Surrey Herald & News are reporting that Asif Ayub, Tory councillor for Ashford East in Spelthorne, has been found guilty of five counts of assaulting his ex-girlfriend. Readers will remember Ayub as the Tory MP hopeful who described David Cameron as the “Messiah“ at party conference in 2012. What is it at the moment with Tories and violently assaulting their girlfriends?
Speaking on BBC Hereford and Worcester, Chuka Umunna has some trouble working out where he is:
“I doubt most people on the streets in Hereford and Wichita know what a local enterprise partnership is about”
Superficially it looks like Michael Dugher has been elbowed out to some degree as the party rearranges the deckchairs this afternoon. Wee Dougie has three brand new campaign deputies to work under him as chair of election strategy: Gloria De Piero will work with broadcasters, Jon Ashworth with candidates and Toby Perkins with the Parliamentary Labour Party. They all receive warm words from their new boss:
“Gloria, Toby, and Jonathan have all contributed significantly to our work in recent months and I’m pleased to now formalise their places within Labour’s election team. I’m delighted to appoint them to key roles as Labour gears up to fight the next General Election.”
A footnote to Labour’s announcement is that Dugher “will continue to oversee communications and will lead negotiations for Ed Miliband on the TV Leaders’ Debates”. And Dougie has no kind words to say about him either. Ouch…
Alternative Kremlinology is that Gloria, Toby and Jonathan are actually Dugher’s allies and that they will act as a buffer between him and Wee Dougie – given they are barely on civil terms. Dougie, according to this analysis, is now encircled by deputies who are loyal to Dugher. And the band plays on…
The speech Ed Miliband has just given to the Policy Network wasn’t a speech, it was a brief for a speech.
An intern, a 27-year-old policy poppet would have written a series of notes for the Leader:
We need to support a culture of long-termism. How do we say that in human?
It’s about people. People being the most important asset. Is there a way of saying that that isn’t fifty years old?
We need to celebrate business. Obviously we can’t just say that.
Browsing the Parliamentary Intranet, as is his wont, Guido has come across the ‘The Diversity and Inclusion Awards’ that took place on Monday. Another Bercow wheeze that we are paying for. “All parliamentary passholders are eligible to be recognised by the annual award”, and apparently the judges “had a hard job to choose from the high calibre of nominations, over 40 of which were submitted.” Don’t all rush at once.
Congratulations to all the worthy winners, in these powerful categories:
Embedding Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Runner-up: Martin Smith (Deputy Business Relationship Manager, PICT)
Winner: John Thursfield (Portfolio Manager, DHRC) and Salma Dean (Peer’s staff)Catalyst for Change
Runner-up: Polly Meeks (Inquiry Manager, International Development Committee, DCCS)
Winner: Catherine Tyack (Joint Clerk, Public Administration Select Committee, DCCS)Most Improved in Access and Inclusion
Runner-up: Dane Smith (Visits Officer, Parliamentary Education Service, DIS)
Winner: Tony Williams (House of Commons Information Office, DIS)Inspiring Role Model
Runner-up: Tom Goldsmith (Head of the Office of the Chief Executive, OCE)
Winner: Abiola Babalola (Senior Management Accountant, DF)Special Recognition Award
The judges also conferred a Special Recognition Award to someone who was noted for having made a number of contributions to different areas of Parliament, including work on equality analyses across Parliament, support to individuals, and co-chairing of ParliOUT.
Winner: Jenny Radcliffe (Business Change and Project Manager, Security Arrangements Renewal Programme, Office of the Parliamentary Security Director)
The only catalyst for any change that Guido can see here, is towards a new speaker.
Japanese politician Ryutaro Nonomura has committed career harakiri, spectacularly bursting into tears at a press conference over questions about him fiddling his expenses:
[jwplatform src=”http://content.jwplatform.com/players/6hCYbAUY-mCjhiWMJ.js”]
Guido would like to see this level of remorse a little closer to home…
UPDATE: In GIF form:
