They say denial comes before acceptance, and that certainly seems to be how Andrew Mitchell is dealing with losing his position in the Cabinet. Guido hears that Thrasher has yet to vacate his ministerial-grade office for a more plebeian backbench-grade parliamentary office, despite resigning six months ago to the day.

Given he is not likely to be back in the Cabinet any time soon, it really is time to let it go…

UPDATE: A colleague tells Guido that Mitchell has been asked to move several times but is refusing.

UPDATE (15:45): Andrew Mitchell’s office have released the following statement:

“We have seen the story about Andrew Mitchell’s office.  Your story is completely untrue. Andrew offered to move but Sir George Young did not want to.  No-one has asked Andrew to move since.”

Thrasher has found the perfect job to fill his empty hours now he is only a mere MP, and bide his time before he departs for Europe. Guido can reveal that the former chief whip has been appointed a senior adviser to Montrose Associates, a strategic intelligence  firm specialising in dealing with reputational damage. He will be raking in £36,000-a-year in his new post. Michael Crick is going to be busy…

Sir Doug Ellis is a name more familiar with the footballing world than the Westminster bubble, yet the former chairman of Aston Villa football club has just opened his cheque book to donate £10,000 to Andrew Mitchell.

Word of an interesting tale from Ellis’ Villa tenure reaches Guido – back in the day the authoritarian chairman was engaged in fairly brutal boardroom battles with his arch-nemesis Bill Dugdale. And just who is Sir William “Bill” Dugdale?

None other than David Cameron’s uncle…

Not content with claiming to have his honour all but restored, important to a man with such a long and distinguished military career, Andrew Mitchell is stepping up his fight and going directly after Met boss Bernard Hogan Howe. As Guido pointed out the other day, the heat is on the Commissioner after his very public backing of the officers involved, despite the fact that even the Police Federation are running for the hills now. Mitchell says he has ‘no confidence’ in Hogan Howe, but how he can totally clear his name still remains to be seen. Perhaps one of them should hire the services of Jon Gaunt, the former DJ, who did spin wonders for the Police Federation’s campaign back in the autumn…