If nothing else I'm aiming to blog some comment on the Gore Nobelisation (Hitchens, C; Slate). What tosh that was! The Indie will have him down for President of the USA as his next trick, tomorrow (will change at midnight from misery about kids). LOL did a whole Green Day once. Ages ago.
Pop Up Pages can be a pain. Sometimes they show where a publication is really coming from. You know online gambling and dating chat that spans the generations on The Church Times - we made that up - or ditto at The Manchester Evening News - where we didn't - just as they wage balanced journalisms against er, gambling, or er, dodgy dating chat.
This one however is excellent. And to launch the LoL Green Day we think it can be recycled in 12 months time. 
In fact it may already have been recycled from previous years. Isn't that the roaring elk from Tampere 02 or somewhere? No? Perhaps not. This is the roaring stag of Luxembourg. But if you click through the image above you'll find that it will barely need a tweak to be adopted by Liverpool 08.
Just run a search and replace and stick Liverpool in for Luxembourg and you'll find very little that sticks in the craw. OK, OK, there aren't that many Michelin starred restaurants, and while there is gravy of sorts this means EU Bureaucrats are only there to find out why the Liverpool Lib Dems down the years have so often failed to spend trillions of EU loot.
And also how historically the legendary total outputs for some of their EU-funded training schemes show they've helped up to five times the scouse working population into work in any one year. Which is going some.
Cross Party Fury Over MP's Arrest scream the BBC. They have some of the answers there, and here in this Q&A to Iain Dale's list of 15 Questions, completely trumped and be-littled by Dominic Grieve's list of 50. But we've not seen that and we'll have a go at some of Iain's.
1. As an Opposition Health and Trade & Industry Spokesman, Robin Cook built his parliamentary reputation as the receiver of leaked government documents. Why is Damian Green's behaviour any different to Robin Cook's?
Have no idea. Does Iain? According to the BBC report linked above there may be more procurement and proactive sourcing going on in Damian Green's case. Though it must be said that the list of leaks from the Home Office (see BBC report) is mind numbingly pope shits in the woods stuff. There might be more crime if people are poorer. Crikey, where do they get these mind-like-a-steel-trap mandarins from?
2. Many journalists - David Hencke and Robert Peston being two examples - have built their journalistic reputations on being receivers of Whitehall leaks. Why is Damian Green's behaviour different to theirs to warrant an arrest?
Indeed. But have no idea. What has he actually done Iain? More proactive perhaps? Inciting criminality, breach of contract, breaches of OSA, and so on in others?
3. Why are Ministers allowed to leak with impugnity? Why aren't they covered under the same law which was used to countenance Damian Green's arrest?
Minister's "leaking" (sic media and LPFTB) is often really briefing. To an extent the government of the day decides what should be in the PD and what should not. FOI requests can cause further info to be produced.
But IMO the leaking of blue skies stuff and out of context ideas being part of an option appraisal etc is not great for govt whoever is in power. It discourages innovative thinking of which 95% may be rubbish and rejected. At very least leakage discourages things being written down. Corridor meetings replace minuted meetings. Not necessarily good for democracy or accountability. The head HO mandarin suggest that leaks were undermining the performance of his Department.
4. What did Jacqui Smith know and when did she know it?
Indeed. At all sorts of levels. Was she aware in advance as Cam and Boz and the Speaker were allegedly? Apparently not. The BBC have the statement. But what exactly did she know when remains a good question. It is knowledge of the arrest plan that seems to have been withheld.
What is DG supposed to have done (a) in terms of the the public explanation, which may be a stalking horse and (b) really. The common law thing of inciting naughtiness looks like pretty good value going forward.
5. Did she instigate the police investigation? If so, was it motivated by a desire to give a warning to future whistleblowers?
Good stuff Iain. Quite separate from knowing about the arrest plan. But the BBC report has the top mandarin at the HO taking responsibility for getting the police in. Plod didn't do this Mp arresting schtick themselves on their "initiative" UNLESS their investigation into CS leaker(s) led them to do so ... in which case their protocols may have told them who to advise and indeed who not to advise.
6. Why did the Serjeant at Arms lay lown like a puppy and have her tummy tickled by the Met?
Really? But yes, if that's true why was that?
7. Did she consult Mr Speaker before giving permission for the Met to search Damian Green's Commons office?
Would such permission be (i) required in any sense, by tradition or law; or (ii) sensible? And doesn't the BBC report explain that the Speaker was aware of this, alongside Cam and Boz?
8. Why was Damian Green kept locked up for nine hours and reportedly only questioned after seven? (as was reported last night).
Perhaps he was pissed. One way or another. Perhaps both? Or perhaps there simply needed to be a few hours to gather, log and assess initial exhibits?
9. If the job of an Opposition spokesman is not to hold the government to account, then what exactly is it?
There is a tradition of also having some policies to proffer to the public. But Nu Tories are like LDs in that regard. Just whiners it seems. Perhaps the LPFTB could ask them to address this lack of substance?
10. If Damian Green has been arrested, why haven't the journalists to whom he gave the stories been treated in the same manner?
Journalists are tough nuts to crack in every which way. They also have different role and responsibilities to either CSs or MPs.
11. What role did the security services play in this. Have they been monitoring Damian Green?
I'm sure they'll be telling us, or not. And who else they are keeping tabs on too. Hilarious if SB or MI6 have started keeping tabs on mainstream Tories instead of commies and fascists. They did mainstream Labour for a while. Dominic does wear pinko ties sometimes.
We had a libertarian socialist active in the Students Union when I were a lad. He did the Civil Service exams and wanted a Home Office gig. they apparently asked him to name all his erstwhile comrades and fellow travellers. As he got all the names on their list and one or two more the man was recruited.
Imagine Conservative Future activists being offered the same opportunity from now on in. Hilarious really. You've gotta laugh.
12. Why is the media not trumpeting the virtues of free speech and the rights of whistle blowers?
Perhaps they're waiting to get some facts perhaps. Weighing up the whys and wherefors. Makes a change for some of them naturally. But many of them are actually against government leaks ... unless they are to themselves.
