Freedom of Information: Tories Had Done Deal With Labour

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.

Obama's Nod to Non Believers: Going Down Like Ratty Leech

An innovative nod of the Obama speech was including non-believers - 16% of the USA's demographic I believe - along with Muslims, Hindus, Jews and Christians in the weave of the US tapestry. Here in the UK I've noticed that even strong Christians have picked that up and applauded this inclusiveness. Not so it seems in the USA. Where Black churchians already have a problem with BHO's liberal positions on gay rights and abortion. Interesting times. Go BO go!

Requiem Aeternam: Ratty Leech Sent To Meet His Maker

Speaking of rats with bushy tails losing their seats I have finally decided that our garden rat "Leechy" has not been hibernating on the stone path these last four weeks but is unfortunately deceased. Comes with having a pair of mousers from Wythenshawe. Usually they bring them in as presents, even if they're bigger than Tilly and Lacey themselves are. But they sensed there was something nasty about Leechy and so they let him lie.

The Tales of Squirrel Nutkin: Lianne is Unfit for Council

Being involved in campaigning activity and high level discussions elsewhere in Withington constituency LOL were unable to personally cover the West Didsbury Residents Association hustings on Thursday night. But we did have a special correspondent present to listen in on the incumbent party's bizarre pick for candidate Lianne Williams. And naturally the other candidates also.

First things first. The evening's proceedings were ably stewarded by WDRA's own Ian Findlay with nothing but a flickers of subtle eyebrow work to greet the unfolding Lianne Williams' train crash. This election - rather like the last Chorlton fight - is hers to lose. Indeed with a cushion of around 600 instead of a nominal lead of about 40 and "the mo" even she will be hard pushed to throw this one away.

[aside]Whether the South Manchester Reporter's retelling of the Tale of Lianne Nutkin is honest and scathing or the usual sucking-up-to-Leech cover up will not matter. Most people won't get their paper until tea time on polling day, or indeed the day after polling. Was the hustings put on this date to achieve this very thing? And where were Channel M - our "community TV station"?[/aside]

But of that at least Lianne of all people is capable. Let's start with her tour de force over the Lib Dems' major campaign to Save Marie Louise Gardens which I may come back to anon. Asked about this she reverted to a five year old and gushed about squirrels, gush gush, squirrels, gush gush, squirrels, that she had seen there as a child. The images of reddy grey examples in this post, from LOL's own collection and shot in MLG, are a tribute to Lianne's squirrelly gushy inner child.

Earlier in the debate Li-anne's not-so-gushy outer child was particularly found out when she (a) answered first and couldn't say "me too" and (b) hadn't been given a crib sheet by her handlers.

Who could have anticipated candidates for council being asked whether as councillors they could actually achieve anything on behalf of their constituents?

That one comes right out of the blue, from left field, who would have thunk it? Lianne's conclusion? Nope. If elected councillor, Lianne muttered and stumbled her way to the conclusion that ... she'd be able to achieve nothing whatsoever. "The Party" would. And she works in John Leech MP's office (presumably getting paid by our money) and he was like a councillor for the whole area. He could get things done.

Labour Dave followed, demolishing this nonsense with the correct response. He would get things done. Working with local people. Working with local organisations like WDRA. Working with council officers, executive members, and the Labour group. Not standing on the sidelines and jeering like some Squirrel Nutkin*. Tory David Bean likewise was coherent, likeable, amusing even comedic - he's Mr Bean, why wouldn't he be? - and one hundred times better than Lianne.

And here's another one right out of left field. Given the credit crunch and the existing and accelerating closures of shops on one of the ward's main shopping centres Burton Road what could Lianne do about it?

I expect you can guess? "Oooh, we do have some nice shops on Burton Road. Really good shops. But, Oooh, let me see. Oooh, I don't know what we should do about it. I don't know. I really don't. Oooh, er, no, sorry I haven't a clue. We couldn't do anything."

Once again the two Dave's on stage right had useful, thoughtful, positive answers. And Greenie Geoff Evans, perhaps infected by the childish Lianne on stage left, or perhaps just a natural lightweight in his own right, had little to say.

