Brave for the BBC...

If you have half an hour then listen to this hilarious episode of

Electric Ink

. The plot revolves around a fictional journo who gets the exclusive that the fictional Prime Minister is in the middle of a mental break down.

Can't think who it might have been based on.

Game changing or more of the same?

Alex Hilton and David Prescott's new PR firm

Game Changer

has certainly got some attention this weekend. Perhaps they are going for the all-publicity-is-good-publicity route, or perhaps their tactics have been called out very early on. Will this really be a game changer for Labour online or will it just be more of the same old New Labour spin and dark arts?

Today's

Mail

makes for a very different read from last week's glowing report in

PR Week

. Essentially the Mail accuses Game Changer of honey trapping the already accident prone Andrew Lansley with the classic pretty lady stitches up politician and then runs back to the enemy camp with the dirt tactic.

Now while Donal Blaney goes further than the Mail and notices

a pattern emerging here

, Alistair Campbell has

gone on the denial

and has attempted to bat the issue away with awkward laughter. While TB thinks the Mail might have over hyped the story some what, a quick look at the the personalities and histories of those at Game Changer will show that they are not as fluffy and glossy as they would make out.

Firstly Alex Hilton, as charming as he is, has previous. Recess Monkey, which has conveniently gone offline in time for GC's launch, used to savagely attack the Tories and it is well known that Hilton is a leading light in the online fight against the Conservatives. He would have jumped at the chance to do over Lansley, it's in his blood.

And then of course there is a familiar face from Labour's darkest days online. Yes that's right sports fans, Draper minion and smear puppy Tom Miller is on the Game Changer payroll. What exactly qualifies Miller as a "consultant" has left this bear baffled - when Draper was forced out of Labourlist, his loyal servant went with him after four months doing the dirty work. This is the first time Miller has resurfaced and TB wonders how long he will be able to stay out of trouble.

There is no way that it was by some coincidence that this story emerged on Campell's blog. He has been very loud in his praise of the Game Changers and they even boast on their website about their ability to get him to pick up on stories as one of the

services they offer

. Campbell is close to both Prescott junior and senior and would not have thought twice about sticking an oar in to help his friends push a story. Putting his impartial hat on for a second or two, TB can see very little wrong with him doing so. Why the need for the big denial? It was clearly a stitch up. Hilton's girlfriend gets a scoop, phones Hilton, who phones Campell and the rest they say is history...

They are trying to create a successful spin machine so why deny it when they score a victory?

Quote of the Day

This one from

Atticus

cracked TB up:

He lost his job as a Downing Street aide, and now faces legal action (apart from that, how do you think it went, Damian?).

Comedy aside, Roland White does raise some interesting points about what Nadine's libel case against McBride could bring out in the wash...

What's all this then...?

Whatever could Rouse Media mean with

this little post:

"Tory Bear is currently undergoing intensive surgery at a top Coventry clinic - or so rumour has it. As this possible leaked photo reveals the focus of the operations are to surgically enhance pixelated lines that are visible when people get up close and personal to the bear. It’s said that the surgery is the first of many operations the bear is undergoing…"

Guess you'll all just have to wait and see...

Reflections on 1776

TB's good buddy and co-author of certain book (watch this space) Ed Kozak has just sent him these words;

Two-hundred and thirty-three years ago American colonists were fighting and dying for their rights and liberties, guaranteed to them as British subjects, denied them by a tyrant, His Majesty George III. One-hundred and forty-six years ago men of the South were fighting and dying for their rights and liberties, guaranteed to them as American citizens, denied them by a tyrant, Abraham Lincoln. Now, we're still fighting for our rights and liberties, guaranteed to us by the Constitution as Americans, yet denied us by a tyrant, Barack Obama. How long, I wonder, before Americans start dying again to protect and reclaim those rights and liberties?

It's not me, it's you...

Oh Lily

what are you on about

? To think TB thought you were one of the good team. She has now dropped considerably in this bear's estimations:

"With Gordon Brown at his lowest ebb, begging forgiveness for the failings of his party and the scroungers in Parliament, it will surely reassure the PM to know that he still has the vote of one woman. “Of course I’ll still vote for him,” says the 24-year-old pop megastar Lily Allen.

