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.