Clearly Lianne can read answers prepared by others. Bit singalong naturally. But she can read alright. But has she an idea of her own? Nope. Can she think on her feet? Double nope. Is she suitable councillor material? Nope and Treble Nope.

Let's hope that the people of Didsbury West see through the deep-lying fog of Focus trash and realise that Lianne represents the Lib Dem tendancy for Stepford Councillors. Simply ciphers, photo opportunists - she points a good pothole does Lianne - and leaflet deliverers for uber-councillor John "Hospital Hoax" Leech.

* BEATRIX POTTER FOOTNOTE: Don't know your Squirrel Nutkin from your Samuel Whiskers? Spoiler alert. Both escaping great jeopardy. The Wiki for Nutkin is here and you can read the whole thing in facsimile thanks to the Gutenburg project right here. The Tale/Tail (geddit?) is very appropriate.

A wise old Owl (which might be the electorate of Didsbury West) eventually getting fed up with the teasing and taunting and useless malarkey of scrumping Squirrel Nutkin (the useless Lib Dems) sets out to skin him alive. Nutkin did of course escape - Beatrix Potter is not a death cultist - but he had lost most of his unbelievably bushy tale/tail.

Lost his seat you might say.

UPDATE 12:15: Mister Bean has reviewed too with engaging combination of fellow feeling and triumphalism, and also provided some retail therapy with bold claims of unique solutions.

Do Nothing Dave: Planning to Re-Boundary Commission Us

Do Nothing Dave is planning to disrupt constituency boundaries immediately should he seize power with his Do Nothing Dave charms.

On the face of it getting rid of 60 MPs might seem attractive. Though any computation of cost savings based on their average cost now would of course be well wrong. Having recently suffered local government and parliamentary boundary changes there would I think be plenty of resistance to more change round the country.

My household have been boundary changed out of Whalley Range ward into Chorlton, and then out of Man central into Man Wit, with Whalley Range then boundary changed into Man Gorton.

The Tories at the BCE hearing were trying to explode all the current constituencies and gerrymander themselves some more winnables. Their proposal wilfully constructed most of them across Local Government boundaries, even suggesting that the City Centre of Manchester be included in a Salford constituency.

Tory buddies in the Unionist Party of course managed to stitch up the City of Derry so that a two-thirds Catholic electorate were represented by a more then two-thirds Unionist majority on Council Governor Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, who invented the practice to concentrate all the Federalists into one seat and take every single other seat for his Anti-Federalists, has a good deal to answer for. There's a good, illustrated discussion of the practice here.

Funniest proposal at the BCE hearing, also thrown out without discussion, was from a defective Lib Demmer. He suggested inter alia that their recently acquired Manchester seat in Withington be split three ways. Right from under John Leech. This included a combined Didsbury and Wythenshawe seat. Which would have gone down well I'm sure with all concerned.

Experts see right through the proposed move, supposedly based on the erroneous idea of 10% cost saving by having 10% less MPs, and even when undertaken by politically neutral authorities:

John Curtice, professor of politics at Strathclyde University, said a smaller Commons would tend to exaggerate swings, but in the short term the move “would improve the Tory chances of winning”.
Rob Hayward, an elections analyst and former Tory MP, said speedier boundary reviews would favour the Tories as they would reflect Britain’s shift from urban to rural areas.[Financial Times]

Hat tip: Farmer Dale.

UPDATE Wed 13:38: Cllr Iain Lindley has kindly posted a summary of the official CCHQ alternative proposals to the BCE Hearing. These were extensive and involved a good number of radically carved up former constituencies and trans-border mix ups. Looking to these eyes like gerrymandering attempts. There is not as far as I can see the Salford-City centre Manchester mutant I remembered. But one of these does appear in the Salford Labour Party proposals which Iain has also provided. Apologies.