She has said that Gordon Brown is “a nice man” and that she could never become a Tory, although she does say that the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, is “a cool guy”"

Well "fuck you very very much" too.

Lying or Incompetent?

Which is it?

Once again the Liberal Democrats are fighting a dirty by-election campaign. That graph is a joke. The Lib Dems might try and be all nice and fluffy and clean at Westminster but they are lying cheats on the ground.

What do you expect though when the guy running the campaign is on the fiddle.

H/T -

ConHome

.

Quote of the Day

"The government is not, you know, one big ATM in which inefficient or failing businesses can just come along and get any sort of bailout or subsidy when they get themselves into trouble. It's not the government's money, it's the taxpayer's."

-

Peter Mandelson

He's finally talking the talk, but will Labour walk the walk?

Tip of the hat to

Obnoxio

Bear with a sore head...

Although TB is having trouble focusing today and wondering why nobody has invented intravenous Diet Coke, the pain was worth it. TB had a cracking time at The Spectator party last night and then partied the night away with Sister Bear. Productivity hasn't exactly been high today.

It was great to finally meet lots of faces TB has been in contact with over the last year or so, as well as catch up with various heroes. Won't bore you all with all the details but there were some definite highlights:

The offer to Iain Martin of the chance to take the

Isaby

style Telegraph-to-blogosphere route with the co-editorship of this blog was sadly rejected.

Mark Clarke got away with turning up in a t-shirt purely for it's greatness - Che style with "Freedom for Tooting" on it.

TB was well chuffed to have a chat with long time tabloid hero slash worldwide celebrity Piers Morgan who wouldn't deny he had considered returning to the fold by editing The Sun. Can't see it happening though, sadly. Also had some great banter with James Delingpole, who yes, TB can confirm, really is that sound.

The Stanley and Boris Johnson double act was as hilarious as ever, though sadly the whole party was curtailed by some fierce looking bouncers at a very early hour!

Watching Guido chatting away with Michael White was also particularly amusing given their extremely strong words thrown at each other over at

Comment is Free

just that afternoon. Talking of White, a fellow party goer was most impressed by the fact TB could, quote "piss and text at the same time". A voice, that sounded remarkably similar to dear old Sir Michael's, piped up from the cubical "I can't do either..."

Will be taking it easy this weekend.

Hallam Re-elected.

TB is most amused to hear that some jumped up little bastard tried to pass a motion at last night's

CWLCF

meeting to have the bear permanently banned from their branch events. Apparently TB has an ongoing vendetta against the branch. That isn't true, it's just that if you bill yourself as the "flagship" Conservative Future branch then you have to expect a higher level of scrutiny. Must be doing something right though.

TB is exceedingly hungover so will let you all find the story for yourself in the quite spectacular mountain of waffle that he got this morning after merely inquiring what the turnout and result was:

President: Mark Field MP
Vice President: Patrick Evershed
Chairman: Edward Hallam
Vice Chairman: Lucy Roblin
Hon. Secretary: Dolly Theis
General Committee Treasurer: Richard Mabey
General Committee Social & Social Action Secretary: Lauren McEvatt
General Committee Campaigns Director: Dickon Prior

Turnout was low despite a concerted effort to increase attendance numbers. Ways of improving our means of contact with our members and our storage of member data were discussed at the meeting under AOB as was the social plan for the next year. Plans for increasing our financial responsibilities towards the association and party were also discussed, as were ideas for increasing our social action contribution to our community, in line with David Cameron's recent speech on social action. Turnout was 10 (not including the returning officer, Donald Stewart, who ran the election). In due course minutes will be made available for our members, both those who were able and those who were not able to attend.

There were no contested positions.

Lucy Roblin was also returned as the second representative to the Executive of the Association proper.

The new committee would like to offer their grateful appreciation for the work done in the previous year by the outgoing committee, and for the diligence shown by all of the people who have been involved in Conservative Future Branch of the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association over the last year. The new committee would also like to extend their gratitude to Donald Stewart, Agent of CLWCA for running and overseeing our election.

So two years running there has been an uncontested ballot and for a "flagship branch" a turnout of ten leaves a little to be desired. Victoria Parker went quietly after the confusion, as revealed by TB on Wednesday, about the legitimacy of her bid for the Chairmanship. No doubt she could have kicked up quite a fuss, but she allegedly fell on her sword for the sake of the associations reputation. No one likes a good old election scandal, do they?