13. Why aren't Labour bloggers as outraged by Green's arrest as they would have been over Sarah Tisdall or Clive Ponting? (I will be doing a separate post on this later).
Perhaps some of us will be once the facts are out and about? We'll see. Didn't have a blog during either case mentioned, but further back I was helping run an inky in the 80s and we had some fun and games protecting our sources. Particularly police sources as it goes. And there was a time when we chose to run a double page spread with just headlines, pictures and captions. The white space spoke volumes.
14. Why were counter terror police used to search Green's four home and office premises? He was arrested under a so-called Common Law, not an anti terror law, as I understand it.
Define "counter terror police" Iain? Do you simply mean police with CT activity as the main task within their portfolio? At at least one of GMP's nicks - though I'm not saying which one(s) - we have a load of CT police as it goes. But they do other stuff when there is no terror to be stymied. Which is as it should be. Surely?
15. Have the Police impounded Damian Green's various computers? If so, how is his constituency casework corresponded safeguarded? How can any MPs' constituents now believe that their casework is totally confidential?
There is no such thing as totally confidential now is there? Stuff gets nicked. Some MP staff are less assiduous, less reliable and less discrete than they might be. Which is why Dorries employs her kids probably.
But using CT police - if that is indeed the case - might in part be done to give more confidence about confidentiality than bog standard plods might. The BBC report that they were deemed to be more suitable for the job than others.
This is a very curious situation. But as Mark Twain said, about science:
The wonderful thing ... is the large return of conjecture for a small investment of fact.
Iain Dale is a National Treasure and his righteous speculation must be encouraged at all costs. I'm sensing that it will be the only way to get to the bottom of this matter.
Can't say I'm particularly taken by Denis McShane's manic offering: "The police now believe that MPs are so reduced in public status that they are fair game for over-excited officers to order dawn raids, arrests and searches of confidential files held by MPs or those who work for them.
"I am not sure this is good for British democracy."
"Don't you know who I am?" writ large. "Without fear or favour" is actually a better construction in a parliamentary democracy. Isn't it?
Don't get me wrong. I shall enjoy any bounty from FOI requests on hypocritical MPs of all parties - calling for openness while secretly hoping, or indeed plotting to stymie this. Thanks to Sam Coates for this digging.
The secrets of John Leech, Paul Rowen and other "Freedom of Information champions" in the Liberal Democrats will be particularly interesting given their craven bleatings, the published accounts of their local party units, and their often strange arrangements.
But with or without the FOI exemption the new rules and the increased granularity of expenses accounting are a great leap forward. And although I may have to share some of my receipts with the taxman and/or VATman and my accountant I do not have to share these with the press and bloggers of the nation. Which makes the level playing field argument defunct doesn't it?
Here is the order paper for the non-debate on FOI showing the increased openness being brought forward by the government, lettering scheme as forwarded to me (see update):Main Business
† 1 BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE [Until 6.00 pm]
Ms Harriet Harman
That, at this day’s sitting, the Speaker shall put the Questions necessary to dispose of proceedings on the Motions in the name of Ms Harriet Harman relating to Payments to hon. Members (Publication Scheme), Members’ Allowances (Green Book), Members’ Allowances (Audit and Assurance) and Committee on Members’ Allowances not later than 5 pm; in each case such Questions shall include the Questions on any Amendments selected by the Speaker which may then be moved; proceedings may continue, though opposed, after the moment of interruption; and Standing Order No. 41A (Deferred divisions) shall not apply.
† 2 PAYMENTS TO HON. MEMBERS (PUBLICATION SCHEME)
Ms Harriet Harman
(1)
(2) In addition, information relating to Members’ expenditure from the beginning of the current Parliament shall be published in relation to each financial year, to the extent that such information is separately identifiable, under the following categories:
(a) Administrative and Office Expenditure:
(i) accommodation costs for offices, surgeries, etc;
(ii) office equipment and supplies;
(iii) telephones and other telecommunications;
(iv) professional fees and charges;
(v) agency and other staff costs;
(vi) travel costs;
(vii) utilities;
(b) Personal Additional Accommodation Expenditure:
(i) mortgage interest;
(ii) rent;
(iii) hotel costs;
(iv) council tax;
(v) fixtures, fittings and furnishings;
(vi) subsistence;
(vii) other household costs, including service charges, utilities, telecommunications, maintenance and repairs;
(c) Communications Expenditure:
(i) websites;
(ii) reports and surveys;
(iii) delivery charges, postage and stationery;
(iv) advertising;
(v) equipment;
(d) Staffing Expenditure;
(e) Travel Expenditure in relation to travel by Members:
(i) car, including third party vehicle rental and mileage;
(ii) rail;
(iii) air;
(iv) other UK and European travel;
(f) Resettlement Grant;
(g) Winding-up Expenditure;
(3) The Committee on Members’ Allowances shall keep the categories listed in paragraph (2) above under review and may modify them from time to time as the committee may think necessary or desirable in the interests of clarity, consistency, accountability and effective administration, and conformity with current circumstances.
† 3 MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES (GREEN BOOK)
Ms Harriet Harman
That this House approves the Guide to Members’ Allowances (the Green Book), published as Annex 1 to the First Report of the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee (House of Commons Paper No. 142) and endorses the Principles set out in Part 1 of the Green Book as the basis for all claims made by Members;
That the rules set out in the Green Book shall govern all expenditure on Members’ allowances with respect to all claims for expenditure arising on or after 1 April 2009;
That the Members Estimate Committee shall carry out a review of the provisions of the resolutions of this House relating to such expenditure, make such modifications to them as are necessary to ensure that they are consistent with the provisions in the Green Book, and report to the House; and
That this House thanks Ms Kay Carberry CBE, nominated by the Trades Union Congress, and Mr Keith Bradford, nominated by the Confederation of British Industry, for having acted as the Speaker’s external appointees to the Advisory Panel on Members’ Allowances.
† 4 MEMBERS’ ALLOWANCES (AUDIT AND ASSURANCE)
Ms Harriet Harman
That this House approves the arrangements for the audit and assurance of Members’ allowances set out in the report of the Members Estimate Audit Committee to the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee, published as Annex 3 to the First Report of the House of Commons Members Estimate Committee (House of Commons Paper No. 142).
UPDATE 11:33: I've relented and removed the repetition.
No surprise that the Tory greenery doesn't stretch to the undergrowth. Only 
the canopy feeding Etonian Cameron's stunts like this (in own words) seem to have got into the swing of this bogus green cuddly-nu-tory agenda.
On the other hand there seem to be real problems of understanding within the Lib Dems with this woman trying to get free parking and a fair deal for 4 x 4s one minute and waving placards against them and hollering the next. Not very convincing that. The Greens have their number.
But surely 
on Fair Trade it's different? Even if the party of the mercantile classes remains robust in their Free Trade ideals the Libs are on side aren't they? Their latest leaflets in my area show NW MEPs Chris Davies and Sajjad Karim talking the talk and the maverick Davies is all over the place appearing to support Fair Trade. But what do the rank and file chancers think?
This blog from the well meaning Councillor Ann In Sedgeley (Bury, Greater Manchester) does not deviate from a green/fair message. Yet the only comment in recent times basically says that (a) Fair Trade is not green and (b) Fair Trade is 
completely antithical to Lib Dems who want it free. Well done Tristan. But you're not just some village idiot are you? You're a proper Fibby blogger here whose last home post is all about getting it wrong. Or in my opinion right. By supporting an element of competitive sports against Lib Dem spokes-maverick nonsense. Work on the spolling in your comments but better out than in. If you want to get anything else off your chest just mail me at idea at mcr1 poptel org uk.
David Ottewell again previews the Greening of Manchester Traffic, as ever in the prism of the emotive and partisan "Congestion Charging" instead of Greening, or Peak Smoothing, or Jam Avoidance, or Oiling the Wheels of Commerce, or whatever. It is about Transport Improvement NOT about Congestion. All being well that dirty old C word could be a thing of the past.
At least he's managed to avoid the freudian £5 AN HOUR which he sometimes drops into his blog, until surreptitiously corrected, to £5 A DAY here.
But why not mention that this or ANY CHARGE WHATSOEVER should be completely avoidable by travelling outside peak hours, by using massively improved passenger transport, by car sharing, by using greener cars, by cycling or by walking?
Even the "up to £5 a day" line doesn't really wash. How about "from as little as completely free AND green" instead?
The general idea is of spreading the traffic about a bit in time, allowing traffic to flow better, making cyclists and pedestrians more welcome, with much improved passenger transport also getting clearer roads at peak times?
This kind of detail always seems to be missing from the coverage. And it is this kind of detail and indeed naming of the scheme in a way that will win hearts and minds over.
The commercial thuggery that eliminated Cllr Roger Jones as an elected member and therefore as head of the Passenger Transport Authority has still not had proper exposure and analysis.
But this is ruthless swift boating from car freaks and excess profit seekers. Simply trying to extend the age of the rampant 4 x 4 for as long as possible rather than changing their own business model to privelege passenger transport and free delivery rather than acres of "free" car parks, miles of tail backs, and buyers collecting everything in every larger vehicles.
Interesting indeed that Advertising Rulings on this matter dealt with in detail by Mr Ottewell here found that this persistent use of the "£5 a day" NONSENSE was the one of three complaints to be upheld. The others must have been damned close. But these £5 a day lies were the images splashed over most of Peel Holdings' hoardings anyway.
So how is it that the same respected regional journalist continues to use this construct without enough qualification in near daily coverage of this welcome greening and commercial improvement measure? If it is not OK for advertisers how can it possibly be OK for a regional newspaper and a responsible journalist?
IMAGES: The top two posters were passed as OK (just), the other two as unacceptable. Pictures are Ottewell's as just for now I'm not near my own picture file (which has much better ones, natch).
The Times has one of the clearer expositions of the proposed Transport Improvements for Manchester detailing the £2 plus £1 plus £1 plus £1 make up of the worst case £5 a day.
However it does fail to mention that the time bands for these levies are pretty short and sweet and can easily be avoided by re-timing journeys.
Where I live in Chorlton M21 is:
(a) About a mile inside the probably minimum outer ring and about 1.5 miles outside the probable inner ring;
(b) Would be subject to a £1 in and £1 out charge if I travel to the city centre by car during peak hours not to mention parking, fuel and running costs, and the occasional ticket (only one this election season, hurrah!);
(c) Already served by a reasonable bus service and due to get a tram link, with the existing link not that far away with trains at seven-minute intervals to Altrincham and Bury and Heaton Park and Salford Quays;
(d) Handy for the community schools my kids walk to;
(e) Subject to some traffic congestion at peak hours which might be dissipated;
Most papers mention the horror-bag and serial cock-up Tory woman Cllr Susan Williams and her upcoming battle with Transport Minister Ruth Kelly MP for the Bolton West seat. And the intention of the Swift Boaters from the Trafford Centre/Peel Holdings/MART to take Kelly out over supporting Transport Innovations for Greater Manchester.
The Bury West constituency straddles the M61 a good few miles outside the greened zone. It has some pretty good heavy rail links from Westhoughton and Horwich and Express "Pendle Witch" Buses and others I think. I'll stand by for correction! It is a fairly car reliant area, not densely populated, but it is hard to see how significant numbers of constituents would be that het up about these proposed schemes.
The Press Association report in the Guardian print edition is just plain wrong. The usual generic £5 mistake:Transport minister Rosie Winterton is expected to announce government backing for a traffic improvement bid put forward by 10 Greater Manchester councils, including a charging scheme requiring drivers to pay up to £5 to enter the city centre at busy times.
I will be charged a maximum of £1 to enter the city centre and can avoid this and the exit fee of £1 too. It is only by entering from outside the outer ring and also going inside the inner ring (which surrounds approximately one square mile) and at particular times of day that I can rack up £5 a day. This is for entering and exiting not just entering.
This is a very simple thing. Yet the great brains of the media seem to find it incredibly easy to get it wrong. And the Vote Blue Go Green motif on which Cam's Shams fought an election about five weeks ago is blowing to the four winds.