However it must be said that while these Salford Labour and our own representations on Whalley Range, Moston, Ardwick etc came from small party units with local interests the equivalent official Labour Party representations where largely to support the BCE proposals. As these were drawn up without an eye on the party political repercussions the Labour party pitch was not attempting to gain electoral advantage. Whereas the Tory one ...?

LOL remain opposed to Boundary Commissions changing wards and constituencies every couple of years. Cllr Lindley may be in favour of this for his own reasons. But I'm not.

Leechy: More Geographical Travails For Hospital Hoaxer

According to Lib Dem Troll "Steve" John Leech has not been carpeted by the Commissioner for his many and varied misdemeanours because he is "innocent".

Same as he was innocent over distributing Christie Closure Hospital Hoax leaflets to patients waiting for chemo- and radio- therapy sessions at the hospital?

Or innocent of sitting on the splintered fence over Transport Innovations?

Anyways, it appears that my informant, the one who received the Focus with the out of area photo opportunity, and out of area campaign on the cover, and the Westminster "Big Ben" Tower graphic replacing his customary portcullis, that informant, got off rather lightly.

Others received a remarkable befuddled letter about the Transport referendum. Posted by hand through their letterbox YESTERDAY, FIVE FULL DAYS after the referendum closed and more than 20 days after the voting opened. This little gem fudged the actual issue and in essence called for a vote against despite Leech's supposed vote Yes position.

But the letter will have delighted people in Withington constituency and Chorlton ward with some very useful maps on the reverse of it.

These show how sterling efforts from John "Hospital Hoax" Leech and Paul "They're All Bastards" Ankers has moved the boundary of the "inner ring", which now may never happen, outwards to cover four or five extra streets.

These streets being OUTSIDE JOHN'S CONSTITUENCY NOW AND AFTER BOUNDARY CHANGES and what's more OUTSIDE PAUL "TBA" ANKER'S WARD TOO. They're in a different constituency, not even adjacent to Leech's current constituency, in a different ward, and even in a different local authority area.

Perhaps Paul "They're All Bastards" Ankers is planning to follow the dogged, now-Tory former Lib Dem PPC Faraz "Buzz" Bhatti and stand for parliament there?

Let's not mention the Christmas Card shall we? Graphics to follow.

Lib Dem Leech Flouts the Rules: Commissioner Sits Idly By

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:

John Leech MP: Splits Trousers on Mimicsterial Visit

Many thanks to Iain Dale's restless organ Total Politics for bringing LOL this unintentionally revealing, almost side splitting Q and A with Shameless John Leech MP.

In brief(s):

Shameless Lord Paddy Pantsdown is his hero, Shameless Cllr Norman Pantsdown is his local hero/best friend in politics, and he says that splitting his kecks on a school visit - rather than the more obvious Shameless Hoaxing of the Electorate on Christie Hospital Closure - is his most embarrassing Pantsdown moment in what passes for politics round his way.

And apparently John expected Tolkein's deliberately unpublished hobbity tosh The Silmarillion would be any good. Doh! And twice doh!

John "Transport Swerve" Leech: Jumps on NO Bandwaggon

John Leech whose wholly inadequate impersonation of a useful MP was swatted back at PMQs a few weeks ago (5 November 2008) by Gordon Brown - which recording ought to be a must-watch for any waverer thinking from Hoaxer Leech's own PR that he is anything but inadequate - has immedediately sent out a bleating Yes-but-No-but press release calling on the Government to let NO mean YES:

"Until now, the Prime Minister has refused to be drawn on what would happen to the money in the event of a no vote, even when challenged directly by Mr Leech in the House of Commons, but Mr Leech is now demanding that Manchester should not be punished for rejecting the government's scheme.

"The people of Greater Manchester have spoken and have emphatically rejected the government's prescriptive proposals. But that doesn't mean that they should now be punished by having the money taken away from Manchester.
"Gordon Brown must ring fence the money for Manchester and we must be given the chance to come up with new and improved proposals that are acceptable to the people of Greater Manchester. This is not a rejection of the principle of congestion charging, but rather a rejection of this specific, inadequate scheme. If the government's half of the money was there on the table this morning, it has to be there tonight too."

