+++All change at YBF+++

Just call him scoop - Word is reaching TB tonight that Christian May, the deputy Chairman of Conservative Future has resigned as Operations Director of the Young Britons' Foundation.

Developing.

ID Cards will not be compulsory

Alan Johnson just fired a shot across the bows of the Tories with his announcement that the proposed ID card scheme will never be compulsory. This is of course fantastic news and a big congratulations should go to the likes of NO2ID, Liberty and for the sensible wing of the Conservative Party who have fought this measure tooth and nail since it was first conceived. This isn't the end of the war against the New Labour's authoritarian grip on Britain, but it's certainly victory in a major battle.

However on a slight tangent it is clear to see that Alan Johnson isn't going to let his stint at the Home Office be the graveyard everyone assumes it to be. In this one action he will win over a considerable amount of support. TB has said it before and will say it again. War-game, war-game, war-game - the Conservative Party must not get lull itself into a false sense of security.

Brown could be gone at any moment - it's up to Peter, and his most likely replacement is canny.

Quote of the Day

"Ed Balls has just called me up about my post from this morning , hopping mad. He instructed me to "take that post down now". I thought he was joking: has there been some change to the constitution where ministers now have power over the media? But he was deadly serious. "You should not call me a liar," said Balls. I told him that if he doesn't want to be called a liar, “he shouldn't tell lies”."

-Fraser Nelson

King Cnut

Kim Il Sung's Wisdom of Foreseeing Weather

Pyongyang, June 29 (KCNA) -- It was early in June of Juche 70 (1981) when President Kim Il Sung gave field guidance to a co-op farm. Looking round the farm, he riveted his eyes upon one place for a while.
It was a magpie nest being made on a branch of a tall tree.
After staring at it, the President asked officials why the magpies were making the nest entrance sideward, not upward.

He told the officials, who racked their brains to find an answer to the unexpected question, that it would rain heavily this rainy season, it would not be an ordinary one but one accompanied with "torrential rain" and to make the entrance sideward was evidently for the magpies to protect their nest from the "torrential rain".
He emphasized that all the farms in the country should take thorough-going measures against the rainstorm and flood.

The officials looked up to and were deeply moved by the words of the President who clarified the essence of the question with prominent scientific penetration and extraordinary wisdom, seeing a natural phenomenon which was regarded as an ordinary one by others.

As he forecasted, the country was visited by heavy rain rare to be seen in history.
As the President taught, the officials and working people in the field of agriculture completed the preparation for preventing damage by heavy rain and storm before the rainy season and could protect all crops.

Copyright (C) KOREA NEWS SERVICE(KNS) All Rights Reserved.

Wonderful stuff.

TB has a rather sore head after last night but some how managed to file this to the Standard from his phone:

• WHICH Cabinet minister would be brave enough to pitch up to the IPPR 21st birthday party/summer gig on the panoramic top floor of Centrepoint last night? Blair’s “favourite think tank” announced in the Sunday papers that it believed New Labour was dead. So Labour wonks were waiting with bated breath for the arrival of a promised cabinet minister. It was very bold of Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw to show up.

Ben didn't hit the dancefloor sadly. TB did, apparently there are photos. Oh dear.

Date set...

The wheels are in motion and the date of the Norwich North by-election has been announced:You can follow the campaign and find out how to get involved here.

Weekly Cartoon from Posh Tory

If you haven't already, TB recommends adding Posh Tory to the blogs you take a peek at. His cartoons are updated a couple of times a week, and he will also be doing one for Tory Bear every Monday.
TB has it on good authority that really happened.

For more and infomation about buying orginals visit the site.

La la la I can't hear you.

Leak to TB here.

This made TB laugh...

Maybe it was just the hangover after a truly epic party last night, but the layout of this page from the Mail today made TB choke on his OJ.

Another weekend...

...another target for the Sunlight Centre.

In the sights this weekend it's everbody's favourite hands on guru Lord Rennard. The outgoing Liberal Democrat CEO is obviously rather worried as he has, apparently, got his lawyers dealing with all communications concerning his outrageous expenses claims:

Rennard is set to lose his Cowley Street power base in September, but will he have to go sooner if a formal investigation begins? He has already been sent to the frontline in Norfolk to attempt one of those old fashioned Lib Dem by-election campaigns where they delude themselves that they are "winning here". So you thought you could just get away with quitting and thinking no one check your expenses eh Chris?