Following some training up in post and comments the Manchester Evening News' David Ottewell has changed the formulation from "up to £5 a day" to "up to a maximum of £5 a day" which may seem a small thing, but progress nonetheless. Well done son.
CAPTION: David Cameron with the only new lines he understands. My oh my, last time we used this scurrilous illiberalism on hard cokey Tory drugs image things were very different.
We are still waiting for the Parliamentary Commissioner to treat scowly John "Hospital Hoax" Leech (right) like any grown up MP who persistently flouts the rules and protocols of both the House and the Electoral Commission.
- Persistently flouting the rules by delivering parliamentary reports outside his area;
- Persistently flouting the rules by touting for casework outside his area;
- Persistently flouting the rules by representing himself as "your MP" outside his area;
- Persistently flouting the rules by issuing hybrid Portcullis (supposedly non-partisan) and Party Politics leaflets;
- Persistently flouting the rules by using Tax Payers money for Party Political material, in content and timing ... designed to get Lib Dems elected;
- Persistently flouting the rules by hiding the location where and even the name and address of the true printing contractor carrying out his money laundering printing;
- Persistently flouting the rules by hiding his true spending levels and fundraising mechanisms;
But perhaps the Commissioner thinks that Leech is so feeble that he should be given any number of let offs and quiet words instead of facing the music like a proper MP.
Other MPs have been officially carpeted. And we think John leech deserves to be properly treated and officially carpeted too - he is a real MP is he not? How can he be let off like some cheeky little chancer instead of as a real MP?
The High Master of Manchester Grammar School apparently chucked the naughty boy John Leech out as he would any other evil little MGS scrote referred to his justice. Why cannot the Commissioner also treat a miscreant equally with other miscreants?
Mr Leech's latest missive in Chorlton - barring the recent tax payer funded fount-of-lies survey on Education and Health - is a three-fold down to A5 which features Leech and his muppety cohort Paul "They're All Bastards" Ankers - as one of those "parliamentary reports (right) before PTABA was elected - on the cover.
Standing in a park which is in Trafford MBC's turf and Stretford MP Beverley Hughes' constituency. Facts which are not noted anywhere on the leaflet. And which have this pair of clowns once again interfering outside their ward and constituency boundaries.
But inside, what's this?, where the illicit portcullis letter with green ink header on mustard paper usually lurks we have some Lib Dem "passing off". Same green ink, same heading "John Leech MP, Liberal Democrat MP for Manchester Withington" but instead of the Portcullis a little pen and ink clip art treasure ... the tower housing Big Ben itself.
Blatant piss taking over the rules. Something that has been a persistent feature of the conduct of John Leech MP both before and during Mr Leech's temporary tenure.
Like the way he outspent all the opposition in 2005 with many times the tonnage of propaganda. Some say five times as much, others nearer ten times, and that was without the leaflet so naughty that it had to be burnt on a pyre.
With just the one donor (£23,000, allowance for election = £11,000) actually declared and a grand total of just £17 for one person's mobile allegedly the total 'phone spend. Although they had at least three landlines at the HQ. The HQ he didn't even exclusively pay for. With mum leading the effort all election day, hammering the 'phone knock up all day. Just one example of Leech's campaign mendacity when it came to his expenses.
The famous bar chart fills a whole page. A throwback to 2005 rather than recent ward data showing him trounced in the area in 2008. Advertising the fact that Mr Leech has a parliamentary majority of just 667. Half of which was sliced off last time in that one ward alone. The number of the beast plus the devil himself. Mr Leech of course did not have a vote in the constituency as he lives elsewhere.
He still doesn't live in the constituency, despite an estate agently press release saying he and his mysterious long term partner Catherine were to shack up on Chorlton Green.
As ever the full process colour, full bleed, glossy leaflet was allegedly "Printed by Withington Printing Society ... at 8 Gawsworth Avenue, Manchester, M20 5NF". Which happens to be the address of Mr Leech's parliamentary offices and also the home of the Lib Dem constituency association. All very cosy.
CALL FOR PUBLIC SPIRITEDNESS: Did you go to MGS or Loreto with John Leech? Or perhaps to Brunel University or any other seat of learning? Do you have a story to tell? Or perhaps you're outside his constituency but he's pretended to be your MP? Or written to you anyway? Or perhaps he's used parliamentary stationery to address a private or party matter? Do drop us a line won't you? Thanks. 
And Honest John obviously welcomes openness and says a hearty xmas thanks too:
Hopi Sen catches Dave Cameron's conservatives at a Warm Front con in which Cam claims credit for good Labour work.
Spotting something coming and taking credit by calling for it is not exactly a new tactic. But today the hilariously un-Green local Lib Dems stuck a small rain forest of paper and an oil well of ink through the door with one of the most clumsy attempts to take credit where credit isn't due I've ever seen.
"Lianne wins Plastic and Cardboard recycling" screams the headline. The small prints claims the Council had no plans in this area and no budget. In fact such matters have been under discussion for years.
Clearly anyone with half a brain would admit that dealing with recycling in urban areas of great multiple deprivation where dealing with poverty has been a day-to-day priority for many residents is harder than in a leafy borough. But instead of comparing Manchester with the comparable but hilariously bad Lib Dem "10 years misrule show case" of Liverpool the dissembling Lib Dems avert their eyes from that disaster.
Then Lianne slams a £200,000 city-wide consultation exercise to determine where the demand lies for these card board and plastic recycling services and how the people would prefer them to be delivered.
Yes, that's right. Labour haven't had plans for this for years, but have planned and carried out a consultation on detailed implementation, but then again have only thought of this since Lianne starting coming in from Didsbury for photo opportunities.
On the reverse of the leaflet Lianne claims credit for 31 pieces of "hard work". Every single one of them appears to have been actually achieved or is being achieved by others.
It may be that some have involved a letter at some point - usually after the fact - from the Hospital Hoax MP. Or that Lianne has sat silent in a meeting as the MP's representative while something or other has been agreed.
Even perhaps a letter with Lianne's parliamentary email address as a contact. Yes, that's right Leech has given this fibber wages - from taxpayers and/or council tax payers - and access to parliamentary facilities to support her false claims of action.