So Hallam will be juggling a general election campaign as National Campaigns Coordinator for the whole of CF but he seems to have a strong support below him. Congratulations to all.

Just one word of advice, don't let old Mr Mabey set the ticket prices for events. Long story.

Guess who's back...

One of the blogs TB used to always read before he finally decided to set up his own was Scottish Tory Boy. The gossip and intrigue that he provided from Holyrood was always worth the visit. He disappeared after his identity was eventually clocked and caused some discomfort to his boss.

Well the good news is

STB is back

.

Gordon finally loses it...

Creepy.

Brown is destroying Parliament - Literally.

It is often said that this Labour government has no respect for the constitution, conventions or institutions of this country. Their utter contempt for Parliament has manifested itself through bypassing, unprecedented whipping and on occasion a complete disregard for it's authority. Fitting then that their leader has absolutely zero physical

respect

for it either then:

TB has had issues with Alan Duncan in the past but it was he has done well to call this out today.

Totty Watch - Profumo style.

This should liven up that post lunch lull. The Spectator are trailing their political scandals special with a familiar image:



Well it got TB's attention...

This is what a liar looks like...

Remember the one about cancelling the election?

What about the day he said he didn't want to move Darling from the Treasury.

TB could go on.

The Berk "clamp down"

John Bercow promised to clamp down on announcements being made by the government to the press before the House of Commons. Despite it happening countless times since Bercow hauled himself up into that big chair, he finally had something to say yesterday:

"Before I call the Minister to make his statement, I regret that this House is the last to hear it. That said, if the statement had been made earlier it would have further constrained the time given to the main business of today. I hope that such circumstances are not repeated in the case of other Departments. In answer to points of order made earlier today, I acknowledge that a written ministerial statement was made today at 7 am, before the Secretary of State’s interview was broadcast."

Ohhhh they must be shaking in their boots.

+++A fight after all?+++

So it seems that the rules have been relaxed and nominations will be accepted for the CLWCF elections (see below,) up until the meeting tomorrow evening.

So there goes all those carefully prepared Zanu-CF/Ahmadinejad jokes.

TB will be at the Speccie party tomorrow evening, errr sadly, rather than the AGM but no doubt he will be able to get the results up pretty pronto once they come through.

TB hears that an old ally from the north mabey in the running for one of the positions. If it was anything like the Granita-style deal he did with TB once upon a time for the Vice-Presidency of Conservative Future Scotland then he shouldn't have any problem getting elected down here!

Who was it that was moaning that TB had abandoned blogging about CF?

Will they still be smiling tomorrow?

After a mild allegation of impropriety concerning the announcement of last year's

Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Future

internal elections, TB has been keeping half an eye on this year's ballot which is set to take place at the AGM tomorrow evening. Although every effort has been made to keep the candidates list a secret TB has finally has a copy on the way. It would appear it isn't going to be a particularly contested election. TB understands Chairman Ed Hallam is set to be returned unopposed, and the rest of the committee places have been sewn up without a vote.

However that's not what everyone thinks. TB has spoken to both incumbent Ed Hallam and current Vice-Chairman Victoria Parker today, both who have said they are running for the top spot. The official nomination list apparently says the top spot is uncontested though.

And to think it was all going so well. TB wasn't actually planning on turning up to Ebury Street tomorrow night for the AGM, so the rumoured bouncers can probably be spared, however it looks like it could be an interesting night.

If Victoria Parker's nomination has, for whatever reason, not been accepted then TB has a feeling things are going to kick off...


UPDATE- 18:09: Did Victoria Parker's nomination fall short of one of these criteria?

Would seem odd if it has given that she has been the Vice Chairman for a year - hence would have remained a member, and was at the meeting where the rules and timings of the election were set out.

Hmmm why have people stopped taking TB's calls all of a sudden?

The sickest Michael joke yet...

Heard the one about how Michael Martin will now be ennobled "for his eminent services during the important period in which he presided with such distinguished ability and dignity in the chair of this House"?

Hilarious!

What a tool...

That is indeed a new one.