Peter Oborne in the Spectator tells us of a tragedy that has befallen the Sleaze Master General:

…it emerges that the Marylebone offices of the New Labour treasurer, Lord Levy, have been devastated by a mysterious fire. This took place last November, well before the police investigation began and around the time the House of Lords Appointments Commission raised the first queries concerning Tony Blair’s list. When I rang Downing Street for a reassurance that no papers relevant to the police investigation had been destroyed, I was informed that ‘that is a matter for Lord Levy’.

What a tragic loss that must be for Lord Levy, no doubt losing important documents will complicate things for those trying to piece together his dealings. Guido thinks that the fire stinks, and that the smell isn’t smoke.

As Iain Dale and Yellow Peril flagged up three hours ago, the Press Association is now confirming that Michael Brown, who gave a dodgy £2.4 million donation to the LibDems, has been arrested in Spain to face extradition on fraud charges. These mugshots date back to when he skipped bail in Florida.

So that explains the LibDems failure to make capital out of the Loans for Lordships scandal.

The Dead Tree Press is getting beat by bloggers time and time again, it has taken a newspaper two weeks to catch up on the Airmiles bullshit spin highlighted by Guido here and here as well as on Blairwatch. Are political journalists getting lazier?

Guido cynically thought this morning that the Today story based on The Times splash on Cherie’s hairdresser was very nicely timed to irritate the Labour party’s grassroots just when they should be out knocking on doors. More to the point, wasn’t it old hat?

Sure enough Guido has found the origins of the story adorning his cellar bookshelf in Paul Scott’s Tony and Cherie: A Special Relationship published last year. A fascinating book from which Guido also learnt that Cherie’s unexpected fourth pregnancy at 45 came after she used New Age sexual hanky panky; that she told Carole Caplin intimate details about sex with Tony in preparation for ‘sexual exercises’. Also before important meetings she uses a practice from white witchcraft known as ‘casting a circle’. Apparently Tony keeps a velvet pouch in his breast pocket containing a red ribbon and a piece of rolled-up paper, the significance of which is a mystery. Alternative healer Jack Temple kept Mr Blair’s toenail clippings in a jar, claiming he could detect the Premier’s health problems by swinging a crystal pendulum over them. Wonder what would happen if he set fire to the clippings whilst chanting incantations?

Guido has the perfect solution for Cherie’s problems with the proletarian comrades. Labour activists are inexplicably up in arms that a £7,700 bill from her hairdresser was paid out of party funds largely raised from the political levy on trade unionists on minimum wages. Let them see her hats – it will save on those expensive coiffeur costs.

According to the BBC a Labour spokeswoman rather arrogantly said “So what? …Don’t forget, we won the election.” That is exactly the same arrogance that Tony displays at PMQs whenever he has lost the argument – “let me remind you we have won three elections”. Flying around in jets at the taxpayers expense, charging £7,700 hairdressing bills to party members, invoicing children’s charities $50,000. Is it more Marie-Antoinette or Ceausescu in style? Both came to a happy end at the hands of their oppressed peoples.

How come Margaret Thatcher managed to pay her own hairdressing bills?

Cameron’s trip to the Norweigan glaciers is not a photo-op stunt he says.

It has an important political message…

Guido and Tim Ireland are still not speaking. But the twisted genius is first off the blocks with his tweaking of the Dave the Chameleon (for Dummies) video. Guido has a feeling this video will become the political equivalent of the Star Wars kid. Enjoy.