Should He Cover Lib Dem Scrutiny Role?

I've just caught up with David Ottewell's blog posts from yesterday. This one talks of "Under Scrutiny" as the Group Leader of the City Council Tories, Faraz Bhatti, does not turn up for a Tuesday scrutiny committee he used to attend as Simon Ashley's whipping boy No 31.

Can't say I'm au fait with the detail of Council rules. But I'd imagine that as he's in a different party now there may be a new settlement on committee memberships? Or perhaps he was at a selection meeting as a prospective candidate for a winnable Tory constituency? Or something like that. Speculations welcome.

Mr Ottewell has his comments facility back in full working order now.

Little Miss Jocelyn: What Will Little Miss Dorries Say?

Can someone please sort out navigation on Nad's yabber yabber doo doo blog?

It is mostly witter but it would be handy to be able to pinpoint particular wittering. Her New Year Message was a big whine about Vicki Pollard and the like on Catherine Tate's seasonal show.

Even Iain Dale questioned her sanity on that one.

What on earth will she make of Little Miss Jocelyn on BBC2?

Peter Hain: How Was Blogger Fawkes So Wrong Footed?

The big question on the Hain case is why gutter blogger Paul Staines aka Guy Fawkes aka Mr GuF barked up completely the wrong tree with a disingenuous non-story storm in a teacup just as the real story reaches boiling point.

What is Hain's chance of hanging on after it emerges that his under-declaration of leadership campaign expenses still amounts to 17 donations totalling £103,000?

Interesting too to see Phil Taylor, Hain's former campaign manager, and a frequent recipient of Mr GuF's wit and wisdomlaying into his successor and sticking up for Mr Hain.

Hain's campaign was pants from start to finish. Hain is a maverick. I remember writing a report on a Regional Conference for Labour Left Briefing and commenting on the skilled "eyebrow work" of ministerial colleagues as Hain went off message over and over and over again. In quite an engaging if foolish way it must be said. But who wants a rogue elephant in a leadership role?

How did Staines/GuF get so sidetracked on such a non-story when this one was brewing is a complete mystery given that he, Staines, is supposed to have an inside track on this one.

90 Years On: Another Great and Muddy War of Attrition

A token post for the day. Private Lamin's Blog comprising letters and real events from exactly 90 years ago has proved a huge hit.

Simultaneously, following some meetings and encounters this evening, I am wondering which scurrilous mud about Lib Dem to Tory Cllr Faraz Bhatti and about Manchester Lib Dems will be first to be thrown across no man's land. A war of attrition. And very much the Christmas present for Labour that just keeps on giving.

Will any of Faraz's confidants who are up in May 2008 have the bottle to cross the floor before their election? Will Cllr John Leech MP keep his word and stand down rather than persisting as "two jobs" for up to two more years?

Maidstone and Weald: Private Eye Pick Widdy Successor

Curiouser and curiouser. The Nu Cuddly Tory Party may be having open selections in some constituencies. Where anyone can vote. And all members meetings in others. But the greatly fancied seat of Ann Widdecombe will not be surrendered so easily. The famous if something sprawling and rustic seat will have no truck with such democratic finanglings.

Instead the Editor of Private Eye, local resident Ian Hislop will ask zee questions. Then a handful of swivel eyed Kentish Men, Men of Kent, Kentish Maids and Maids of Kent - the Association Executive - will decide.

Apparently they're going to be picking an intern from Hull (above).

Hat tip: Iain Dale who says he breathed a sigh of relief, but could in fact have had an audition for Have I Got News for You?.

Guido Fawkes: Times Online Exposes GuF Non Story

Hallelujah! The Times have shown up GuF's Hain Story for what it is ... absolute twaddle. Disingenuous twaddle.

Hain's warm remarks about one of Wales' more successful companies were made in 2005. Here are a couple of stories from the time. The Western Mail ran a profile of the actual donor Neville Allport OBE in June last year.

Incidentally Mr Allport also set up Firstplus, owned by Barclays since their Woolwich acquisition. That's the lender with the similar business model that Carol Vorderman promotes for big bucks. In contrast Peter Hain spoke routine warm words about the company on the occasion of an announcement of more jobs, new headquarters, customer milestones, record profits.

In his capacity as Welsh Secretary. Guido doctored his graphic to deflect from this tedious reality. Hain is boring. Guido is boring.