So, it's not a rejection of charging then? Though the whole debate was in fact moved by the NO campaign and their nefarious "ultra" fringe unto the charge, aided and abetted by the persistently C-Charge media. And not unassisted by NO-means-YES-Leech. The vote is nothing if not an attempt to avoid paying a fair share for vast improvements and giving a nudge to unnecessary road journeys.

But here's that exchange - cleaned up from all the glitches, mumblings and cries of "Christie Hospital Hoaxer" from Tory and Labour back benchers, which you can watch again above and here in the context of the day - and in which the Prime Minister unlike the stumble bum Hoaxer John was very clear indeed:

Mr. McLeech: Will the Prime Minister ensure that in the event of a "No" vote the people of Greater Manchester will have the opportunity to come back with an improved scheme without the concern that the Government might take the money away?

The Prime Minister: I know that the voting paper has options for a "Yes" vote and a "No" vote, but I am afraid that there is no option for a "Don't know" vote. In the event of a "No" vote, it would be up to Greater Manchester authorities to decide whether they wanted to do further work on the proposals.
The Government are in principle prepared to contribute, as he has said, up to £1.5 billion towards the Greater Manchester package, but that is dependent on the broad scope and nature of the package remaining the same. If Greater Manchester came back with a revised proposition, we would need to assess it on its merits.

John Leech was only nominally and very reluctantly in the progressive YES vanguard. In fact it is rather obvious he wanted to have it both ways. All three ways. For NO to mean YES. For DON'T KNOW to mean YES or NO according to where you're standing when you mumble it. To escape any electoral pain from being decisive and showing strong leadership.

There are no constituency level data on actual voting but I understand 'phone polling for Leech's temporary Manchester Withington seat showed things on a knife edge with the high turnout 'burbs of Chorlton, Didsbury and Withington very much on a YES-ward tip with Burnage, Old Moat and Chorlton Park needing some leadership.

With even the shameless laughing stock Cllr Norman Lewis telling me in vino that it was a no-brainer for YES, but alas not persuading his old chum, who owes Norm everything, to do the right thing and campaign for change.

Withington must now watch out for Leech leaflets trying to have it both ways and pretending it was YES and NO respectively, according to the letter box he's shoving his litter through.

More Lucy Powell: John Leech Encroachment Illicit

Iain Dale reports on the rapped knuckles of Labour's Bridget Prentice:

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner John Lyon has found Labour MP & Justice Minister Bridget Prentice guilty of misusing Parliamentary funds, when she delivered parliamentary newsletters to areas of Lewisham that aren't currently in her constituency but will be after the next election.

But John Leech MP (temporary, Lib Dem, Manchester Withington) has been doing this continuously since the new boundary was settled.

With parliamentary annual reports (at quite the wrong time of year!) in 2006 and 2007 plus a hybrid portcullis carrying leaflet of a kind with Parliamentary Reports in 2008.

Touting for and taking casework from the area too. Including with street corner surgeries at spitting distance from my own house. Sending us sermonal Christmas greetings. The swine! Also we hear taking casework from bordering areas of Wythenshawe and Sale East and Manchester Gorton which WILL NOT be in the Manchester Withington constituency when Lucy Powell MP takes over in the next year or so.

Even when he passed my daughter's signature on a Manchester-wide petition to her MP Tony Lloyd - passed to him for some reason - Leach took the opportunity to send her a bleating substantive reply, even though he acknowledged in it that HE WAS NOT HER MP!

Indeed we had a letter from him in this household THIS WEEK paid for by parliamentary funds, with a portcullis, calling us "Dear Neighbour" (yeuch!) and what's more asking extraordinarily FACILE questions, most with unusable answers on a series of Education and Health matters.

These included canvassing opinion on at least a couple of matters which ARE NOT still moot. Not only wrongly treating us as constituents. But also highly stoopid and factually very wrong. We may return to this.

Time for Lucy Powell to have another word with the Commissioner for Standards? I really do think so.

ONE DAY: We'll share the hilarious parliamentary boundary proposals for the area put in by one of John Leech's Lib Dem colleagues. How we laughed.

John Leech Watch: The Plonker for Manchester Withington

Is on safari with the Transport Select Committee in Europe. Looking at how others see Road Charging and hopefully also Transport Innovation initiatives.

Funny how the antis and the don't knows and won't says in this argument always Focus on the peak time only charging in five years time.

Without much reference to peak time, peak direction, ways round, or that five year window for 80% of the promised improvements to bed in.

Without much reference to the fact that only 20% of those moving at peak time will be paying; and only 10% or less of motor vehicle journeys generally; and clearly the 30% non car owning plus non-peak users, pedestrians, passengers, cyclists won't be paying at all. Indeed discounts are envisaged to go with massively improved services.

Without reference to the air quality improvements; the journey time improvements; the quality of life improvements; the reduced stress in our daily lives; or the many any varied possibilities on work-life balance, homeworking, school buses, accessible passenger transport and so on.

This would all appear to be a bit last minute and also stuck at glass-half-empty to inform the Yeah-But-Noe-But-Don't-Know-But tussle raging in the head of the Plonker for Manchester Withington.

Happily others have already been and done the research over the past five years and more. This research has informed our plan.

A new version of the Ballot Paper will no doubt be rushed out as soon as Johnnie Come Lately reports back.

Mr Leech will not muddy the water. He will not try to ride two horses. Or switch horse midstream. The Plonker for Manchester Withington will show some spunk for once.

John Leech MP: Bloggers Are Gathering Like Vultures

Double figures this week now I'd guess for bloggers slamming the useless Liberal Democrat member for Manchester Withington.

Victory1945 has joined in expressing dis-satisfaction at Mr Honest John Leech's complete lack of commitment and indecision of late.

There is sadly nothing we can do to protect Mark Hunter and Andrew Stunnell from being turned over by the Conservatives. But despite the opportunities they are serving up we're not doing any day-to-day coverage of their foibles.

But getting rid of Lib Dems John "Hospital Hoax" Leech and Paul "Son of Cyril" Rowen and installing Labour's Lucy Powell and Simon Danczuk instead needs to be a regional priority UPDATE, to please troll, alongside holding our existing seats. As victory1945 suggests turfing these chancers out is a major part of keeping Cameron out of Number 10.

Whatever those pesky pollsters may be saying at the time these two seats really ought to be strong Labour gains.

But this is jolly good news from ipsos MORI.

Peel Holdings NO Campaign: Simpson Hits Buffers

Apparently a year or so Peel Holdings and Media City CEO Andrew Simpson was "pick of the Aunties" sorry Antis in a Greening debate at Urbis. Seen above in the background as Richard Leese explains how it is in the real world for real people. Many of whom do not have cars or already use passenger transport, cycle, walk, or share.

Now sadly the so bright Simpson has hit the energy buffers and announced that he has bailed out of debate after debate. Including this Friday's BBC Radio Debate, and next Wednesday's Manchester Evening News debate too. Doesn't seem like the right time for a retreat Mr Simpson.

Let's hope it was not the mean heckler at Parrs Wood challenging Simpson's fibs and avoidance last Thursday? Nasty mean heckler! Simpo's not used to it. He's used to getting his own way, fibs and all. Will anyone believe Peel again?

UPDATE SOON: John Leech MP is still negotiating extra options for that ballot paper ...

Greening Mcr: Clean Air Now, Peak Only Charge Later

This short video may help John Leech MP to reach a conclusion he is prepared to not only whine about at great length, congesting half the people's letter page in the local rag, but also actually show some leadership on.

Most everyone in Manchester Withington who understands Mr Leech's true record on health, post and transport has already stopped giving him the benefit of the doubt long ago.

Only 667 votes to play with. Number of the beast plus one for good measure.

