Kay Burley sails close to the wind in her political bonkbuster ‘First Ladies.’ Guido has touched on the similarities to certain real life ladies involved the the Blair-like PM in the novel already. Not content with upsetting the lawyers there, Kay pushes things even further…

In the most shocking scene in the book, “Valerie”, nearly dies after taking a drink and drugs overdose in the No. 10 flat, while her husband ‘Julian’, the Blair-like PM, is at a tryst with one of his mistresses. She is discovered unconscious in the middle of the night by her 13 year old daughter. No. 10 officials try to stop doctors rushing her to hospital to stop the press from finding out.

Any similarity between this and a real life drama in No. 10 concerning the Blair family is pure coincidence.

Another day and another waste of six hundred pounds to make an MP feel like they are actually doing something. This EDM is a little silly:

PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARDS PEOPLE OF SHORT STATURE
5:4:11

Jo Swinson

That this House notes the continual lack of acceptance within all sections of society for those of short stature; notes that approximately one in 25,000 births to parents of average height is a baby of restricted growth; further notes that because of unfair stereotyping and the stigma associated with the disability, children and adults with restricted growth conditions and their families face thoughtless discrimination from the media, the wider public and some professionals and misplaced jokes and ridicule, including within this very House, which only serves to fuel ignorance about the condition.

Guido isn’t sure why Swinson’s fellow little ‘un Sarah Teather hasn’t signed up. Small fry though when compared to some of the bigger issues of the day.

As his former underlings are being cuffed and questioned over what was once dismissed as “molehills”, the FT boys note that one Mr Andrew Edward Coulson and his wife Eloise have registered “Elbrus Consultants” with Companies House. Mount Elbrus, on the border of Russia and Georgia, is the tallest mountain in Europe.

There is a reputation/long-climb joke there somewhere…

UPDATE: EyeSpyMP spotted Coulson in Madrid last night…

Andy Coulson in Madrid for the footie, or is he on the run now they've nicked Neville Thurbeck?—
Eye Spy MP (@eyespymp) April 05, 2011

At the footy rather than on the run after the arrests.

If his first couple of months as a football executive are anything to go by, part-time MP David Miliband might want not want to give up the day-job just yet. On February 1st the lamenting Labour loser joined the board of Sunderland Association Football Club. Things were looking up with a 2:1 win against Blackburn on the weekend before. In the seven games since though, Sunderland have lost six and drawn one. The 0:0 draw was against Arsenal, the team Miliband supports. There is a growing whispering campaign amongst the “black cats” that David has cursed the club with his personal losing touch. Turns out he does have something in common with Brown after all…

Today the 40% tax rate kicks in at £35,000 above the personal allowance. The tweaking, down from around £37,000, is expected to raise just £500 million this year. Given we are spending £120m every day on our debt interests, it’s not worth the pain. The £500m could have been found through other savings rather than whacking wallets.

The top-rate of tax hits 52p with Labour’s rise in National Insurance also kicking in today. “An exploded tax-bombshell designed to go off under the future economic recovery” as Osborne put it in 2008. But he’s hardly done much to ease the pain, there’s not even a little retail therapy due to his choking rise in VAT. This is not a growth strategy.

UPDATE: It was pointed out to Guido that the gift of £600m that Cameron pledged to Pakistan yesterday is more than the tax take from this squeeze on middle-earners. But it’s ok he’s sure they are very grateful.

A spokesman for the Liberal Democrats told the BBC…

“…that plans to pay interns who work for the party ‘would not happen this year’. Nick Clegg announced the party would end voluntary internships today and establish a new more transparent system for recruiting interns. The spokesman also said that the party is currently ‘looking for funding’ to underwrite the costs.”