Today sees the launch of the Department of Health’s consultation on plain packaging for tobacco. It is said to have the full support of the Andrew Lansley, unlike the last such nannying measure to come out of Whitehall – minimum pricing of alcohol. It was left to Theresa May to make a cack-handed public order defence for minimum pricing after the Health Secretary reportedly refused to lead the campaign. Health sources say the discrepancy is down to what is considered acceptable levels – Lansley believes there to be no acceptable level of smoking where as there are acceptable levels of boozing, but Guido isn’t convinced by the logic. Both measures are patronising nanny-statism of the worst kind and should be opposed. 

As far as Guido can tell, the last time a Ministerial Statement was rushed on to the Friday agenda was when we bombed Libya. Given that the government has bombed quite enough already this week, unsurprisingly this rushed distraction job is not having the desired effect. It failed to push the Granny Tax off of the front pages and has gone down like the proverbial dodgy pint. Theresa May is not helping matters by constantly talking about “pre-loading” to describe drinking cheap alcohol at home before going out. It seems she alone has coined this phrase…

UPDATE: Yvette just gave the Home Secretary a good going over declaring that May “is being used as human shield and she should have said no”. The Shadow Home Secretary also confirmed that there have only been three statements on a Friday in last decade. Two were concerning war and the other Swine Flu.

Good luck trying this Mr Romney/Gingrich/Santorum…

The days of the Young Conservatives being a marriage bureau are long gone, but all is not lost for lonely Tory hearts. The YC’s reincarnation Conservative Future are hosting a Valentine’s Ball. Organisers must be a little worried about the pulling potential for the young right wingers though…

It’s masked…

The career of Guido’s 2nd favourite LibDem, Lembit Opik, has taken another spectacular turn:

A great stunt by rock and roll kids The Good Suns.

FLASHBACK:

It’s been a long eight months…

Good on Labour’s Farooq Ahmed for declaring he will remain a councillor in Rochdale, despite being grassed up by his own team for smoking a spliff. Having been booted out of the Labour Party, he was going to resign his office, yet now declares he has “overwhelming support from the local community”. Surely the LibDems will welcome him with open arms?

Guido isn’t quite sure what to make of Jacqui Smith throwing some shapes…

Good on Egyptian blogger Aliaa Magda Elmahdy. She posted a naked picture of herself on her blog and it’s launched a national debate in Egypt about sex, women, morality and freedom.

It’s not safe for work/pre-Mubarak Egyptian society, but her site has had over a million and half views since. Guido will be posting his own topless pictures in solidarity later…

Yesterday the Express reported that the militant head-bangers over at the NASUWT were ordering their members

“not to put up festive decorations or help produce Nativity plays and carol concerts in a dispute which could go on for months. Union rules say that members will be expected to “stick rigidly” to the 32.5-hour working week. They will also be told to refuse to perform any duties on a list of “21 administrative and clerical tasks that should not be routinely carried out by teachers” according to a national document outlining pay and conditions.”

Bah humbug etc! 

So imagine Guido’s amusement when this invitation reached his inbox this morning:

Will the NASUWT officials bother putting the tinsel up for this one? Or is organising their own Christmas party an “administrative and clerical tasks that should not be routinely carried out by teachers”? They couldn’t have anything interfering with their strict adherence to that 32.5 hour week now could they…