EXCLUSIVE: John "Hospital Hoax" Leech Amends Ballot

Due to the alleged potential of the above approved ballot paper for "Greening Manchester with Innovation Now and Peak Time Charge Later" (above) to disenfranchise Liberal Democrat MPs and others of a delicate and/or useless character, incapable of making a clear decision even on a good day, we can reveal exclusively that the following ballot paper has now been agreed, subject only to final approval from the office of John Leech MP:

Interruption of Service: What Will Leech Do Post Office?

Readers may be interested to read about the first instance last week on which John Leech MP was absent from a debate on a matter about which he is supposed to care deepy. It was in fact a Liberal Democrat sponsored Opposition Day debate. He still didn't make it. Once again Gerald Kaufman gave Leech and the useless Lib Dems in general a good old fashioned parliamentary monstering.

The second occasion, just two days later, was of course blogged yesterday.

Honest John MP: Misses Transport and GPO Debates

Oh my word! What a coincidence. Just as I wonder out loud whether John Leech has been missing a lot of other commitments recently along comes my They Work For You update with the following interesting exchange (TWFY link):

James Purnell
(Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions; Stalybridge & Hyde, Labour)
Link to this | Hansard source | Video match this

We have yet to award the contract to the Post Office. Clearly, we will be in discussions and negotiations about that, and that is the right way to proceed. We have made it clear that we will be awarding the contract, which will give people certainty between now and 2015, but the hon. Gentleman is right to say that we should recognise the work that sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses do. I am sure that he will join me in congratulating George Thomson on the work that he has done as general secretary of the National Federation of SubPostmasters, along with all of his members.

Gerald Kaufman
(Manchester, Gorton, Labour)
Link to this | Hansard source | Video match this

May I thank my right hon. Friend for listening to his fellow Labour Members of Parliament and for deciding to extend a service that was created by a Labour Government? We have spoken on behalf of our constituents, who include sub-postmasters, and we hope that today's decision will foreshadow greater strength and more services in our post offices. May I thank him on behalf of the 8,000 of my constituents who are Post Office card account holders—and on behalf of the 6,000 constituents in the constituency of Manchester, Withington, whose Member of Parliament is once again absent from discussion of these matters?

James Purnell
(Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions; Stalybridge & Hyde, Labour)
Link to this | Hansard source | Video match this

My right hon. Friend made a very good speech on this matter on Monday, and indeed pointed out that Mr. Leech was not present then. It is a shame that he is not here now, but I am sure that there is a good reason for that. However, my right hon. Friend is absolutely right to say that it was this Government who created the Post Office card account, and that is why we are so strongly committed to it.

So that's skipping his homework at a vital transport debate AND skipping his lessons at TWO vital Post Office Card Account debates. As James says, there may be a good reason for that, other than his general ennui and drifty uselessness. Let us know.

Which actually leaves him with which promises and campaigns exactly where he is doing his duty for Manchester Withington? Certainly calls into question his runaway humbuggery (Hamburgery? Hamburglary?) in calling for a protest outside Gerald's advice session.

Note to John: While you were not looking the Heart of the Community saving Post Office Card Account has itself been saved. Hurrah!

It really does look like he has given up completely.

Here, for old times sake are 41 count 'em mentions on his carbon neutral web presence, or perhaps that should be renamed "PRETENCE"? Here's one of the latest PO news along with a picture of what the Lib Dems sometimes refer to as "Campaigning" and the rest of us call "Photo Opportunities (hanging around with your good for nothing mates)".

Meanwhile Honest John's Web Pretence on allotments is humming along nicely, possibly thanks to the manure he's spreading, er liberally.

AVOID SAYING TO HONEST JOHN: "What are you doing Post Office?" Any other thoughts on what not to say? "Missed Any Debates For Me Lately?", with apologies to Miss Janet Jackson.

You're welcome to use the comments to file your suggestions.