And let's not forget the other scandal now.

The last word on all this...

Hat-Tip @girlonetrack

What have we done to the world?

Those are the top things being discussed in the tworld right now. 24 hours ago, and for the last week Iran hadn't moved from the top spot.

Get a grip.

For shame...

Hmmm not sure how grouping yourself with ruthless authoritarian big state socialists is going to help but yarrrgh, what does a bear know.

Hat-Tip to @adamramsay

+++Michael Jackson Dead+++

Apparently off to never Neverland?

Word has reached TB that Michael Jackson did manage to whisper a brief message to paramedics on his way to hospital...

"Put me on the children's ward"

Question Time Live Chat

Redacted.

You had to be there.

Another one in the Diary:

• DON’T ever let anyone tell you charity shopping wasn’t cool. Last night saw the launch of Leap Anywhere the new website that puts the “good time in doing good”. It was all smoothies and fairtrade wine at 33 Portland Place and Glastonbury was the talk of the evening as London’s trendies warmed up for the big weekend. As Jade Jaggers’ Jezebel sound system and first time DJ Tamsin Egerton kept the music pumping the real party was outside, where Zoe Salmon dominated the all star table tennis. Prince Harry’s chum Guy Pelly seemed more interested in the PETA ladies, clad only in lettuce leaves, than the vegan snacks they had on offer.

Yes, ok, so TB went to a party sponsered by PETA, wanna fight about it?

Quote of the Day

Just got back from Dave's speech at Imperial. He gave a sound performance over civil liberties and stripping back the state. The quote of the day has be his reponse to a question about fighting the BNP in which he described them as a:

"...bunch of retarded racists."

Always refreshing when a politicain doesn't hold back and it seems DC has taken a leaf out of Bo Jo's book with this one.

Correct use of the English language - Fail.

Labour are rattled. They are using lines that will not work and are essentially spreading lies that they wouldn't have to cut spending if they won the next election. (Ed: HA!) It seems that they are having a little problem with their grammar in their GoogleAd campaign though. No doubt the over ambitious intern who will be blamed for this cock up was educated under a Labour government:
Must be tough to see the effects of the decline in adult literacy that they have caused.

Told you he was a twat...

Tories don't hate Bercow cause he shifted his political outlook, they hate him because he is an odious little toad. Happy now:



Unlike others, this guy wasn't stitched up be journos, he really is horrendous.

Shooting fish...

TB is wondering this morning who thought it would be a good idea to let the Don't Panic guys - renowned for their piss taking youtube hits, to a Conservative Future event where clearly most people were fairly hammered. Of course they have spliced the footage to no end, but come on, it wasn't like it was made hard for them to do.

Rule one: Never talk to the press when drunk.
Rule two: Never name check your skinny jeans.
Rule three: Google the name of the people who want to interview you.

Warning - This starts off ok with the Tooting stuff, but lordy, do not watch without a cushion for some of the later parts. Seriously... Who said yes to letting this take place:



What did you think was going to happen!?

Guest Post: Glastonbury

Maybe he is just pissed off that he didn't get tickets and a former Lady Bear did, but TB hasn't been able to escape chatter about Glastonbury today. Yes the Boss is playing, and yes TB has wanted to see Brucie strut his stuff for a decade, but apparently there are other reasons to hate Glastonbury other than not having tickets.

Continuing Liberal Vision's crusade against Oxfam, their Director of Development Sara Scarlett explains why any libertarian should avoid this hub of statist evil:

Ok, I’ll admit it. Festivals that involve camping are generally not my thing. I woke up at the last one I went to with the stench of vomit so acute with sharp alcoholic top notes that I could not move without retching.

But I will gladly forsake hot showers and a comfortable bed and endure dodgy loos and questionable personal hygiene for a good dose of rock.

I love rock. I LOVE rock. I love my rock music like this child loves colouring:
Rock music is society’s release valve. Rock is for raw emoting, rock should be angry and sexual –and political. Rock has always been political.

Glastonbury officially describes itself as a “contemporary performing arts” festival rather than a rock festival which is just as well as in my humble opinion rock should be impulsively anarchist and anti-establishment in its expression. Glasto, in collaboration with Oxfam, instead promotes a very one-sided ideology, endorsing heavy increases in government and a program of bien pensant “ethical” guidelines.