Guido Fawkes: GuF Crashes On With His Hain Vendetta

It would I think be fair to say that Mr Paul Staines aka Mr GuF has it in for the Rt Hon Peter Hain and all who sail with him. GuF is now running one of his standard something and nothing and disingenuous stories.

In this case smearing Hain and some backing got for his leadership campaign. Some that was I think properly declared, which was not always the case.

As it happened the campaign proved Hain's chronic unpopularity within, or perhaps rather distrust by, the Labour Party and Movement at large.

Essentially - to the delight of his sock muppets and swear blogging fans - Guido points out that the CEO of Picture Financial Services plc made a personal donation of £5,000 to Hain's leadership bid. And GuF juxtaposes that with the fact Peter Hain has at some point praised the company and that this praise appears on their website.

Now as far as I recall before he became a haven for sub-prime swear blogging Mr GuF spent some time as a shitty financial adviser. So you'd think he'd have something sensible to say about these two events. But alas, No he does not.

Instead GuF suggests that:

1. A Debt Consolidation business which is a plc and has a quoted typical APR of 8.4% variable is more or less equivalent to a loan shark;
2. Mr Hain "endorses" their products in an equivalent way as say Carol Vorderman endorses the rival company FirstPlus (APR 7.9% variable) for huge sums of money;
3. Mr Hain's supposed commercial endorsement is "all over" Picture's website;
4. Picture's APR is 10.9% on "maxxed out" debtors;
5. Mr Hain made his comment in a personal capacity;
And:
6. By juxtaposition, that the comment was in return for the £5,000 donation

What a load of old GuF and twaddle from the GuFster and twaddler in chief. Hain didn't get any sort of preference from the House of Love in the leadership contest. But GuF is demeaning blogging which such a tawdry tale. The facts:

1. Picture, based in Newport, South Wales not a million miles from Hain's constituency of Neath, is not a loan shark. Any more than Firstplus which was acquired as a brand by Barclays, the UK's third largest bank when they swallowed the Woolwich;
2. There is no commercial endorsement remotely similar to Ms Vorderman's shameful whoring. Rather there is a congratulation to a Welsh company on success, employment, ambition in Wales;
3. The comment appears on the website in the "About Us" pages only. Targeted at investors and media;
4. Picture's quoted APR is 8.4% variable not 10.9%;
5. Hain's comment is clearly labelled as from the Minister of State for Wales (right). It looks like GuF has deliberately edited his graphic (above) to obscure this origin;
6. It is plainly ridiculous to suggest as GuF does that this is anything other than a routine ministerial comment about a Welsh company.

The Guardian lead today with a real story about Hain.

Not all his campaign receipts have been declared in a timely way.

Shame on his chaotic disorganisation.

But shame too on GuF for his daft vendetta.

Libdemologist Home Truth: "It isn't as if we do any work!"

Katherine Bergin's Whip in today's Sun told a few good tales. Including one about two Lib Dem staffers considering their future roles under the famous fire starter Nick Clegg.

"It doesn't matter what job we get, it's all about the title. It isn't as if we get paid proper money or do any work."

Similar to Manchester's Lib Dem councillors, though they do pocket £15,000 for their "efforts". Still, how much better to be Group Leader for the Tories than to be one of Simon Ashley's whipping boys?

That's The Way To Do It: Health and Safety Soames

Old hat I know. But he is SUCH a clot, isn't he? This dear reader is the new model Conservative Party at large.

Selfish fat headed Old Etonians being selfishly fat headed.

Greening Our Roads: More Hare-Brained Schemes

Wouldn't you just know it? In response to the hare-brained Tories trying to lumber everyone in Greater Manchester with an extra layer of cost and tax i.e. elected mayors to stop a much misunderstood tax - which can be avoided by using public transport or driving off peak - we get the old "sell the airport" nonsense.

Covered by LOL under the even handed headline: Blogsclusive: Carbon Gargling Billionaire "Sell Me the Airport" (and Cook the Planet, and the Goose).

It ain't going to happen. If the Golden Goose killing idea could be countenanced at all it would be better to sell the thing in ten or twenty years, paying off any transport improvement debt and pocketing £5 to £10 Bn in change.

Transport Fund: Harebrained Undercover Conservatives

The Manchester Evening News reports on a 9,000-strong petition being handed in to Bury Town Hall - for an elected mayor.

This is it seems a hare-brained Trojan Horse, to be re-run in other Boroughs such as Bolton.

