From: Sendorek, Alan

Date: 10 November 2010 16:33

Subject: Contact with journalists

It is vitally important, both for the quick dispersal of the crowd outside, and for the safety of people inside this building, that people do not contact journalists to give an account of what is going on. e.g. news reports that the Chairman is on site are extremely unhelpful. Any such leaks from CCHQ will be treated very seriously.

CCHQ staffers are a little worried apparently. Does the NUS, who organised the protest, support this French direction? Time for the tear gas…

UPDATE: Molotov cocktail spotted thrown at CCHQ.

UPDATE II: We didn’t start the fire:

UPDATE III: Invasion of the Tower cleared, police being stoned and bricked as they try to push back the crowd. Well more fun than a lecture eh?

UPDATE IV: Riot police are surrounding LibDem HQ to make sure the same doesn’t happen there. Crowds are gathering at Cowley Street

UPDATE V: Flaring up again and police still not in control. Understand Millbank Tower and 30 Millbank (CCHQ) are in the process of being evacuated.

UPDATE VI: Reports of serious glass and concrete injuries and that medics can not get through. The woeful planning and incitement by the NUS President Aaron Porter is going to make his position very tricky. MI5 have shut down Thames House and the red flag has been raised above CCHQ:

Riot police kitting up…

While the PM is leading a delegation of Ministers and British representatives to suck up to China, a country that through debt have half the world by the metaphorical balls, there seems to be one key figure missing. Why isn’t the Foreign Secretary William Hague on the trip?

Surely there are diplomatic conversations that need to be had face to face that should be undertaken by the relevant member of the government. It seems especially odd given the Education Secretary went along for the ride. Perhaps these foreign trips don’t seem so exciting to the Foreign Secretary alone, or without a stop over in Dubai on the way back…

Guido is hearing rumours that the bun-fight has already begun to be the Labour candidate in the Oldham by-election and soundings are well underway. One well-placed-red says Shona Woodfine, who has been Phil’s long-suffering bag-carrier, is positively gagging for the nomination. And has made that clear to the party machine…

This wouldn’t be the first time Labour have made such a move, the “Baby of the House” Pamela Nash, who is just 26, took over John Reid’s safe seat having been his special advisor. Woodfine’s chances have to be weakened by her closeness to her disgraced former boss, she was presumably in the campaign office when these leaflets were going out. Apparently that’s not what she is saying though…

UPDATE : Can you read between the ambiguous lines of this Tweet she sent just after this story went up:

The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling by the Court of Appeal that parliamentary privilege does not apply in the expenses cases. David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine had argued their case should be heard by Parliament, not the courts. The three defendants, who all deny theft by false accounting, will face separate trials at Southwark Crown Court.

Let justice be done…

FLASHBACK: A prelude to the day in court:

The Supreme Court will rule today as to whether or not the former MPs Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine are going to face criminal charges – lower Courts have ruled they can not hide behind ‘parliamentary privilege’. The public will be unaware that there was a prohibition on live reporting based on the Court feed. The media were only permitted to report any opening remarks made by Lord Phillips and the first 5 minutes of the opening submissions made by counsel for the appellants, Mr Nigel Pleming QC, and counsel for the Crown, Lord Pannick QC. Otherwise, there was no television or radio broadcasting of the proceedings.

The Court had indicated that it expected the media to provide “responsible reporting” of the proceedings. The Attorney-General sent a note to the MSM in June reminding editors about taking care in how they reported these hearings and in particular reminded them to avoid publishing reports that implied the MPs were guilty. The MSM won’t even report that the lifting of reporting restrictions were opposed by the MPs.

Guido will say so, and say it shows they want to wash their dirty linen in secret…

Tory Minister Tim Loughton says…

“The trouble is that most people don’t know what the Big Society really means, least of all the unfortunate ministers who have to articulate it. What actually is the Big Society, let alone is it good or not? Exactly how big is it now or is it going to be? Is it in fact Ann Widdecombe?”

Disgraced, expelled Labour Party smear – merchant and convicted liar Phil Woolas is entitled to keep thousands of pounds worth of taxpayer funded office equipment under the House rules that have still not been updated since the expenses crisis. Woolas also billed us for a fridge, microwave and an air conditioning system costing over £2,000 from his Incidental Expenses Provision. He gets to keep the lot.

Both the Department for Resources, (the body winding up the affairs of the old Fees Office,) and the omnishambles that is IPSA both told Guido they do not even have an inventory of what each MP has. Woolas also bought a computer on his expenses. He’s probably using it to email his lawyers right now.

A spokesman for IPSA admitted yesterday that they hadn’t taken any action on this issue but said they would consult on changes “over the next few months” and claimed that this “was one of the things we will be consulting on”. By the time IPSA gets anything done, Woolas is likely to be long gone.

IPSA must change the rules to stop outgoing MPs walking off with the office equipment, printers, computers and even envelope stuffing machines – all of which are vital in future election bids and are often kept by political parties regardless of who footed the bill for them. When a member loses, it is absurd that they walk away with all the kit. Phil “send ‘em home” Woolas declined to comment…