How can an event thought of as a rock festival be even remotely anti-establishment when pushing for bigger government and an array of lifestyle rules? The festival is affiliated with an organisation that calls for more state, more establishment in spite of the plight that overbearing governments continue to inflict on the poorest people on the planet.

Overt anti-liberal ideas are everywhere at Glastonbury. A few years ago children were innocently ambling around wearing "Fair trade not free trade" t-shirts, seemingly turned into walking adverts OPPOSING the means by which 400 million people escaped poverty in China. Yet apparently this is not as good a means of beating poverty as quasi-hippyish middle class kids buying Fairtrade coffee. Fairtrade products are promoted heavily at Glastonbury, and in fact on the festival’s information page it clearly states that:

“All tea, coffee and sugar sold by traders must be fair-trade.”

That sounds like a diktat to me; yet this is little surprise, as Oxfam is a major shareholder in Fairtrade products, owning 10 per cent of the leading Fairtrade brand Cafedirect. Oxfam heavily promotes these products and rarely acknowledging this vested interest.

Oxfam is a massive multinational organisation, heavily funded by many governments. Oxfam GB was granted over £80m by governments in 2007 alone, an increase of 14 per cent on the previous year, while the EU increased its funding by 16 per cent.

It is therefore unsurprising that Oxfam lobbies for increased government aid - much of this aid money funds their organisations. And where aid goes straight to other governments, this is then often passed on to groups like Oxfam - assuming it doesn't instead get siphoned into Swiss bank accounts.

From 2002-2008 the “Left Field” tent was a feature of the festival and pushed extreme socialist ideals, rarely providing genuine debate but instead giving an open mic to the likes of George Galloway and Tony Benn. Although discontinued in 2009 Geoff Martin, the man who has been responsible for running the tent at Glastonbury stated: “the Left Field idea, blending popular culture with social justice campaigning, will live on whatever happens.”

In league with Oxfam and run by a wealthy land-owning nepotist (who previously ran for parliament as a Labour candidate) Glasto is a place no self-respecting libertarian should be seen dead. Aside from the enforced socialist economics and heavy promotion of statist ideals it’s bad for rock. Glastonbury doesn’t want Anarchy in the UK, it wants the People’s Republic of the UK. And no amount of contrived mud-sliding photos should convince us otherwise.

Gordon Brown is a Liar

Attack ad 101 - slick, calm, powerful.

Guest Post - Do Labour Hate Meat?

TB deeply distrusts vegetarians and so does Working Class Tory it seems:

I know it sounds odd, but it's true. Whilst we Conservatives are working hard to attract the vote of the rural communities - to considerable success, judging by the local elections earlier this month - Labour are alienating farmers, and the ailing livestock industry... but not the livestock itself.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is Hilary Benn - is a hardline vegetarian, who seems to be able to convert those around him to his anti-meat cause. In the reshuffle earlier this month, the new Minister for Food and Farming was Jim Fitzpatrick - another vegetarian. Understandably, the farmers of this country, already put under ridiculous financial strains by the recession, are fearful their concerns will fall on deaf ears.

It seems odd that the department tasked with the preservation and furthering of the meat industry is now half full, numerically, and dominated by veggies, especially given the Labour, and working class tradition of meat consumption. Whether it be those miners of years gone by eating their succulent Cornish pasties, those Northern mill-workers and their fantastic 'tater 'ash, or the Londoners gathering round for the finest foods Smithfield could offer, the working classes love meat.

So, as Labour may go down the tradition of knuckling down on the farm industry, enforced by the veggie-extremists, I shall keep my dinners full of the best the animal world can offer us, in solidarity with our farmers.

Tempted by a sandwich now. TB is having a busy day so if anyone out there has anything funny they want to get off their chest then do get in touch.

MacBroon! Beware McBride!

Blogging will be light today as TB is busy. That's two weeks now that aTory MP has directly asked the PM about his contact with Damian McBride. They must have something...

Has Brown now lied to the House twice?

Totty Watch

CF top totty Serene Richards has written a piece for the official party Blue Blog:There has been a spate of posts recently by yoof members recently. Good idea.

People who give blogging a bad name...

Perez Hilton really is a tool. His blog is bitchy and nasty and yet he is surprised that people don't like him. He responds in a mature and sophisticated style with this video:
Dude, if you call a rapper a "fag" don't be upset and cry when you get punched.