But responsible for these things? No way. Responsible only for a veritable mountain of paper making false claims and professing to be "green".
This leaflet comes on top of the Lib Dem hissy fit that Labour have organised a market in Chorlton - as part of a long standing city-wide programme - without waiting for them to sign off on it!
Just to underline the Lib Dems un-Green credentials they posted double helpings of their double sided A3 leaflet, plus two sheets of A4, and a window envelope through our door in one drop. Meanwhile in a highly innovative move Labour locally are giving residents the option to opt out of any and all paper communications in future.
JOHN LEECH PRINT SERVICES MYSTERY: We are still waiting for an answer on the conundrum of professional printing of high level of technical difficulty allegedly emanating from a back room at a parliamentary office.
Sadly our friend still Councillor John Leech still MP (just about) has not made the top twenty in this poll. Strange really as not so long ago he was being feted as best campaigner by lobby journalists in The House Magazine, even though his campaign was based largely on fibs. And believing his expenses return too was quite a stretch.
Just now I can't find the exact quote from 
Mr Leech's press release but I recall that though he is quite an afficianado of the old amateur dramatics it was something about not being a luvvie, but how it was not the winning but the taking part. And all that old luvvie tosh.
Clearly not winning AND not taking part was not on the radar at the time. But watch this space for more slumping in fortunes. Incidentally the picture, which has gone down well just about everywhere it has been seen is not of:
(a) Leech chewing a wasp
(b) Leech finding out about the Dale awards
(c) Leech on returning from Dr Who time travel to 2009 count
(d) Leech having ate humble pies for his Christie hoax
or
(e) Leech on returning from Dr Who time travel after the autumn 2007 count dreamt up by an old gentleman
It is in fact of his red letter day when he was presented with hundreds of postcards slagging him off for his horrendous Christie hoax in which hospital closure scare stories were handed to chemotherapy patients at the thriving hospital.
"Dr Who?" was also the question on shocked residents' lips as a Freedom of Information enquiry revealled that no letters or petitions featuring the signatures of 60 doctors protesting at a supposed "closure" had been received. But this mythical document was the thing that Leech based his campaign on.
And now when he is challenged to apologise he always asks: "Are you saying 60 doctors are liars?" I can set his mind at rest:
No John, No John, No John, No - we're not saying that.
Great to see that the yule logs for sale at nearby Unicorn Grocery are strictly local. They have not been brought in at the expense of huge "logmiles" from South America or China in line with this workers' cooperatives strict ethical policies.
It really is like going to a church of righteousness when we cross their sacred threshhold genuflect and collect up our sea-transported figs, un-tortured but strangely twisted vegetables, and penally diverse grains.
Living in strictly smokeless and smog-free Manchester we won't be getting our burning logs from Unicorn. Lest they are sourced from faraway Urmston or Reddish we have house policy of only burning logs we have plucked from Mother Earth with our own bare hands.
And naturally we wait until suppliers are completely sold out of the smokeless, heatless and fireless varieties before buying the real coal.
This is surely entrapment? This lot would surely never sell smokey things without a pure green motivation.
POSTSCRIPT FOR GREENISH MILLIONAIRESSES: Sorry Lynne. I should have said. These are wooden logs. Unicorn 
will not allow any products with refined sugar or honey to darken their doors. These are NOT chocolate yule logs, sorry. Yes I know you were probably struggling to understand. It is very confusing, yes.
International affairs then for millionairess Lynne Featherstone, presumably starting with Lembit Opik and those Cheeky Girls and moving on to whatever international affairs come along next. Her first chance on the front bench. Remarkable really. Not because of her obvious talents. But because they seem to have three or four "front bench" spokes-people for each portfolio. Which means she must have been one-on-her-own in NOT having a post - before being assigned to hold the monster Lembit's allegedly internationally wandering hand(s). LoL understands that this is the first time any party has appointed a front bencher to deal with cross-border romances.
In a triumph for LoL's crack html team this shows Lynne's grasp of hypocrisy and/or stupidity with the link above describing her brave activity for the free parking 4x4 brigade and her other millionairess ways while the one below shows she's "down with the greens". Bonus is face time with Simon Hughes. Someone we don't see enough of these days.
Leaving aside the small matter of wondering how the blogging bloke was going to fare with the SM Distorter this has been an excellent day.
Great breakfast and hard Guardian Sudoku in the Chorlton Cafe.
Popped in the Bank. Teller saw Great Manchester Run 06 tee-shirt and said he was running. Told him I'd done all of them. Asked me my best time. Said 35.49 (which is a good time and won me a great set of prizes from the Distorter) and from his expression could see I shouldn't ask his. Confessing last year was 42 minutes didn't seem to help either. So, must confess, left with quite a spring in my step.
This year I'll be doing well to get under 45 minutes given no training whatsoever and advancing age and weight. But an excellent charity getting the benefit. More on which anon.
This afternoon, having found that the Distorter piece on the poor blogging bloke wasn't too bad, I set off for a fantastic meeting at Salford Quays near T&G HQ. If only all business meetings could be like this.
A 100-word introduction of my pet project which started from a bad place but finished with even me feeling elated. Some detailed strategy on a matter that I need to sort out. A fantastic tutorial on the tax law around domicile and residency. An opportunity for my host. And in return an opportunity for me. Bloody marvellous.
Walking with my dogs was a real pleasure. Only the other day - in Chorlton Park ward as it goes - the biggest dog Hooch was propositioned in the woods by a marvellous long haired white lurcher who wanted his babies. Unfortunately Hooch and Jim (who is a full greyhound) left some of their bits at the Vets and are not available. And Ottey is a girl.
But I have tracked down a really good line of Saluki-Deerhound Lurchers rather like mine and if the owner of the dreamy white lurcher reads this then please use the new EMAIL ME link to drop me a line and I'll match make with pleasure. Your bitch had me cooing girl. Anything to help perpetuate that. And didn't you once work at The Green Room?
Food shopping was also strangely excellent. Both kids had triumphs from school to report. Progress on Tarus' appeal. What a day!
PICTURE: Bizarre Skillset banner for BBC at Salford Quays ...
Details make all the difference. Rupa Huq (with calling card) speaks 'Meeja' as well as Bangla.
The shortlist(s) is/are:
Rushanara Ali - Associate Director of the Young Foundation
Dr Rupa Huq - Westminster and Euro campaigns, PhD on BG&B
Shiria Khatun - Tower Hamlets Councillor
Helal Abbas - former leader of Tower Hamlets Labour Group
John Biggs - London Assembly Member
Lutfur Rahman - Tower Hamlets Councillor
David Osler's post wondering about the final shortlist of six - from a field of about 65 - at Bethnal Green and Bow drew this comment:Telling it like it is. I suppose that if I told this lot to their faces they would stop bugging me for support but then I would only get half the bitchy comments about the other contenders.
There are several problems with Rushanara.
Never had a proper non political job
Never been a candidate anywhere
Lives in Newham
Up herself - She may have gone to poxbridge put she needs to realise that people who haven't aren't so thick that they need reminding of the fact every 5 mins.
Oona's candidate - while it pains me to say it she did take a safe labour seat and lose it to a Scottish tosser in a catsuit.
The list goes on and on....
BGB must be the seat in the country most ill suited to a middle aged white pro politico. That of course wont stop Biggsy being near the top of the leader board. Access to the membership list for years. Dull as ditchwater. May well clinch it.
Lutfur Rahman and Helal Abbas. Rahman is the sharper of the two but the Bangladeshi blokes treat being an MP as a great honour so come across as arrogant puff balls. There is also a tendency to view ethnic links as stronger than party poilitical ones. Apparently there is a tape circulating of LR thanking people from the Respect Coalition for help in the selection. One for Ted no doubt. Expect copious amounts of shit to hit fans all over the consituency.
Which leaves Rupa and Shiria. Let's start with Shiria, the asian Ruth Kelly as she plops them out at a rate of knots which may explain why she has been around for all of about five minutes politically. Pissed off more than a few people with vote for the Bangladeshis line at the elections. This is actually a Labour Party kicking out offence but it would be typical BGB politics to select someone like that. Fits the right demographic.
It must be a strain for Rupa comming here from Ealing all the time. Has the double edged sword of being an outsider. Smart, good politics, experienced, right demographic, not a Bangali village idiot. Therefore no chance as this is BGB and we elect Scottish egomanic tossers to parliament and select pro war Labour candidates.
Posted by BGB Bitch | 13:06, 16 April 2007
Naturally Rupa has confirmed she would move to the constituency on day one if selected.
Her book on "youth" has been shortlisted for the British Sociological Association’s Philip Abrams memorial prize.
And she has been campaigning against sweatshop procurement by ASDA and Primark.
The big hustings is on 26th and then a polling day on Saturday 28th.
UPDATE: Labour and Unison Blogger John Gray has switched his support from Ayub Ali, who's out, to Rupa who's in. HERE he explains something about one of the disappointed women candidates. This one has switched to Respect and wants to their candidate.
Curious Hamster, Pickled Politics, Harry’s Place, Tim Worstall, Dizzy, Iain Dale, Ten Percent, Blairwatch, Davide Simonetti, Earthquake Cove, Turbulent Cleric (who suggests dropping a line to the FA about Mr Usmanov), Mike Power, Jailhouse Lawyer, Suesam, Devil’s Kitchen, The Cartoonist, Falco, Casualty Monitor, Forever Expat, Arseblog, Drink-soaked Trots (and another), Pitch Invasion, Wonko’s World, Roll A Monkey, Caroline Hunt, Westminster Wisdom, Chris K, Anorak, Mediawatchwatch, Norfolk Blogger, Chris Paul, Indymedia (with a list of Craig Murray’s articles that are currently unavailable), Obsolete, Tom Watson, Cynical Chatter, Reactionary Snob, Mr Eugenides, Matthew Sinclair, The Select Society, Liberal England, Davblog, Peter Gasston Pitch Perfect, Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe, Lunartalks, Tygerland, The Crossed Pond, Our Kingdom, Big Daddy Merk, Daily Mail Watch, Graeme’s, Random Thoughts, Nosemonkey, Matt Wardman, Politics in the Zeros, Love and Garbage, The Huntsman, Conservative Party Reptile, Ellee Seymour, Sabretache, Not A Sheep, Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion, The People’s Republic Of Newport, Life, the Universe & Everything, Arsenal Transfer Rumour Mill, The Green Ribbon, Blood & Treasure, The Last Ditch, Areopagitica, Football in Finland, An Englishman’s Castle, Freeborn John, Eursoc, The Back Four, Rebellion Suck!, Ministry of Truth, ModernityBlog, Beau Bo D’Or, Scots and Independent, The Splund, Bill Cameron, Podnosh, Dodgeblogium, Moving Target, Serious Golmal, Goonerholic, The Spine, Zero Point Nine, Lenin’s Tomb, The Durruti Column, The Bristol Blogger, ArseNews, David Lindsay, Quaequam Blog!, On A Quiet Day…, Kathz’s Blog, England Expects, Theo Spark, Duncan Borrowman, Senn’s Blog, Katykins, Jewcy, Kevin Maguire, Stumbling and Mumbling, Famous for 15 megapixels, Ordovicius, Tom Morris, AOL Fanhouse, Doctor Vee, The Curmudgeonly, The Poor Mouth, 1820, Hangbitch, Crooked Timber, ArseNole, Identity Unknown, Liberty Alone, Amused Cynicism, Clairwil, The Lone Voice, Tampon Teabag, Unoriginalname38, Special/Blown It, The Remittance Man, 18 Doughty Street, Laban Tall, Martin Bright, Spy Blog The Exile, poons, Jangliss, Who Knows Where Thoughts Come From?, Imagined Community, A Pint of Unionist Lite, Poldraw, Disillusioned And Bored, Error Gorilla, Indigo Jo, Swiss Metablog, Kate Garnwen Truemors, Asn14, D-Notice, The Judge, Political Penguin, Miserable Old Fart, Jottings, fridgemagnet, Blah Blah Flowers, J. Arthur MacNumpty, Tony Hatfield, Grendel, Charlie Whitaker, Matt