"I love it when high earning celebs like Bill Nighy and Richard Curtis start campaigning for banker taxes. Oh, and Fearne Cotton is in favour of it too... based, presumably, on her economics degree?"
Alex Salmond’s number two wrote a letter of support for Abdul Rauf prior to him being sentenced for defrauding £80,000 from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP).The word "resign" comes to mind.
She referred to Rauf’s crimes, which include a previous conviction for stealing £60,000, as “mistakes” and appealed to the court to “consider alternatives to a custodial sentence”.
Donald Findlay QC, defending, said it was the first time in his lengthy legal career he had handed over to the court a letter from someone of such importance.
Sheriff Alan MacKenzie said he was still minded to send Rauf, 59, to prison but promised to take into account Miss Sturgeon’s protests before he reached a decision.
Miss Sturgeon, the Glasgow Govan MSP, admitted she knew about the fraudster’s criminal record, but claimed she was duty bound to represent her constituent.
But opposition MSPs said they were aghast at her lack of judgement and challenged her to make a parliamentary statement explaining why she was lobbying on behalf of known criminals.
The cause of the Secretary of State for Wales' perm-a-tan may have been found. Peter Hain seems to have a bit of a thing about Rwanda. In light of the tough economic circumstances in the valleys Shadow Minister for Wales David Jones quite reasonably asked "What did the Secretary of State have in mind when he boasted last week that “Wales is still a wealthy country”? Complacent or what?" Hain's reply was the stuff of political legend:
"Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that, compared with Rwanda and most countries in the rest of the world—this is the point that I was making, if he had not chosen to take that quotation out of context—Wales is indeed still a wealthy country?"Umm ok. David Jones rightly got the last word:
"It says it all that after 13 years of economic mismanagement under Labour, all Peter Hain can crow about is the fact that Wales is more prosperous than one of the poorest countries of the third world. Mr Hain’s unguarded comment underlines the full extent of Labour’s lack of ambition for Wales.”Who is talking down the country now Labour?
She's no Jonah Brown but you can hardly take anything Kerry McCarthy says seriously. Naively she swallowed a line and didn't bother trying to fight for her constituents.
Well lets ask TB's favourite thumb Eric shall we?
Think that clears everything up.
Double sourced. Statement imminent.
Developing...
UPDATE 18.09: Peace has apparently been brokered.
18.12: Westminster North Conservative Association has not accepted Joanne Cash's resignation. CCHQ is working to resolve issues.
18.17: Well that certainly is an interestingly worded line, that should have come out this morning. You could defintely add a "yet" to that sentence. Seems everything has calmed down since last night. A boil has been lanced and in the cold light of day TB suspects the decision to jump looked like a bit of a silly over reaction. Though there will be invitable personalities to sort and kinks to bash out, TB suspects Joanne Cash will be returned from Westminster North down the road to the Palace on May 7th.
This little sticky wicket could be a bit of a headache for her on the road to that day though.
UPDATE: 20.41: CCHQ: "She is still our candidate. There was a personality clash at the local level. It has now been resolved."
Two and half hours late CCHQ confirm what you read here first.
"The proposals, which include scaffolding, replacement carpets, a new sign and wall stripping, could mean temporary closure whilst the work takes place. The new-look Red Lion is said to include a HOT FOOD COUNTER in the main bar, a jazzed up cellar bar and a shiny new front design to wow punters in Westminster."Firstly there is the closure to deal with, The Westminister Arms is full of socialists and for some reason TB's lobby pass still hasn't arrived, so that rules out the cheap beers in the Palace. But secondly, and more importantly, what is wrong with the Red Lion now? It's about the last decent pub centrally that isn't trying to be anything other than a watering hole and frankly its dingyness adds to its charm. It's rammed almost every night and no one one wants to rest their pints on a jacket potato stall. Just leave it alone! If it ain't broke...
Well it was only a matter if time before things kicked off when Nick Cohen was invited to a pub to debate the cream of the British blogosphere. The Westminster Sceptics debate last night was rather dry until a longer than necessary refreshments break. As soon as the panel, which included Isaby, Sunny Hundal, Slugger and Guido, sat back down things got heated. Telling fellow panellists to eff off and members of the audience that "a seven year old retarded child' could make better points anyone would think Cohen was trying as hard as Rod Liddle to secure the editorship of The Independent.
Much fun had by all though and good to put some faces to names.
From whatever way you look at it, the three MPs can in no way claim Parliamentary Privilege. Though it was in very different circumstances at the time, just look no further than the book that Michael Martin
I should also remind the House, as stated in chapter 7 of “Erskine May,” that parliamentary privilege has never prevented the operation of the criminal law. [Interruption.] Order. The Joint Committee on Parliamentary Privilege in its authoritative report in 1999 said that the precincts of the House are not and should not beIf that was the rules in those ridiculous circumstance, then they definitely apply when there is actually evidence of a crime taking place.
“a haven from the law”.
There is therefore no special restriction on the police searching the parliamentary precincts in the course of a criminal proceeding—nor has there ever been.
Regular readers will remember TB's recent attack on Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather and more specifically her dodgy office expenses. Read up
"The complaint alleges that Ms Teather claimed expenses incurred in campaigning. As you will also know, that allegation is very strongly denied by Ms Teather. It is disappointing therefore that you have decided the matter yourself, ahead of the outcome of Mr Lyon’s investigation, and have publicly pronounced Ms Teather a thief.Well TB certainly awaits the Lyon report with bated breath. When will people finally realise that threatening legal action to people online can only make things worse? In the mean time by all means feel free to describe Ms Teather as a thief on your own blogs. She can't sue us all.
We have advised Ms Teather that your publication is actionable in defamation, and that the defamation is serious. The outcome of a claim against you will be entirely predictable once Mr Lyon has reported.
We therefore invite you to withdraw your assertions, and require you not to repeat them. Failing such withdrawal, or upon any repetition, we are instructed to advise Ms Teather further on the commencement of proceedings against you."
What does a politician, often seen as cold and aloof, do when they are up against the polls? Well let's ask Brown's old Democrat hero Hillary Clinton:
That's right, an overwhelming show of emotion is one of the last cards a desperate politician has to play. TB has no doubt Brown's raw emotion displayed was genuine. The pain of losing someone is there everyday, but his timing must be drawn into question. Brown is an elusive and intensely private person, who's emotions normally only manifest in throwing Nokias and staff members out of their chairs. His team negotiate interviews intensely, hence how furious he was when Marr redeemed his previous Brown-nosing with
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