John Leech MP: Dishonest John Counts The Days

So, John Leech absented himself from the stage at the biggest transport debate in his own constituency, arriving late, skulking at the back almost invisibly and not choosing any of the THREE options offered:

YES, I support the Passenger Transport Improvements and Peak Time Charging

NO, I don't support the Passenger Transport Improvements and Peak Time Charging

DON'T KNOW YET, whether I am coming or going on this, better get a day ticket

Instead he kept his cards and his arms and his hand and his fingers firmly up his sleeve. Have some parliamentary elves painted "Love" and "Hate" in magenta on his nails or something? Has he even been in Westminster enough for this to happen? Anyway. Between the three options there really ought to be something for everyone. As we blogged yesterday he was in effect looking down on his own candidacy's funeral.

Mmmm, now let's think, has he been missing any other important debates this past week? ... He's just day dreaming of a summer holiday. And resumption of his erstwhile career in an RAC call centre. Or perhaps it'll be back to Maccie Ds?

Transport Innovation Debate: Some Scribblings

Almost everyone was late. There were huge snarl ups in all directions. Only about a dozen in the audience at official start time. Above the fray John "The Quiet Man" Leech was among the last to arrive. Good to see him make use of the facilities before entering the auditorium. Saves little accidents later. Though didn't get much response to my cheery "Hello John" as he entered the John.

His piece of piss achieved with only minor attacks of indecision and Blue Peter shoe splatterings Leech quite literally hid at the back of the room. Keeping those shoes out of sight a priority.

Must have been almost like looking down on the funeral of his own candidacy. Other people making all the speeches in his absence. Not a chance he'd get called himself. That would need a miracle. Should have spoken up before it was too late.

Simon Ashley was a rather good stand in stand up for the hilarity party. Was able to string a few words together. Could make his mind up which side he, and the Lib Dems generally were on, "though all parties have their dissenters" he said, or words to that effect. Glancing involuntarily, I could have sworn, at the boy Leech up in the gods as he did so.

Up there, sitting on the nearest thing he could find to a fence.

The Chair, Jim Hancock, did well to manage the audience and the panel reasonably well and allowed most people who wanted it enough to have their say. There was however a significant level of heckling, and verbal incontinence, particularly from nay sayers. The Politics Show was never like this.

The Panel from left to right, as it were:

Brian Candeland: Green PPC. Was just fine. Knew a few statistics. Confirmed that, after arriving by donkey at tribal gatherings in yurts, lit only by tallow candles, and bloody cold through lack of much solar power this time of year, Greens would back the greening scheme. Phew, must have been a damned close run thing.

Lucy Powell: Labour PPC. Very fluent. Had to deal with questions, points and heckles on just about every policy Labour ever had. But yes, seriously on top of the subject. Easy to see why Leech would not want to tangle with this adversary.

Andrew Simpson: Petrol Head and Peel Holdings Stooge. Told continuous fibs sadly. Pretty eloquent in his way. But 99% fibbery. Very likely converted some don't knows and antis to YES. One person told me so. NOT representing Peel accurately. They're after our airport. And CEO John Whittaker wishes to be treated better by everyone in future. He's important. V important.

And again from left to right, on the other side of the Chair:

Liz Phelan: Chair of Yes Campaign. Really excellent grasp of the facts and figures and of Simpson's sordid and deceitful tactics. Caught him out passing off an 18-month old document - voted down - as current reality.

Simon Ashley: Lib Dem Group Leader. See above. Much much better than Leech would have been. Knew the subject through AGMA and GMPTA activity. Some grasp of the politics of the thing too. Firm YES.

Faraz Bhatti: Conservative Councillor, previously a Lib Dem PPC in Stretford, would the Tories dare put out this excellent fellow as their Man Wit PPC? Not sure old flash John Kershaw, who was in attendance, would approve. On the subject? He was desperate. To such an extent that it was quite amusing. A conspiracy of roadworks anybody?

Someone or other certainly has a sense of humour sitting bessies Simon and Faraz right next to each other.

From the floor:

Wingnut Vicar, badly used by Lib Dems at last election: Rambled and floundered.
Mike Joslin, Labour and US Democrat activist: Asked excellent question about "Peel Industries" (sic) investment in the NO campaign. Simpson would not answer even vaguely.
Tommy Walsh, Chair of Manchester Pensioners: calling for a YES vote over accessible buses, better frequency and coverage of buses, reduced journey times.
Wingnut MARTyr: Lost support of everyone young, blonde, sensible in the room with several ridiculous outbursts.
Wingnut Preacher: Some chap wanted to make a declaration on behalf of the People's Party of Judea Traffic Sub Committee. Poor.