Buck, The Waendel Journal, Marginalized Action Dinosaur, SoccerLens, Toblog, John Brissenden East Lower, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Peter Black AM, Boing Boing, BLTP, Gunnerblog, LFB UK, Liberal Revolution, Wombles, Focus on Sodbury…, Follow The Money, Freedom and Whisky, Melting Man, PoliticalHackUK, Simon Says…, Daily EM, From The Barrel of a Gun, The Fourth Place, The Armchair News Blog, Journalist und Optimist, Bristol Indymedia, Dave Weeden, Up North John, Gizmonaut, Spin and Spinners, Marginalia, Arnique, Heather Yaxley, The Whiskey Priest, On The Beat, Paul Canning, Martin Stabe, Mat Bowles, Pigdogfucker, Rachel North, B3TA board, Naqniq, Yorkshire Ranter, The Home Of Football, UFO Breakfast Recipients, Moninski , Kerching, e-clectig, Mediocracy, Sicily Scene, Samizdata, I blog, they blog, weblog, Colcam, Some Random Thoughts, Bel is thinking, Vino S, Simply Jews, Atlantic Free Press, Registan, Filasteen, Britblog Roundup #136, Scientific Misconduct Blog, Adam Bowie, Duncan at Abcol, Camera Anguish, A Very British Dude, Whatever, Central News, Green Gathering, Leighton Cooke (224), , Skuds’ Sister’s Brother, Contrast News, Poliblog Perspective, Parish Pump, El Gales, Noodle, Curly’s Corner Shop, Freunde der offenen Gesellschaft, otromundoesposible, Richard Stacy, Looking For A Voice, News Dissector, Kateshomeblog, Writes Like She Talks, Extra! Extra!, Committee To Protect Bloggers, Liberty’s Requiem, American Samizdat, The Thunder Dragon, Cybersoc, Achievable Life, Paperholic, Creative-i, Raedwald, Nobody’s Friend, Lobster Blogster, Panchromatica (251).
OBVIOUSLY Laugh Out Loud Labour of Love is hot to trot when it comes to April Fools' Jokes. One at least of our stories yesterday was a wind up. Can you see which one it is yet?
But receiving a double-sided A3 leaflet from an allegedly bona fide political party containing continued ridiculous HospitalHoax Denial was really going much too far.
Probably some people will get this on other days than Sunday 1 April and it is undated. So THEY WILL NOT REALISE that the WHOLE THING is a BIG JOKE ON THEM and not more LIB DEM LIES. It should say "Focus April Fools' Special" on the top.
This is how the BBC covered the story in April 2005 and these Lib Dems have used quotes from less balanced reports from the days immediately after the hoax was set in motion instead of those in the cool light of day.
They could acknowledge that they had stirred up a minor turf war, which would have been resolved in a few days, into a full scale panic. About a dearly loved hospital allegedly closing and needing saving when it never was. But they just keep on digging,
Their smirking photograph - which is not evident on their web sites - shows I feel that they knew all along that their jackanory story was complete rubbish. They knew from the start.
Using press quotes from two years ago to counter the calmer analysis of today is absolutely desperate and inexcusable.
Eighteen months ago Cllr John Leech MP and I had a short email correspondence around his Christie campaign.
Leech clearly realised that distributing propaganda in waiting areas of a hospital, reserved for vulnerable patients and their anxious relatives, where 95% plus of visitors are from other areas, and many are terminally ill was absolutely inexcusable. Even if the story of closure had not been a pack of lies and distortions.
John stated that he had not put the leaflets there himself. As if that is any excuse. But when asked who had and who had supplied them with those leaflets ON THE FIRST DAY after they were printed he was completely embarrassed and silenced.
This was never a hospital under threat of closure. So it was easy to "save" even for the most Junior Member of the House. "Achieved" within a week of his election. As if.
John Leech is in a hole and must stop digging and start owning up. The people of Manchester Withington have friends and relations working in this Hospital and at the University, I know I have, they may work there themselves; and of course most everybody knows an out-patient or two. We ALL know it was never true.
Messing with people's minds and lives like this has been totally unacceptable. It was wrong. And taking us for April Fools with a leaflet repeating long-found-out-lies is I'm sorry utterly contemptible.
This is not a closely contested story. It is a busted flush. Everyone knows it was untrue. The Lib Dems were terminally wrong, they upset even Leech's own staunchest supporters, and Leech and the Lib Dems were bound to be found out.
This is by no means the sole reason Labour lost a vast majority which had taken 18 years to build in just a couple of weeks. But it is one of the many shameful monkeys on Cllr Leech's back.
The truth will out. At least this leaflet, riddled with fibs as it was, did not rubbish our Bobbies, did not hoax about our cemetary, and did not claim that the moon was made of green cheese.
But it was one for April Fools Day that IS for sure.
This Cure For Cancers 'in Five Years', from just one week before Leech and Co launched their storm of crap, is the potential of The Christie and it has been all along.
POSTSCRIPT: LOL still don't know what claims were included in the leaflet that the Lib Dems INCINERATED rather than distributed. If anyone can help with that please drop me a line.
There are now 224 Bloggers signed up in opposition to the criminal oligarch Usi Usmanov and his legal Uzi too. The list follows. Cllr Bob Piper is they say up and running again and Boris Johnson will soon follow. So far the Bob link has not been responding for me. Keep trying.
In the meantime Matt Wardman has discovered (link below) that Usi Uzi lawyer's Schillings ARE NOT IN A GOOGLE SEARCH USING THEIR OWN NAME apart from as the legal storm troopers used to shut down bloggers whether they have or have not covered their master's criminal records and disreputable activities.
