As Guido revealed in yesterday’s Sun column, there is some truth to the much-levelled charge that Downing Street is overrun with “kids”. The PM’s team is smaller and younger than at any point in the last ten years. The Prime Minister’s Office currently employs 181 staffers, almost 50 fewer than at the peak of Tony Blair’s government. Their average age is 39, lower than any point in the last ten years other than 2004/5, when it was the same. And they’ve been getting younger since Dave took office…

With Nick Clegg away somewhere, sadly we won’t learn what he is getting up to tonight for Valentine’s evening, but news of the other two party leaders has trickled out. Dave told an audience on the Eastleigh stump today that he had not done “that well at Valentine Day this morning”, so he is apparently cooking for Sam at the No.10 flat. Meanwhile Ed will be having a Chinese takeaway at his mansion in Primrose Hill. He told the Guardian that he would be catching up on BBC drama The Hour, adding sinisterly “There may also be a surprise.” Lets hope it’s a better costed one than his tax plan today…

This week’s PMQs was enjoyed greatly in the Guy Newsroom, with both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition referencing our stories. Ed revealed himself as an avid reader of Guido’s new Sun column, bashing the PM for auctioning a portrait of himself for £100,000 at a Tory fundraiser. Here is how Guido revealed it on Sunday:

“When Cameron gave his tough European referendum speech Tory HQ treasurers were delighted to see a flood of donations come into the coffers. The tough EU stance goes down well with true blue donors, this week one of them bid £100,000 at a fundraiser for a portrait of the PM.”

Then Dave hit back by mocking Ed’s “major speech” tomorrow, noting that it will contain no new policy announcements. Yesterday Guido was leaked Labour foghorn Christine Quigley’s email admitting that “It won’t have any new policies in it”, despite being dutifully trailed by the Staggers as one to watch. It all got too much for one Page 3-lover, as the green-eyed monster struck:

Astonishing – Prime Minister reduced to reading stories out from @GuidoFawkes 's blog re Ed M. Good for Staines though. #pmqs #toryspinners—
Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) February 13, 2013

The Guidoisation of politics continues…

UPDATE: An actual attribution from Nick Robinson. Truly a red letter day:

Vid via @liarpoliticians

An absolutely damning assessment of Dave and George’s broken promises from the Taxpayers’ Alliance this morning. “No plans to increase VAT”, VAT increased to 20%. “The next Conservative government will increase the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million”, inheritance tax limit frozen. What ever happened to the Conservatives?

A great little spot from Richard Kay this morning: the PM has received £7,500 worth of personal training from fitness guru Matt Roberts. Guido has been checking out what’s on offer, it turns out Roberts’ other clients include none other than Naomi Campbell, Mel C and John “David Ward” Galliano.

He promises “bespoke settings that represent the fitness and health industry equivalent of a fine dining restaurant or a beautiful boutique hotel”, and has clubs in Mayfair and Chelsea.

Just £150-a-session, but of course Dave gets it for free…

As Dave announces the details of this afternoon’s deal it it worth looking back at what some of his opponents have said in the past. Here is what Emma Reynolds, Labour’s Shadow Europe Minister, told SkyNews in November: “If he does get a good deal for British taxpayers then we will commend him for that but we wait to see the outcome of the negotiations”. The PM will no doubt be looking forward to her congratulations…

Dave has got his deal, with the EU budget facing a real-terms cut. As seems to be the way nowadays, it was announced on Twitter:

Deal done! #euco has agreed on #MFF for the rest of the decade. Worth waiting for.—
Herman Van Rompuy (@euHvR) February 08, 2013

Secretive European Parliament president and Labour ally Martin Schulz is livid – saying the deal has been done according to the “lowest common denominator” – which must be a good thing. Britain’s contribution is still going to rise, however. We await the details…

UPDATE: It is worth remembering that this is hardly a win for the British taxpayer:

Clearly a huge victory for David Cameron: looks like he's managed to increase the UK contributions!—
Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) February 08, 2013

The noises from Brussels are positive this morning, the overnight negotiations have almost finished, the briefings and spinning has begun. In November the Commission’s demand for €973 billion was revised down to €942 billion. Final figure said to be as little as €908 billion – which would be a real terms cut. It should be borne in mind that in 2011 Britain was targeting a budget settlement of €886 billion, so €908 billion is not quite the unalloyed success that will be claimed by Downing Street. In fact it may turn out to be all smoke and mirrors. The only real test is will the British financial payment to the EU go up…

Guido said last week that Dave Denies Debt Truth, the boss of the Office for National Statistics, Andrew Dilnot, agrees. He has given Downing Street a slap, though Osborne will be pleased with the confirmation that the deficit is down by a quarter…

Every year swathes of boozed-up Brits cross the channel and wreak havoc on the continent. According to one of David Cameron’s allies in the European Conservatives and Reformists group, UKIP are the prime culprits. Derk-Jan Eppink isn’t happy:

“If they get drunk they get very dangerous. They present themselves as white knights but they are not. They are sort of hooligans, bar fighters…apart from Nigel Farage.”

In Guido’s experience they have been able to hold their drink. Well, most of them…

H/T @poljourno