Wonk for Sale : The Times has an article that will seem familiar to this blog’s readers and will make a few wonks in London nervous. As the fall-out from the Doug Bandow scandal in Washington spreads – London based wonks who have taken cash to write press releases in the form of pamphlets will be keeping a low profile. Its pretty easy to work out who has been on the take, basically any think-tank that publishes favourable research which furthers the interests of any heavily regulated business will almost certainly have benefitted from corporate largesse.

The pharmaceutical industry in particular spends heavily to ensure that politicians keep the profits flowing from the taxpayers to the bottom line. An amazing number of think-tanks across the political spectrum have an interest in pharma-related issues and they all say the same things. Its like one big echo chamber.

The other suspect practise favoured by those think-tanks close to the government is cash-for-access, IPPR was a master of this wheeze. Never as crude as “give us a donation and we will introduce you to the minister”, but effectively that was the implicit deal offered. IPPR boasts of its “strong networks in government” and the flow of wonks to the civil service as special advisers (who later become well paid lobbyists) keeps the corporate cheques coming. IPPR has “partners” not clients. The IPPR pitch is careful, but clear: “partners have regular contact with our research directors to discuss the progress of projects relevant to their sector. Partners have the opportunity to get on the inside track of policy development.“ You bet they do.

If the boys and girls at Tory HQ weren’t already smiling the Indy reports they have been given a £1000 bonus each. Reports that Francis Maude has been seen in a red suit and white beard are unconfirmed.

When travelling in Europe to Brussels, Berlin or Paris, always remember to take a handbag with you. Failure to do so may cost you £7,000,000,000.

The plutocratic environmentalist Zac Goldsmith is part of the new look Cameron’s Conservatives. However over at ConservativeHome.Com the Tory troops in the comments section are beginning to mutiny and Zac looks likely to be the proxy focus of their ire. Liberalism, lesbians and racially aware lawyers may be the new order of the day at CCHQ – and why not – but the tree-hugging, old Etonian, anti-capitalist son of the billionaire corporate raider is an easy target in the making for the old guard.

“When you go into a shop and buy a sandwich it is an environmental disaster.”

Quotes like the above do seem to suggest an accident waiting to happen. As a prospective Tory MP he would have found it difficult to sign up to any previous Tory manifesto, and most Tories will find it odd to be in the electoral trenches with an anti-globalisation zealot who argues Britons are damaging the planet by eating bananas.

So is Zac going to be the proxy target for the right? Tim Worstall in The Times fired the first shot. Expect many more.

Looks like the Speccie post-Boris has gone downhill already. It has a story about a ‘coalition’ meeting held at the Adam Smith Institute on Tuesday 6 December. (The ‘coalition’ is an informal coffee morning for right-wing wonks hosted at the ASI.) This particular meeting was sparsely attended despite the mince pies – and most of those there had backed Davis. So the Speccie’s most likely source for a story about the Cameron project is suspect.

Nicholas Boles is alleged by the Speccie blogger (Dominic Cummings) to have told the ‘coalition’ “in no uncertain terms: if the Cameron project works out, then you face another decade plus of political irrelevance, no money, and no influence”. Something that does not sound very likely or authentically Boles. The Speccie blog goes on to recommend Cameron lies to the right-wing, who will it predicts, face a bleak future. Boles has complained about the article to the Speccie – he says “I said nothing of the kind. In fact, I favour a low tax economy, Policy Exchange, of which I’m the Director, has just brought out a new publication arguing for more school choice and I’m an outspoken supporter of the decision to withdraw from the EPP.”

On reflection Guido thinks its tactical genius to canvass liberals for support and destabilise Charlie at the same time. With Charlie gone by spring say, the LibDems will be plunged into civil war with the choice of Menzies Campbell, their answer to Malcolm Rifkind, Mark Oaten their answer to Basher Davis or Simon Hughes, the darling of the LibDem’s backroom boys. Any of the above will probably be less attractive to the voters than the ginger drinker. Cheers Cameron!

From the BBC website:

Either he uses NIS in Hemel Hempstead or he has forgotten to put 10p in the meter.

Parliament Square Christmas Carols
6pm, Wednesday, 21st December 2005

Details.

Legal Implications:
Please note that if you attend this carol service, it will classify as a spontaneous demonstration (of faith, hope, joy and/or religious tolerance) and there is a possibility that you will be cautioned or arrested under Section 132 of the Serious and Organised Crimes and Police Act 2005.