Here's the full list:
Curious Hamster, Pickled Politics, Harry’s Place, Tim Worstall, Dizzy, Iain Dale, Ten Percent, Blairwatch, Davide Simonetti, Earthquake Cove, Turbulent Cleric (who suggests dropping a line to the FA about Mr Usmanov), Mike Power, Jailhouse Lawyer, Suesam, Devil’s Kitchen, The Cartoonist, Falco, Casualty Monitor, Forever Expat, Arseblog, Drink-soaked Trots (and another), Pitch Invasion, Wonko’s World, Roll A Monkey, Caroline Hunt, Westminster Wisdom, Chris K, Anorak, Mediawatchwatch, Norfolk Blogger, Chris Paul, Indymedia (with a list of Craig Murray’s articles that are currently unavailable), Obsolete, Tom Watson, Cynical Chatter, Reactionary Snob, Mr Eugenides, Matthew Sinclair, The Select Society, Liberal England, Davblog, Peter Gasston Pitch Perfect, Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe, Lunartalks, Tygerland, The Crossed Pond, Our Kingdom, Big Daddy Merk, Daily Mail Watch, Graeme’s, Random Thoughts, Nosemonkey, Matt Wardman, Politics in the Zeros, Love and Garbage, The Huntsman, Conservative Party Reptile, Ellee Seymour, Sabretache, Not A Sheep, Bartholomew’s Notes on Religion, The People’s Republic Of Newport, Life, the Universe & Everything, Arsenal Transfer Rumour Mill, The Green Ribbon, Blood & Treasure, The Last Ditch, Areopagitica, Football in Finland, An Englishman’s Castle, Freeborn John, Eursoc, The Back Four, Rebellion Suck!, Ministry of Truth, ModernityBlog, Beau Bo D’Or, Scots and Independent, The Splund, Bill Cameron, Podnosh, Dodgeblogium, Moving Target, Serious Golmal, Goonerholic, The Spine, Zero Point Nine, Lenin’s Tomb, The Durruti Column, The Bristol Blogger, ArseNews, David Lindsay, Quaequam Blog!, On A Quiet Day…, Kathz’s Blog, England Expects, Theo Spark, Duncan Borrowman, Senn’s Blog, Katykins, Jewcy, Kevin Maguire, Stumbling and Mumbling, Famous for 15 megapixels, Ordovicius, Tom Morris, AOL Fanhouse, Doctor Vee, The Curmudgeonly, The Poor Mouth, 1820, Hangbitch, Crooked Timber, ArseNole, Identity Unknown, Liberty Alone, Amused Cynicism, Clairwil, The Lone Voice, Tampon Teabag, Unoriginalname38, Special/Blown It, The Remittance Man, 18 Doughty Street, Laban Tall, Martin Bright, Spy Blog The Exile, poons, Jangliss, Who Knows Where Thoughts Come From?, Imagined Community, A Pint of Unionist Lite, Poldraw, Disillusioned And Bored, Error Gorilla, Indigo Jo, Swiss Metablog, Kate Garnwen Truemors, Asn14, D-Notice, The Judge, Political Penguin, Miserable Old Fart, Jottings, fridgemagnet, Blah Blah Flowers, J. Arthur MacNumpty, Tony Hatfield, Grendel, Charlie Whitaker, Matt Buck, The Waendel Journal, Marginalized Action Dinosaur, SoccerLens, Toblog, John Brissenden East Lower, Electronic Frontier Foundation, Peter Black AM, Boing Boing, BLTP, Gunnerblog, LFB UK, Liberal Revolution, Wombles, Focus on Sodbury…, Follow The Money, Freedom and Whisky, Melting Man, PoliticalHackUK, Simon Says…, Daily EM, From The Barrel of a Gun, The Fourth Place, The Armchair News Blog, Journalist und Optimist, Bristol Indymedia, Dave Weeden, Up North John, Gizmonaut, Spin and Spinners, Marginalia, Arnique, Heather Yaxley, The Whiskey Priest, On The Beat, Paul Canning, Martin Stabe, Mat Bowles, Pigdogfucker, Rachel North, B3TA board, Naqniq, Yorkshire Ranter, The Home Of Football, UFO Breakfast Recipients, Moninski , Kerching, e-clectig, Mediocracy, Sicily Scene, Samizdata, I blog, they blog, weblog, Colcam, Some Random Thoughts, Bel is thinking, Vino S, Simply Jews, Atlantic Free Press, Registan, Filasteen, Britblog Roundup #136, Scientific Misconduct Blog, Adam Bowie, Duncan at Abcol, Camera Anguish, A Very British Dude, Whatever, Central News, Green Gathering, Leighton Cooke (224).
More from Chicken Yoghurt:
UPDATE 23/9 @8.20pm: Back, back, back! Ladies and gentlemen: Bob Piper!
UPDATE 24/9 @7.30am: Interim Statement from Clive Summerfield and Tim Ireland:
We’d like to thank you all for your support and let you all know just what the hell has been going on, but we beg your patience as we continue with the practical measures required before we can fully and confidently speak our minds about this matter.
Our immediate priority is the restoration of the websites involved; this has been greatly complicated by the sudden closure of the entire account (as opposed to, say, the suspension or closure of the two websites directly involved in the Usmanov dispute). This total - and totally unexpected - withdrawal of service requires us to restore many websites with differing individual circumstances and formats. The removal of email used for the majority of these accounts has also further complicated matters, as the most immediate form of communication between many of the parties involved is no longer available.
Bob Piper is already back on deck, and we expect Boris Johnson’s weblog to be up and running shortly.
Special arrangements are being made for Craig Murray as we speak.
A full statement is likely to follow the restoration of Bloggerheads and/or The UK Today, as it is at one of these websites that we would wish to host a full statement and manage the expected response.
UPDATE 24/9 @ 8.30am: 224 people following and linking to the story. Many thanks to everyone - keep them coming and maintain the momentum.
UPDATE 24/9 @ 9.15am: You’ve got to love this from Matt Wardman:Needless to say, all the offending articles that Mr Usmanov and Schillings have attempted to remove from public view are available in the Google Cache. And you can find them by using the search term “schillings“.
As far as I can tell Schillings’ own website does not feature in the top 100 results for either Google UK or google.com, except for the “sponsored” link which everyone ignores.
Perhaps they may need a Search Engine Optimisation Consultant as well as a Public Relations Consultant.
I can recommend a good one.
His name is Tim Ireland, and he runs a website called Bloggerheads when it has not been bullied off the air.
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