Lumbering town after town with elected mayors on the single-issue of stopping congestion charging.

Stopping public transport and environmental improvements. To look at the other side of the coin.

What a way to carry on! Leading light Geoffrey Berg (52) of Prestwich has never even driven a car according to this report from Oldham, but - seen here left with Stuart Chapman and Steve Evans at Bury - he is keeping party political affiliation close to his chest.

He is in fact a former Tory councillor in Bury. Beaten there he tried his luck in Manchester City Centre in 2004. Now he isIn 2006-7 he appeared to be back as a candidate in the Besses seat of Bury South. Tories in Bury and in Bolton say they are utterly against Berg's elected mayor idea. Even if they agree on the question of congestion charges.

Indeed Bury is already one of three authorities - the others being Trafford and Stockport - who have declared against the Local Transport Fund. We really do need to re-brand any charging scheme. Bury and Trafford already have tram services. Stockport don't stand to gain one in the near future. A better excuse.

Meanwhile, shouldn't pundits and campaigners be honour bound to declare any party affiliations? How many times do we see or hear partisan commenters on TV and radio who have not managed to even thinly disguise their bias.

Hat tip: David Ottewell.

Greg Proops: Telling It Like It is About Libdemologists?

The rebranded TV channel Dave has become an extremely popular viewing choice in the Love household. Relatively recent Top Gearing and extraordinarily fascinating for 12 and 15 year olds minty Whose Line Is It Anyway? retreads.

Tonight Greg Proops was supposed to do the "Hoedown" game about a conservative politician but came up with:

But I am such a waffler
And a total prat
So at the next election
I'll vote Liberal Democrat

That was a 1996 episode. He is an American. How can he have been quite so au fait? Perhaps this was the last straw for Faraz Bhatti? Who I was surprised to hear being praised, albeit very faintly, this very evening. At an Irish Music Night benefit for the Children of Kolkotta (how cosmopolitan).

Incidentally, I must report with some alarm that the latest household digi box arrival had the same "secret code" as Grant 1234 Shapps.

We changed it immediately it was plugged in. As the idea of someone impersonating us and then impersonating one of Sajjad Karim and Faraz Bhatti's closest former Lib Dem associates to big up the Conservatives during a by-election was and is anathema ...

Kenyan General Election: ODM's Joseph Nyaga is Spot On

Kenya's Orange Democratic Movement General Secretary Joseph Nyaga made my point about the tribal sectarianism angle being a media construct for me beautifully: "It's colonial anthropology" he told the BBC, going on to explain that people across the whole nation and of all backgrounds who had voted for change were pissed off that they had not got that change.

The incumbent may have achieved 25% of the popular vote in five of the eight districts. A sine qua non of the electoral rubric. And he did win back his own seat, unlike more than half of his ministerial cronies. But in fact he only actually won two of the eight districts outright.

All kinds of strange results are possible on a constituency by constituency basis versus the summary of them, as we know from our own democracy. Even without the sort of serious gerrymander we ourselves had only recently in for example "Slash City" aka Derry*.

But how on earth could he have come out top in the individual vote? The third requirement of the rubric.

* CONUNDRUM: How can a three ward multi seat system with a total of 28 seats deliver a 4-3 council majority from a 3-6 electorate minority?

London Mayoralty: Ken's Backing, Boris "Not Bovvered"

The above is the list of "related stories" the Guardian Unlimited's subs or computers found to go with a story disclosing Ken Livingstone's surprise support from muslim community leaders.

Have the Guardian really been ignoring Ken for almost three years? Silly Bullingdon Boy Boris "isn't bovvered" as his grand daddy and his great grand daddy too were muslims and he doesn't give a flying fork. Apologies to Chris Tarrant.

David Ottewell: Faraz Bhatti Had a Christmas Secret

David Ottewell has switched off comments but reveals that Faraz Bhatti booked the room for announcing his treachery almost two weeks ahead of doing the deed. Unusually competent and organised for this erstwhile Lib Dem, New Tory.

Would be interesting to know how many seasonal Lib Dem meetings and functions Faraz and his scheming father may have attended over the holidays? And also more about the re-selection/de-selection drama surrounding my good friend and possibly Faraz's neighbour (? not in declaration of interests he wasn't) the Rev Dr Cllr John Grant Esq. Was Faraz calling for him to be saved or ditched?

David also has John Leech continuing his cancer smokescreen in his shame at his Christie Hospital Hoax by drawing attention (weeks ago it was actually, 18 December) but displaying his ignorance of health statistics and economics by expecting instant cure to chronic problems and his deep-seated misery by not acknowledging improvements and achievements.

If he is not actually saying a Hospital is threatened with closure, or failing to apologise for his bewildering decision to frighten cancer patients with this bogus story, he is guaranteed to be running down the NHS with pathetic slogans and scares every week or two.

Kenyan General Election: Sectarian Letter is Behind Times

Amidst a lot of coverage of the Iowa primaries and analysis of the republican side of things that you won't find here Iain has published a very sectarian and suspect account of the troubles in Kenya. That's not a criticism of Iain for reproducing it. But two points of caution:

* There are perhaps 10 numerically significant tribes in Kenya and probably 40 in all. This simplifies that to just the two, those of the Cheaters and the Cheetahs.
* The lag in this being written and distributed means that old anecdotes may appear to be current.

Odinga's Luo are in fact the third largest tribe and fairly evenly matched in size with those in second to fifth. The fourth, Kalenjin is home to most internationally famous Kenyans of the last 30 years - 90% of the distance runners battling with Paula Radcliffe and Brendan Foster belong to this 10% segment. These four tribes comprise 50% of the population versus just 22% in Kikuyu.

Over-simplified sectarianism is - as usual - the prism through which the world media tends to analyse the troubles. Reminiscent of a much overplayed Sunni-Shia split for Iraq. The real dichotomies are old vs young, rich vs poor, corrupt vs clean, and politically right vs left. There is a bit of religious sectarianism overlaid on the communities too.

Mwai K happens to be in the hegemony and the first of every single one of these pairs, Raina O is nominally in the second (relatively) of all but the rich-poor one. My athlete and friend Tarus is a member of the Kalenjin.

Very much in opposition to Mwai and the hegemony himself, terrified at what is going on, anxious for friends and family - including athlete friends who don't normally travel to Europe for a couple of months at least, and reporting that Mwai's vigilantes have guns and ammunition whereas the poor have knives and sticks, and matches of course.

So there may be a bit of the old "civilised" gun murders vs chilling butchery, mostly reflecting the wealth or otherwise of the criminals and hotheads who are carrying out the killings rather than any essential good versus evil.

But let us try to resist the media rush to make this primarily sectarian. At that rate the President is in a minority of just 22%. And let us also accept that such accounts are already several days out of date and have now been superceded by relative calm. Hopefully these troubles have not reached the tipping point where they will persist.

BBC News 24: Spinning the Iowa Primary like a Top

This time yesterday BBC News 24 were correctly stating that BO was ahead with the real question whether JE or HC would edge second place. Today they are calling the 38:30:30:2 outcome a "surprise". You think they'd take the credit?

Seems to me that whatever the history of Iowa and New Hampshire primaries in past elections all bets should be off this time. Here we have a woman, a black american and a kind of socialist making the running for the Democrats, and therefore for the whole contest. At least two don't have any real funding issues. And a year out with such a mould breaking crew contesting the nomination, and no incumbents in the field, the history of primaries is near irrelvant.

As far as it goes though Mark Pack at LDV explains the Iowa form book here and New Hampshire here.

Michael Moore was calling for Gore to join in but slightly backing Edwards on Wednesday and conveying the fact that TWICE AS MANY "democrats" turned out to caucus as "republicans" (239,000 vs 115,000), and now seeming to be backing Obama on Thursday.

Parbury is of course a long time BO-ite but it must be said that as a prima ballerina his pliés leave something to be desired.

Manchester City Council: Yes, We Now Have a "Tory"!

Above is the brand new poster boy for Conservatism in the City of Manchester. Faraz Bhatti. On page 19 of today's South Manchester Reporter FB stars in a Lib Dem press release story about some park floodlighting. But alas on page 5 he was already to be seen shaking Dave-id "What Have I Done?" Cameron's hand as FB follows his friend Sajjad Karim MEP across from Lib Dems to the Tories.

Neither Faraz nor Sajjad have been made particularly welcome by the regulars at Conservative Home. And I think we can now look forward to a campaign of personal villification from his erstwhile leader Simple Simon Ashley who begins thusly:

"He seems upset that I don't consider him the most important person in the world*. He has shafted his ward colleagues and shafted the party."

