It’s not every day you get to talk about druids on national television…

Today’s Mail has picked up on Guido’s scoops regarding the ongoing battle between CCHQ and Roger Helmer MEPs. Tory MPs are now bombarding the chairman’s office with letters demanding that Rupert Matthews is allowed to take over when Helmer resigns, in line with convention. One bit of shameless spin made Guido chuckle:

“However, if Mr Helmer stands down, the returning officer would ask Mr Matthews to become an MEP as the next in line Tory on the list. Party chiefs would have to approve his candidacy, however, and sources say they cannot do so because he has dropped off the list of candidates. A senior source denied Baroness Warsi was trying to manipulate the East Midlands list.”

A bit of dodgy briefing there. The only reason Matthews “has dropped off the list”, is because Warsi threw him off…

UPDATE: Guido understands Crick is doing a bit of a hatchet job on Rupert Matthews for Channel 4 News tonight.

Yesterday’s capitalism bunfight sent the spin machines into overdrive. Guido was amused by these two…

In a statement given to ConservativeHome Tory MEP Roger Helmer has confirmed Guido’s many stories about the “mexican stand-off” he is in with Warsi and CCHQ:

I have made it clear that I will not sign the formal resignation papers until the position is clarified and Rupert is confirmed. I was happy to resign in favour of the next-in-line in the normal way, but I am not prepared to stand aside for some A-List Cameron protégée from St. John’s Wood. However the Party says it will not call the panel and make the decision until I do resign. So we have a Mexican stand-off.

I think that both I and Rupert (and our respective families) are entitled to some certainty and resolution on the issue. Accordingly I have indicated to the Party Chairman that if the situation is not resolved within a few weeks, I shall withdraw my offer to resign. 

I have also made it clear to the Party Chairman that I believe that my obligations on this point have been fully and finally discharged by my offer, made in good faith, to resign. Accordingly, if I am obliged to stay in place until 2014, I shall feel no further sense of obligation or responsibility to the Party.

You read about his resignation, and the ensuing battle here, here and here first.

Regular readers will be aware of the final battle between outgoing Tory MEP Roger Helmer and CCHQ. Helmer was meant to resign at the beginning of the month, but has refused to budge until Rupert Matthews, the next person on the East Midlands Tory list, has been confirmed as his successor. Tory Chairman Sayeeda Warsi has been pushing for a woman to be parachuted in instead, but it seems she is losing the fight. Guido’s eyes and ears in Strasbourg report that Matthews will be out there this week for meetings with Martin Callanan the Tory group leader, the Whips and assorted allies. Guido understands that he will even be at the enthronement of the new EU Parliament President, for his sins. It’s looking increasingly tough for Warsi to halt this now…

The latest internal CCHQ newsletter for the Midlands welcomes Rupert Matthews as Roger Helmer MEP’s replacement. It even has a whole article about his preparations for taking over. It was sent out by the official Conservative’s Midlands ofice and, given the ongoing row over the succession, HQ might have something to say about it. It’s looking increasingly difficult for Sayeeda Warsi and Co. to block Matthews becoming an MEP, as they have  spent the last few months trying to do…

See also: Helmer’s Last CCHQ Battle, Helmer No Longer Resigning, Helmer’s Un-Resignation 

In November Guido was digging around the Conservative Arab Network, an organisation not affiliated to the Tories, yet one that used their branding. The problem came when a lobbyist was using it on his business card. The CAN website quickly ditched the tree and Guido followed up with news that they had been struck off of Companies House, despite continuing to fundraise and hold events.

Since then they have officially applied for affiliate status with CCHQ, but a decision has not yet been made by the Party Board. CAN seem to  be launching a new website today, complete with Tory branding, despite the rules prohibiting this. Guido will be looking out to see whether Trey Barnes, the aforementioned defence lobbyist, will be featured on the new site. A little birdy tells him that he and his partner Sophie de Schwartzburg-Gunther, who was also a former CAN director, are out of the group…

Back in October, Guido broke the news that the Conservative MEP Roger Helmer had handed a letter of resignation to CCHQ. This blog was also first with the fact that CCHQ were doing their utmost to stop Rupert Matthews, the next candidate on the East Midlands party list and Helmer’s preferred successor, from being anointed. Well once again Guido is first with the news: Roger Helmer won’t be resigning after all.

Helmer’s resignation was supposed to be effective of today, but as party chairman Sayeeda Warsi is apparently insisting on someone other than Matthews, apparently “a less-geeky woman”, takes over, Helmer has decided to dig his boots in. A European co-conspiritor told Guido last night “Roger won’t be going anywhere unless Rupert is guaranteed.” CCHQ sources insist that they won’t be budging on this one, so it looks like Helmer will be staying. Once again, the Tory high-command’s gender-agenda has created an almighty mess…

Newsnight gave Ed a pasting last night, but sometimes a graph is all you need. Left Foot Forward have hit the spot:

Half the country thinks he possess absolutely no qualities worth noting. Guido hears that CCHQ strategists have scrapped an attack on Ed’s leadership pencilled in for Friday morning, post by-election defeat…

The blogger Ian Silvera has processed the data of how many interns are employed, for free, by politicians. Bad news for the Tories this morning as it emerges that the practice of exploiting slave labour goes to the very top of government. The worst offender by far is Jeremy Hunt, who has taken on seven unpaid interns in the last year. Mark Harper, Dominic Grieve and Andrew Mitchell have had three recreational bag-carriers a piece, while other members of the Cabinet, including Lansley, Gillan, and Greening have all recruited gratis support. Once CCHQ and the backbenchers are also scrutinised, the number of unpaid interns the Tories have used in the last year is at least 125. And they were the ones that were merely advertised rather than auctioned!

UPDATE:

Multi-millionaire Jeremy Hunt, Cabinet minister's salary £134,565, paid himself £2 million bonus last year. Total pay to 7 interns: £0.00.—
Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) December 05, 2011

Which reminds Guido of one of his favourite ever Guy News videos…