Quote of the Day

"As boastful as he is dishonest, Brown told a presumably smiling, nodding and drooling BBC interviewer that this is "the biggest ever reform of Parliament". Yeah, and this is the biggest ever fucking stable door we're closing. Where's the horse?"

A gem from Constantly Furious.

TB's two cents:

Here is what got in The Standard:

PARLIAMENT has been at its lowest ebb for a century, but MPs on the
Government benches queued up to elect a Speaker for the sake of a cheap
shot at a blue team goaded by his enthusiasm for New Labour.
John Bercow is no “reformer” but one the worst of the expenses abusers. He
has paid back thousands that he avoided paying in capital gains tax, and he
topped the list of claimants of the Additional Costs Allowance in 2007-8
and 2006-7.

But then none of the candidates for the Speakership has a genuinely good
track record when both personal expenses and support for making the Commons
more transparent are considered. All had the opportunity to throw their
weight behind moves such as the Freedom of Information Act being applied to
MPs and measures that would require more scrutiny of their expenses. On the
four occasions they could have voted on these matters, however, none voted for them all.

The election of a new Speaker was a chance for MPs to show us that they
had understood the anger they have caused, and they have blown it. Now
Bercow has 10 months to pleasantly surprise the real reformers by leaving
behind his politicking in the tea rooms and starting to listen and talk to
the public instead.

The Fencepost Tortoise

While stitching up the hand of a 75 year old Devon farmer, who cut it on a gate whilst working cattle, the rural doctor struck up a conversation with the old man.

Eventually the topic got around to Gordon Brown and his appointment as Prime Minister.
"Well, you know," drawled the old farmer, "this Brown fellow is what they call a "fencepost tortoise".

Not being familiar with the term the doctor asked him what a "fencepost tortoise" was.
The old farmer said, "When you're driving along a country road and you come across a fence post with a tortoise balanced on top - that's called a fencepost tortoise."

The old farmer saw a puzzled look on the doctor's face, so he continued to explain, "You know he didn't get up there by himself, he definitely doesn't belong up there, he doesn't know what to do while he is up there and you just have to wonder what kind of idiot put him up there in the first place."

Tip of the Hat to the Silver Fox

New Speaker, New Danger

This is the much longer, angrier, uncut version of a letter TB just wrote for today's Standard:

In the "halfpint is half full" sort of way, TB is attempting to look for a positive side to the election of Bercow. Maybe there is a lesson here for everyone- ruthless ambition wins the day. Nice guys finish last. If at first you don't succeed, whore yourself to Harman. And to think Labour once had the audacity to describe Dave as a chameleon.

So ten years hard work has paid off of for the Member for Buckingham, little Johnny has got what he wanted. If there is one positive message to come out of this result but it's pretty long winded and fairly tenuous. The election of John Bercow perfectly encapsulates everything wrong with the Labour Party and is the undeniable proof that they are unfit for government. Parliament has been at its lowest ebb for a century and this election was a chance, a real chance, for the six hundred odd men and woman that we, for better or for worse, put our blind faith in to represent us. This was a chance to show the country that they understood the anger and rage that is out there. Instead the Labour Party, in true fashion, decided to play political games.

Bercow wasn't the best candidate, he isn't clean and he sure as hell isn't honest. Let it not be forgotten that he has paid thousands of pounds back that he avoided paying in capital gains tax, an offence that has cost the careers of fellow MPs such as Kitty Usher. Not only that but Bercow topped the list of claimers of the Second Home Allowance and is paid around £35k to serve as an advisor to a Cayman Island healthcare company. Everything that the House needed has been spat back in the face of the voters. Labour danced with the devil, have been charmed by a snake, and all for the sake of a cheap shot at the blue team. Thankfully Dave didn't give them any satisfaction. From the Commons gallery TB watched as he and Bercow exchanged words before the result and it was DC that did his classic Blair-just-quit-every-backbencher-get-up-now-or- there-will-be-hell-to-pay turn and wave the troops to stand trick. (Incidentally TB is fairly sure the MP elected Speaker was meant to be dragged to the Chair. Bercow was up there like a greyhound. He was dragging the draggers.)