Most of all of course, though this is of no concern to Simon who leads a Lib Dem group whose politics are too slight to even be noticed, Faraz has stolen nearly three and a half more years supping at the council trough from the people of Whalley Range. They re-elected him last May despite his renowned workrate, his renowned political idealism, and his renowned personal qualities and those of his famous dad, another Lib Dem candidate. He would have had not the slightest chance of winning the seat as a Conservative.

This is a tremendous gift to Manchester Labour and one which will keep giving until 2011 when Faraz's term ends.

* That's Simon Ashley of course!

Flashback: Jailbird Michael Brown Upset by "Dishonesty"?

Fairly hilarious discovery in the archives. In reading round the Lord Khalid Hameed of Hampstead (right) elevation; and the absolute coincidence of interesting donations to the Lib Dems either side of the peerage; I am reminded of the Lib Dems other star donor and jailbird Michael Brown.

Michael Brown is of course a convicted fraudster felon. His businesses apparently had no business in the UK when they donated very generously. This fundamental eligibility criterion nuance eluded the Lib Dems "due diligence", probably because at £2.4 million the contribution was so trivial.

Now looks like it might not even have been the company's own money to dispense, but hey ho, mistakes do happen. Good to see the Electoral Commission giving them the benefit of the doubt as they did the Tories over their Houses of Parliament dining scam scheme. Presumably Abrahams and Watt will just give the EC their best winning grins and walk free.

But anyway ...as a liberal Brown wasn't even the itsy bitsyest bit alarmed at the stream of revelations around alcoholism, bisexuality and unfit-for-publicationism afflicting Charles Kennedy, Simon Hughes, and Mark Oaten respectively.

Here's the Times (back in January 2006):

The shambles has also thrown a harsh light on possible splits among Lib Dems with important donors threatening to withdraw their support. Paul Marshall, a City millionaire who has been a big backer of the party, is understood to be ready to stop if Hughes wins. Several other leading backers are said to believe that Hughes, most left-wing of the three leadership candidates, is not fit to lead the party.

Michael Brown, who has given the party more than £2m, has also indicated he will stop funding regardless of who wins the leadership.

Yes, that's right. Brown was among those bugged by the dishonesty of the party he'd just chucked £2.4M at!

One insider close to the leading donors said: “It’s not the homosexuality (or the struggles with alcohol) — it’s the dishonesty. People like Simon, but some of the big backers are disappointed by this revelation.”

I can imagine how very disappointing indeed this fibbery - so familiar to political opponents - would be to a fine upstanding individual like Michael Brown. But the Times continued ...

The Lib Dems face a further blow with some Muslim members threatening to leave because of Hughes’s bisexuality.

The paper then goes on to list some high profile examples of this phenomenon. But where on earth are they going to head if they want to make an issue of a party's liberalism around sexuality? Not to Labour, that's for sure.

Chris Huhne MP: Will Need to Get Calling 999 ... Again

New Lib DemCross bench peer = generous Lib Dem donor. Not declared to appointments commission. Tut tut. Man who nominated him "forgot" he had done so or that he'd even heard of him when asked by the Times. And nominator continues lobbying activity though a parliamentarian. Breaking party rules. And all good sense.

A generous flourish of my hat to Mr Paul Staines.

UPDATE: It is Lord Khalid Hameed of Hampstead. Elevated February 2007 (the date on the first update link is wrong).

The Lib Dem Treasurer and fellow Lord was not the person who first suggested Hameed. But he was the first supporting signatory. Lot of smoke and mirrors over whether LDs knew he (Hameed) was a donor or closely related to donor companies. The largest single donation came after his peerage. Cross bencher.

UPDATE 2: OK, OK, OK. As I said above this guy is a "cross bencher". But I'll change the original text too.

Blogging Has Been Light: Now We Hope Back in Business

Blogging has been light over the holidays. Now we are back at the House of Love bulletins should increase.

A certain amount of catching up may even be accomplished.

Our dog sitter Elly Tarus Kiptarbei has some particular perspectives on the situation in Kenya. His family home is little more than 10 kilometres from the infamous church in Elodoret.

And on our travels we have found ourselves discussing inter alia some of the contortions of "democracy" that passed muster in these Isles even a couple of decades ago. Contributing to thousands of deaths.

Kenyan Presidential Fix: Mwai Fiddles, Nairobi Burns

BBC online carries a good summary of the problems with the presidential ballot in Kenya. Although his party has but 33 MPs of c 200 the incumbent President Mwai has defied 50 or more polls and studies to emerge triumphant. Anomalies include a 115% turnout in one constituency and a 50% hike in votes for Mwai between local declaration and Nairobi coronation. BBC page HERE.