Best piece of voting:

The gathering voted something like 45 for and 55 against at the outset. With 5 don't knows. By the end of the debate and as traffic freeze began to thaw it was 74 to 80 to still 5 ... to ONE.

The odd one out being: Not YES, Not NO, Not DON'T KNOW, Just John Leech. Though the strange bloke he was sat with was an exceedingly enthusiastic NO voter.

Mr Leech looked as if he had read the Seven Secrets of John Leech published on this blog earlier. And that he knew that every point was correct. How could he get out of standing for election again? Without loss of wasp chewing visage? Could he feign a complex metatarsal injury?

FOOTNOTE: Short interview undertaken with Faraz Bhatti. Everything ever written about him on this blog might be untrue. Or more likely true.

Very interestingly FiB claimed that he had not heard anything from Conservative Central Office on the complaint about his hothead Tory lads in Whalley Range being one and the same as the hothead Hizb_ut-Tahrir lads. Killing two birds with one stone by delivering both leaflets together.

FiB also claimed to have read on this blog that LOL's source for the story that's been dogging him about his sexual antics and intimately related run in with the police was Cllr XY. Which we did not say. As it wouldn't have been true. Though he, Cllr XY, did once opine to LOL that Faraz was "finished" in terms of electoral politics. Long after we had been given and spilled the beans. In fact, we told FiB, it was PC Plod direct.

They've told us a few other things also. Hey hey! And hurrah for Deep Throat!

PLOTTING: Aryan-Bottle-Blonde-Uber-Comb-Over-Tory John Kershaw - one of the last Tory hold outs in Manchester was in attendance. He seems to crop up mostly in Rochdale and Bury circles these days.

Though he has had the odd run out in Manchester elections too. He was in fact some kind of Uber Agent and Chief Recruiter of Tory Wingnuts for the 2004 All Outs. But he's been sacked from that. Let's hope he has decided to recommend that Faraz Bhatti can be the PPC. He will get some votes. And realising, I think, that Leech will lose, the Conservatives must be hoping to claw back hundreds and thousands of the borrowed votes that helped him win last time.

SPEECH WRITING: John Hospital Hoax Leech's turgid effort (a letter) in last week's South Manchester Reporter was written by committee. Simon Ashley cheerfully claimed a couple of paragraphs of it. So Leech cannot exploit first question at PMQs properly. He cannot string a couple of sentences together in the House. He cannot be heard at all in the Airport debate. And he needs a committee to write a (bad) letter for him.

A letter which actually seems to say: Yeah-But-Noe-But-Yeah-But-Don't-Know-But-Abstain-But. Next week: Lib Dems design a beast of burden, desert for the use of.

"WINGNUTS": Not sure why, and sorry. Will hopefully not be repeating this vocabulary any time soon. But the NO campaign had bussed in quite a lot to supplement our local supply.

John "I Haven't A Clue" Leech: Barred From Speaking?

Can hardly wait. Only a couple of hours to go before we get to see John Hospital Hoax Leech NOT making a speech and so on and so forth. If he can sit still even for a moment he will be sitting on a fence that has been supplied especially.

7:15 pm at Parrs Wood High School. Watch out for the grumpy clown pacing around - close by a length of fence - at the back of the room. Probably wearing a squirty poppy in his lapel and carrying some rolled up papers to try to attract the Chair's attention.

The Chair, who is Jim Hancock, who missed being married to the MP for Manchester Withington by just a few cross words crosses, should be under instruction from the South Manchester Reporter NOT to call wretched John Leech if anyone else whatsoever wishes to make a point or ask a question.

Leech had his chance. He should have taken it then. He must not be allowed to manipulate this event. In fact he should only be allowed to speak if he takes Simon Ashley's place on the platform.