The members of the Parliamentary Labour Party are not statesman, they clearly do not understand the House and the dignity required to sit in it. For what it's worth Bercow gave a better than expected speech and seemed to realise the challenges that now face him. Ignoring half the House was Martin’s downfall and TB hopes Bercow is a little smarter. He's still a slippery little turd polisher, but to be fair, he has reached the top of his chosen greasy pole and nothing, this side of an election, can be done about it. The anger will subside and everyone has to knuckle down and make the best of a bad situation.

Parliament is crying out for change and frankly the first thing required is a general election. The green benches are too full with crooks and thieves and liars, fitting that they would crown a king of troughers in these troubled times. Whatever he has said in the last few months, Bercow is no reformer. He has been one of the worst troughers and he has yet another serious change to under go. It can be done. Hell it must be done.

TB wishes the new Speaker the best of luck. He'll bloody need it.

Where's Wally?

Tip of the Hat to Disco Biscuit.

Quote of the Day:

"Yes, it is quite extraordinary to think that the Prime Minister can make the time and effort to telephone both Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan, the two judges on ITV's Britain's Got Talent, to check on the health of a TV show contestant, but he wouldn't contact families waiting to learn the fate of their sons kidnapped in Iraq. I'm not surprised though. They don't give a damn."

Graeme Moore

Pissheads for Labour

This just pinged into TB's inbox. At least someone still loves Gordon:



Don't know what this guy is smoking but it's messing with his head.

Bertie

Bertie the cat hadn't too been well in the last few weeks and sadly he didn't make it through the weekend. TB was away and has come home to a very empty sofa. He was very old though, here he is a couple of years ago, doing what he did best - taking it very easy: A legend of a cat.

All political careers end in failure...

...and occasionally they can end with jail-time:



TB hears that Devine's mobile is off.

DJ For Change

So TB ventured out of his normal comfort zone last night for a friend's birthday and headed for a night out in Brixton. It wasn't quite what he was expecting, but it wasn't the strange combination of serious dance fans and wannabe "rah-vers" that stood out. Towards the end of the night TB clocked what one of the DJs was wearing:
Is that... no surely not. Let's have a closer look...
Is that one of the vintage CF Boris t-shirts?
Yep it has to be said that the detoxification of the Conservative Party brand is 100% complete when a DJ can wear a blatently Tory t-shirt in a Brixton club and not one mashed raver batted an eyelid.

Back in the morning...

Off to Brixton tonight... Busy day afternoon tomorrow.

Scottish MPs to own.

Having spent four years in the northern wilderness, TB has been waiting a while to hit the London party scene again. He will be reporting back and as the story below from today's Standard diary shows, some of these reports might not necessarily surface here first:The Little Blue Book will become a regular feature... If you want TB to come to your event, party, lash up etc then get in touch.

Pot, Kettle, Fat.

Bit rich for George Foulkes to be lecturing Alex Salmond about claiming for food isn't it? Foulkes has done another one of his cringe worthy video blogs today where he lays into the expenses claims by SNP leader Alex Salmond. Given the extremely dodgy connections Foulkes has to various outside interests and the fact he claims multiple salaries at the taxpayers expense, AND the fact that he was the only person that would go on TV to defend the disgraced Michael Martin, doesn't really give him a leg to stand on.

Watch the video here if you have nothing better to do and are in a particularly masochistic mood.

Galloway Backs Boris

Good spot by the TYC, it seems those CF taxi receipts went far...

50 + 50 = 200

Think the maths says it all in this claim from Ian Stewart MP:Jesus wept.

Sedition

PA are reporting a new low in the disgraceful behaviour of everyone's favourite jumped up pressure group - the Scottish National Party. They have been accused of "airbrushing" the Queen from a photograph of a group of nationalist traitors in a town council chamber. The "doctored" picture appears in an SNP leaflet being distributed in the Falkirk area, according to Labour. It captures Falkirk West MSP Michael Matheson and an array of SNP heavies in the town's council chamber.

Rumour has it they replaced Her Majesty with images of the terrorist known as William Wallace.

Ben Bradshaw has an attitude problem...

TB is wondering exactly how buying some train reading at Exeter station, in the shape of Attitude magazine helped Ben Bradshaw MP with his parliamentary duties...?
P75 here.

TB is working on some more serious, potentially criminal, larger scandals, but will try keep the smaller, funnier stuff coming.

Yawn...

TB work up with a bit of a groggy head this morning thanks to cocktails with a pretty lady.

Couldn't have asked for a nice hangover gift though:

Enjoy.

Calling all citizen journos...

At some point today the Parliamentary website will make five thousand odd .pdfs available of MPs expense claims and receipts. Although it is expected that these will be heavily censored, there may well yet be some things that the Telegraph have missed. Citizen journalists and wannabees out there - this is a golden opportunity.

TB sadly can't afford to take a whole room full of interns and researchers like the newspapers can, but that isn't to say that there can't be some fun to be had. If you fancy having a look through any of the stuff, why not email TB anything of interest or note that you find. Any MP you particuarly loath? Why not sniff around what they have been up to.

You can email TB here and if you think it's really juicy, send him your mobile number and he will give you a call straight back. TB has the facilities to get the stories out there to thousands of readers and push them further to the right places, (you never know you could even make a bit of cash if they can be sold onto newspapers, however as far as the bear is concerned, this is about lancing a boil, not taking advantage of an ill wind.)

So get sifting through the stuff.

Another Window Dressing Resignation

Kitty Ussher who, along with Caroline Flint, was one of the only vaguely attractive females in the government quit last night. Apparently she wants to spend more time with her family etc. Bear in mind this comes just twelve days after taking up a job in government.

She may look alright after a couple of pints, but that doesn't stop her being a cheat and a liar.

Tick, Tock, Tick, Tock.

A little birdy told TB that Jim Devine won't still be smiling on Sunday morning.

Vintage Boris:

Apologies for the shameless use of Twitter for amusing stories today, TB isn't the only one, but having a very busy afternoon knee deep in the law. Looking into the ins and outs of fraud by misrepresentation and the legal nightmare this entails. All will be revealed...

Anyway in the mean time this made TB laugh. A lot:Ken was born?

TB always presumed he congealed in a gutter somewhere.

Follow Tory Bear on Twitter

Do you need a receipt?

Nice to see that the NUS, an organisation with an overdraft almost the size as UK plc, isn't cutting back on presidential perks:
Seems President Streeting has as an equally causal disregard for his member's subs as the rest of the trade union movement.

Media handling - Fail.

TB bets that whoever designed Brian Binley's shockingly bad website didn't factor in the thought that the scrolling BBC news feed might one day be leading with a scandal about their boss:You'd think he would want his own spin on the scandal, that he is denying, to be the most prominent mention of it...

FFS

Seems those pesky Lib Dems have decided to ban Tory Bear from their forums, again. Apparently they don't appreciate a little bit of scrutiny and think that banning one his many points of access will stop this. TB would avoid reading the Mirror tomorrow if you are of the sandal wearing, bearded, yellow freak variety.

Not so Liberal now are you?

Smoke and mirrors?

Strange timing on the Devine show trial announcement from the Labour Party. Could they perhaps be wanting to deflect a few headlines from a certain Minister who has been under fire all day and could well be on his way to resigning twice in quick succession?

Perhaps Mr Malik will be swinging by the Star Chamber soon.

Who is TB?

If you are one of those readers often enthralled about who the mystical TB really is, then you should probably tune into BBC News 24 sometime around 19.15 tonight.

Will Malik stand down again?

Tory Politico raises an excellent point:

"The last time the Mr Malik was investigated, he stepped down from his role as Justice Minister. Now that a fresh probe of his expenses claim’s is on the cards will he stand down again?"

Guess we will have to wait and see...

The COPs close in on Malik

The web is closing in around Shahid Malik and his dodgy expenses. Sky are now running with the story so fingers crossed the pressure can be sustained.

Some people just don't know how to resign with dignity.

Labour is broken.

TB had the misfortune of bumping into an old Labour friend on the train home last night. Having spent a lovely evening with Sister Bear, and even running into a former Lady Bear, the journey back to the sticks was made even more painful by having to endure the shit chat from this chap that was mainly focused on what "a larf" it was that Bercow was going to be elected Speaker.

TB was at the hustings yesterday afternoon and had to endure this pathetic little brown-noser winking, laughing and waving at his imaginary friends in the audience, (also why is it necessary to nod in agreement to everything your opponent says when behind the scenes you are phone banking through the night slagging them off?) If he sows up the victory it will be another dark milestone for the Labour Party.

The fact that apparently over one hundred Labour members are "supporting" him shows just how morally bankrupt the PLP has become. They don't like this man, but, the thought of scoring one over the Conservatives is too much for many of them to take. It's this mentality that proves just how unfit Labour are for government. They are more concerned with scoring party political points than doing what is best for the country. Labour is rotten to the core. As this report shows, there are far better candidates running for Speaker than Bercow, and greater candidates have dropped out of the race for being in Bercow's position- hated by half the House. The Tories could have kept Frank Field in the race but they saw the light and realised what a pathetic thing electing someone who is hated by half the organisation they must represent would be.

If the Labour Party elect their slimy little pet then they should hang their heads in shame. We can't go on like this. This bunch of tribal, vicious, partisan fools must be booted out before they cause irrevocable damage to this nation and forever destroy our once great institutions. If they can't even elect a decent Speaker, someone respected by both sides, someone who is suitable for the job, then they deserve to be routed even sooner than will already happen.

A Bercow victory?

Will the last person to leave Westminster turn off the light...

Lifting the lid on the sand pit...

The Independent have written a deep feature on the youth wings of the British parties. The close-to-death Young Labour/Labour Students barely get a mention, though this is hardly a surprise given the decline in membership and the total rejection of socialism by the next generation who have grown up with twelve long years of lies. CF get the standard write up, not as right wing or embarrassing as we once were apparently. Which is nice. Liberal Youth are given plenty of room to spin their thang, but their failings are exposed too. Favourite opener from Bagshaw: "Errr nooo"

Helped along gently with the odd quote from TB.

Intriguing...

TB just found this in his inbox:

"Dear all,

The Daily Mail requires six people to work for them from Thursday 18th June through to Monday 22nd June. They need them to pore over the MPs Expenses which are being released sometime on the 18th/19th June. You will be paid and it should be possible to work from home. If you would like to share out the work of one person and do it as part of a group, this should also be fine.

If any of you would like to be considered or have any further questions, please contact blah blah blah"

Having been done over by The Telegraph for the last month you can put money on the Mail praying there is still some juice for their little room of helpers to find. Interesting they went through the ASI as well. There must be a hundreds of desperate hacks finishing various journo courses right now who would kill for a break on a national paper.

Not long till the second wave of expenses scandals...

UPDATE 1am: A commenter makes a very good point:

"This might have something to do with an article in the Daily Mail (pre-Telegraph revelations) which suggested that unredacted MPs expenses would show that a number of MPs were having affairs (i.e. claiming for the same hotel room). Just a thought."

Russia's Got Talent

Not for the light hearted.

Tip of the Hat to Old Holborn

Guest Post - Muheed Jeeren

TB's good buddy Muheed Jeeren has penned this from Sri Lanka where he has returned to live after studying in the UK. A big player on the Boris campaign and a general legend, he gives an interesting insight into the relationship between the Muslim community and the Conservative Party.
I am a Muslim who is very loyal to the Conservative Party. I recall my first journey into conservative politics while I was at the University of Portsmouth doing my degree. I got the impression from my ethnic minority friends that conservative politics was forbidden territory for us. This created a certain curiosity in my mind to explore the party’s policies and aspirations. After I joined the Conservative Party and started to work with my fellow conservatives, I got convinced of the true image of the conservatives. The Tories are very eager to look after the interests of ethnic minorities and also eager to build better relationships and goodwill among all communities.

During the London Mayoral Election 2008 election a vicious campaign was carried out against the Conservative Party and Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson alleging that he was going to interfere with the religious activities of Muslims in the capital by banning their holy scripture. A ridiculous idea designed to distract the Muslim voters from supporting the Conservatives. False allegations like this made it harder for me to campaign within the Muslim community. But I kept my great confidence with the Tory candidate for Mayor and the party for it’s commitment to serve the minorities. However The Labour Party won the votes of the majority of Muslims by using this dirty trick. But we won the election and today Boris is doing a fantastic job by serving everybody alike without any discrimination. A case in point is the appointment of Munira Mirza and Kulveer Ranger as his advisers. The Labour Party’s myth that Conservatives don't care about minorities has been exposed by this act to be untrue. I am very proud to call myself a loyal Conservative activist who comes from a Muslim background.

