Guido couldn’t help but chuckle as the red’s star player stormed off in a huff. The Rooney story has been the media’s non-political antidote to the last few days of cuts, but given that Blair used to call David Miliband “my Rooney”, the parallel is even funnier. Still waiting for Blair’s Ferguson style “I just don’t know what went wrong” press conference though…

UPDATE: With a rare moment of wit, the Fabian’s Sunder Katwala notes that “Wayne & David both went into this summer’s big tournament with very high hopes and expectations; and badly underperformed”.

Eyebrows were raised and smirks stifled this morning as Nick Robinson was awarded the title of “Blogger of the Year” by Editorial Intelligence. Given that Robinson’s blog consists of  someone transcribing what he says on News at Ten and posting it on the BBC website, perhaps someone who puts in at least a little more effort should have been rewarded. Robinson hasn’t had a very good year and admits he must try harder. Missing stories right under his nose, forgetting his lines and quite simply getting the facts wrong. He shared his views on blogging once:

Don’t forget this is the man who said David Miliband had won the Labour leadership live on the BBC just seconds before the actual result was announced. Somehow that transcript wasn’t published…

UPDATE: It appears Will Straw has also vented some spleen about the decision.

UPDATE II: Some of the other winners make a lot more sense, like Quentin Letts for best sketch writer.

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, John Lyon, has rejected the complaint made by Michael Barnbrook of the BNP against Nadine Dorries MP about her use of Parliamentary allowances.

The complaint made was that the second home Nadine Dorries rented in her constituency, was in fact her main home. The Standards Commissioner concludes after an extensive 15 month inquiry that it was not and rejected the complaint.

The report also confirms that Nadine Dorries did not make claims against the John Lewis list, did not claim for a mortgage or furniture, did not flip and that her claims against allowances not inappropriate.

John Lyon concludes “My overall conclusion is that Ms Dorries was not in breach of the rules of the House in claiming against Parliamentary allowances for her constituency home”. Game, set and match, Nads…

UPDATE : Nadine explained to the Commissioner that her blog contained fiction and “poetic licence” as well as fact. Typical blogger…

Last week we learnt that Lisa Tremble had started working for lobbyists Lexington Communications after handling spin for David Miliband’s campaign. It seems as if the rats are well and truly fleeing HMS Victoria Street. Now we learn that the head and deputy head of press for the Labour Party have both made it known that they are on their way out after Ed Miliband, and not David, was elected leader.

Roger Baker, the long suffering spinner who oversaw a disastrous spell for his party in government, has announced that he is off to the private sector as soon as a replacement can be found. This week’s PR Week reports that his deputy, Tom Price, is also jumping from Victoria Street to go work as Dougie Alexander’s short monied Political Advisor. Coincidently Alexander was David Miliband’s campaign manager.  Word reaches Guido that neither man was keen to spin for a leader they did not vote for, or believe in. After Gordon of course…

Simon Hoggart writes…

“Labour has, on the whole, decided that the deficit isn’t its fault. It has, you would imagine, been invented by the Tories purely in order to allow them the cuts which they are imposing with an odious relish.”