The melting away of the ballot rigging worries we reported on the eve of the vote to a comfortable win for Odinga "if the lead is maintained" was quite simply too good to be true.

The young Cheetah's have been gazumped by the old Cheaters. Old Swahili saying: When the elephants fight, it is the grass that gets crushed.

Comment is Free: Dr Rupa Huq Debuts on Grrrrl Power

Dr Rupa Huq has set some hares running with this Comment is Free piece on the position of women in politics in South Asia. Baroness Warsi seems to be lauded as an innovation though Baroness Pola Uddin was elevated virtually ten years ago in 1998.

Jemima Goldsmith: Bhutto, Kleptocrat in Hermes Scarf

Here is Jemima Goldsmith-Khan assessing Benazir Bhutto for Pakistan Uncut - originally in October 2007 on her return - with comments then and now.

Breaking News: Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to Head PPP

Although at 19 he is too young to stand for parliament in Pakistan, Bilawal Bhutto is to become double-barreled and also Chair of the PPP reports BBC Online

Mr 10%, 20% (and counting) Asif Ali Zardari will run the party day to day as a kind of regent while Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the existing Deputy Chair is likely to be the Prime ministerial candidate for the party.

In the BBC profile for Bilawal it is announced au contraire he is to become a single barreled Bhutto. He is to complete his studies at Oxford before taking day-to-day charge over from his dad.

Although repeatedly accused of corruption and having spent extended spells in prison Mr Zardari protests his innocence and has never been convicted.

Kenyan General Election: Odinga's Orange Revolution?

Events elsewhere in the world have overshadowed the relatively peaceful Orange Revolution that seems to be occuring in Kenya. The second link at the above post now shows Raila Amolo Odinga maintaining a lead over incumbent Mwai Kibaki with an alternative Orangeman Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka fading.

Most of the old stagers, or Hippos, have been flung out of parliament by their electorates. And if the lead is maintained Odinga will lead a parliament of young bloods, or Cheetahs.

Conservatives: Bogus and Negative Campaigning 2007

Strangely I tend to agree with Unity that this fixed-term "Campaign" from Iain Dale is opportunistical tosh. In case readers should think I'm obsessed I also agree with Tom Watson that the likes of this tragi-comic accident must be stamped out. And with Will Parbury that if you're an Eton old boy fed up with living at jet speed this bargain may just float your boat. Just needs a lick of paint.

Benazir Bhutto: Telegraph and Guardian Obituaries

The Telegraph and The Guardian obituaries. Probably learnt more from the former. Today's terrible events were surely Benazir's destiny?

Kenyan General Election: Mixed Messages from IED

Institute for Education in Democracy exit polls have the presidential status quo maintained while their provisional results put figures on their heads.

In the latter Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka leads Raila Amolo Odinga with both hammering incumbent Mwai Kibaki.

Kenyan General Election: Voting Starts in Four Hours

This NY Times article shines a little light on tomorrow's presidential and general election in Kenya. Looks clear as mud. LOL's resident Kenya psephologist tells me that bales of pre-marked voting slips have been distributed and in at least some cases intercepted, that usefully proportioned banknotes have been distributed rather than the traditional bottles of beer, and that it's all to play for.

As you'll see if you check the NYT the election rubric is complex so that the second or third in the popular vote could actually pick up the presidency ... I believe voting starts 3 am and ends 3pm our time. Is the future Orange?

Tory Party Funding: Off Shore Cartelier Bungs Questioned

Missed this Crick blog story about a ludicrously large donation from the scion of a long time Tory donor. This lad of 32 called Tom Scott gave half a mill to the Conservatives back in summer 2006. More than his own house is worth. And shortly after dad - also a Tom Scott - became an extremely impermissible donor.

He had personally been an impermissible donor for quite a while, living as he did in Guernsey. But when he sold a vestigial UK company (a car dealership in Bournemouth) which he had used for a £50,000 bung or two reported by the Times in April 2006 the cartelier and cars, supermarkets and casinos magnate sadly lost this presumably entirely legal conduit.

Mr Crick has more of his hissiest insinuations while the Independent belied its status as a viewspaper by actually carrying the news.

Hat tip for the Crick: Hopi Sen. Hats off to Kevan Jones MP who is asking some tough questions of the never vigilant Electoral Commission.