I am confident that the Conservative Party will become the next government. It will have the right solutions to all the problems faced by the British people. Also it will offer satisfactory responses to the minorities. I am confident that David Cameron will give effective leadership to the nation to achieve prosperity.

The Conservative Party is wants to give people more power and control over their own lives to make the right decision themselves unlike Labour, who believe in top down governmental control over people. It believes in the people's wisdom and is willing to trust the people with the important decisions of their lives, sharing the responsibilities of governing with them. These principles above make me proud be a member of this great party.

(ed: Sound. )

Homophobia is Gay...

TYC has been digging out photos of Luke Richards, the (former?) President of the Warwick University Liberal Democrats. TB too wonders what Brian Paddick, the gay Lib Dem candidate to be Mayor of London, would have to say about Mr Richards comments regarding the shooting of homosexuals in order to prevent the spreading of "the disease". The comments have now been pulled from the closed section of the Liberal Youth Forums where they were prominently displayed until late yesterday. TB wonders how active Richards was during this recent campaign from Liberal Youth:Guess we will have to wait until later this morning to find out what Cowley Street will have to say about this matter. As TB said last night, if this was a tory who had made these comments, the tabloids would be running it by now and kicking up a right fuss.

Why the double standards?

Nothing yet...

No word from the Mirror newsroom, yet. Here, TB will make it a little easier of you. Here is a picture of the Liberal Democrat student leader who said that gay people should be shot. Even an MP in the picture too, for good measure. Well done to TYC for digging it out.

Any newspaper that wants to buy the original images of the quote in question should contact TB.

You would if it was a tory standing next to Dave...

Tabloid Double Standards Test

"I'm perfectly liberal, I just think gays should be shot before they spread the disease to us straights."

Luke Richards
President, Warwick University Liberal Democrats

Whether it's a joke or not isn't the point TB is going to make, but, if a member of Conservative Future made that stupid comment online then it would give some lazy hack at the Mirror etc a very easy afternoon's copy. Thus they would be expelled from the party and sent to Coventry etc. So it will be interesting to see what happens when a young Liberal Democrat puts something stupid into writing. Something tells TB there won't be the standard tabloid tory-boys-are-evil style rant.

Go on prove TB wrong... didn't think so.

One for the weekend...

Apologies for the lack of stories. After what was a hectic, but great, week TB let of a little steam at a couple of parties.

Just got back from deepest Somerset. Bit of a mission to get home on two hours sleep, but god damn it those west-country folk can party. Camera wasn't working, but imagine this tune was playing loud from the top of a hill, looking over the Avon, as the sun came up:



Cracking night.

With friends like these...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that there is no one as ruthless a wannabe hack, but it's never very nice when someone you considered to be on friendly terms with sells you down the river for the sake of a thirty quid by-line.
This is James Ellingworth, a student newspaper hack on Edinburgh's Student. Obviously so desperate to impress the bigger boys during his work experience week at the Herald, TB bets that "Smelly Ellie" (as the hacks call him behind his back, "apparently"), really thought he had made it when he could get his little name in print by doing over Tory Bear.

Luckily Scotland's finest at the Herald thought it better to remove most of the bullshit that Ellingworth had filed. Ended up with a bit of free advertising! Oh and poor little James only got his name in the print edition.

So beware hacks, James Ellingworth will sell his grandmother for a by-line.

Never before has TB come across someone whose ambition so outweighs their talent.

Party in the city...

Here's what the Evening Standard has to say tonight about the Sunlight COPs little stunt this morning:

* FRESH from putting the spotlight on Labour's Shahid Malik, the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics, founded by Paul Staines, aka Guido Fawkes, and XXXXX XXXX, aka Tory Bear, have moved on to Lib Dem Lord Rennard. Staines delivered a letter which queries Rennard's £41,678 expenses incurred by claiming that his home in Stockwell, instead of Eastbourne, is his "holiday home." Staines, XXXX and friends today staged a beach party outside Rennard's South London residence, complete with girls in bikinis, Pimm's, a beach ball and of course a lot of sand. Sadly it sounds like Rennard missed all the fun.

Bit of pink fizz at nine am really set TB up nicely for the day.

In the summertime...

Transition from student bum to full time media whore was quite a shock to the system, been quite a morning- capped off with a slot on BBC News 24. TB is now splicing up a video of this morning's fun and games outside Lord Rennards "holiday home" in Stockwell:

Watch this space.