Thursday, March 12, 2009

Balls on Baby P

From Hansard during the Baby P / Laming Report debate this afternoon:

“I do not want to throw out the baby with bathwater here, which is why it is important we do this properly. The social work taskforce will take this forward.”

Bad choice of phrase Blinky….

Now We Know Where Mandelson Gets His Best Ideas

Some people have said that Labour nicks all the Tories best ideas, so the Tories are wise to keep their manifesto plans under wraps.

It certainly looks that way, after Post Office privatisation was taken up by Mandy, one waggish Tory MP welcomed Mandelson to the Thatcherite wing of the Conservative Party. An eagle-eyed co-conspirator draws attention to the document at Mandelson’s feet after he was gunged outside the Carbon Summit. It looks like the Tory environment policy paper.

His chosen reading explains a few things.

Twitter Redux

Matthew Parris this morning says real men don’t Twitter, quite right, but that old faker Draper does, and his suspension from Twitter is getting loads of play around the blogosphere and on Twitter. Yesterday Guido went to some trouble to find out what really happened, twice putting it to Draper that his account was suspended and twice he avoided answering the question. Draper is not stricly denying his account was suspended, he is just arguing with everyone about it, with Clintonesque evasions, basically saying if he was suspended, he isn’t now.

Guido also called a source close to Twitter HQ in San Francisco. They confirmed that Draper’s account was suspended for abuse of the terms of service as reported. Draper pleaded with them for it to be restored in a “Do you know who I am?” way. They didn’t, nor did they care. They restored it anyway.

Dolly was suspended for spamming; James Graham says he has had mulitple Twitter spam follow/unfollows from Derek, which only ended when he finally followed Draper. Yet, despite this being widely attested to, Draper denies spamming people.

Derek is such a spinner, at no time has he admitted being suspended, nor has he mentioned that he begged Twitter to unsuspend his account. Guido has put the facts to him today. He has not as yet responded.

Serendipitous Euro-Timing

Cameron gave one firm promise during his leadership campaign – that he would lead the Tories out of the EPP by Christmas 2006. That turned into 2009. At the time Guido thought it a telling breach of promise, in retrospect it looks like clever politics.

A largely united eurosceptic Tory party is going to finally make the break with the federalist EPP and take other like-minded parties with it into a euro-conservative grouping. This will enthuse the rank and file, make good Dave’s promise and undermine UKIP and Libertas, all in good time to make an impact on the June Euro elections. Labour will be looking to highlight splits – unless Clarke breaks his word they are unlikely to find any of significance.

So long as the Tories have the company of other governing parties from across Europe they will have succeeded.


Seen Elsewhere

Mum Talked Down Woolwich Terrorists | Telegraph
How the Tories Can Win in 2015 | Harry Phibbs
View From Lord Bell’s Summer Party | Speccie
What Dave, Ed and Nick Want You to Hear | James Kirkup
In Praise of Apple’s Tax Plan | Daniel Mitchell
Christine Blower Can’t Do Maths | Toby Young
Cameron is Having a Shocker | Iain Martin
UKIP Still Back Flat Tax | London Loves Business
Dave Will Probably Win in 2015 | Dan Hodges
EU’s Tax Harmonisation Agenda | Dan Hannan
Tories Have Always Sneered at Party Faithful | Simon Heffer


Zimbabwe-Election-125x125
Guido-hot-button (1)


Ai Weiwei in China fighting the taxman…

“Under totalitarian rule, no one is protected by law. We will all be the same helpless victims. When a country insists on its lies, it’s time for an artist to bring forth change.”



Ned Flanders – Clegg
Lisa Simpson – Natalie Bennett
Milhouse – Hilary Benn
Martin Prince – Andy Burnham
Edna Krabappel – Luciana Berger
Crazy Cat Lady – Glenda jackson
Comic book guy – John Prescott
Carl – Chucka
Lenny – Philip Hammond
Willie – Eric joyce
Poochie – Gordon Brown
Reverend Lovejoy – Tony Blair


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