Well that was quick:

Bizarrely, I just walked past David Miliband in the street. Hope he is enjoying the glorious weather, and gets a prominent Guardian apology—
Louise Mensch (@LouiseMensch) April 10, 2013

The apology in question relates to a Guardian editorial rather awkwardly claiming Miliband defended extraordinary rendition. Their mea culpa in full:

“In an editorial about the resignation of David Miliband we made an incorrect reference to “his role in defending extraordinary rendition of terrorist suspects”. He has never defended extraordinary rendition, nor the evidence gained from torture in court cases. We apologise unreservedly for stating otherwise.”

What would Brian say?

On Guido yesterday and in the Mail today: your views on the BBC’s less than fair and balanced homepage:

Writing on political blog Guido Fawkes, one reader said: ‘Even the Biased-BBC’s headline “Hague justifies cost of funeral” – is terrifically biased. No other paper is even questioning the cost.
‘They are as out of touch and as doomed as the Guardian.’

Another said: ‘The BBC has become a case for privatisation.
‘Then these lefty fat cats feeding greedily off the public will see whether we want to pay for their propaganda, or their endless interviews with yesterday’s loony left. And we’d get the proceeds of the sale towards debt.’

A third added: ‘The only mistake the Lady made was not to sell the BBC to the highest bidder.’

When the leader of the Labour Party gives a classier assessment than our national broadcaster it says it all…

Every great Briton gets talked down eventually, but Guido wasn’t expecting it to happen so quickly. This is the BBC news homepage this morning, offering such delights as “what if Margaret Thatcher had never been?”, “Thatcher ‘racist’” and “the TV was turned off when she came on”. And so it begins…

Via @edwestonline

You could hardly imagine a busier first day in the office for Tim Montgomerie as the Times‘ new comment editor. It must also have been some baptism of fire for his replacement over at ConHome, Paul Goodman. Meanwhile not only did the prolific Peter Oborne tell us to marvel at Maggie in the Telegraph, he also managed to pen an obituary for the Mail as well. At least they were both consistent…

Guido shares a page with the Prime Minister in today’s Sun. Dave makes the case for welfare reform, and in Guido’s column you can read all about:

• Lynton Crosby’s effect on Osborne
• Ed Balls and the bookie
• Michael Meacher’s bedroom tax fears
• Ed Miliband’s sauna
• Where’s Chuka? Somewhere far cooler than “full of trash” London
• Gorgeous George and his harem
• Tony is still a “straight kinda guy”

Politics for the people, all for only 60p…

Given that a skeleton Indy staff are expected to work on three newspapers and a website, it’s hardly surprising things like this happen. And that’s before the TV station launches…

Worth reading what Osborne has had to say this lunchtime as well…

UPDATE: You can watch in full here.

A great signing for the Telegraph: Kelvin MacKenzie has been snapped up as a weekly columnist. His first effort asks why the Prime Mentalist has been popping in for cosy chats with Keir Starmer, the Director of Public Prosecutions.

That’ll be one for the PCC then…

Today’s Guardian splashes on millions of leaked emails revealing the “secrets of the super-rich” using offshore tax havens to hide vast sums of money from the Exchequer. One company was missing from the list: GMG Hazel Acquisition 1 Limited, registered and still active on the Cayman Islands. The last time Guido asked the company’s owners, Guardian Media Group, for an explanation he was told their spokesperson was, er, abroad. When Guido asked Liz Forgan of the Scott Trust what was going on, she tried to blame it on Apax, GMG’s investment partner. Even Alan Rusbridger promised to look in to it, making a note of the company name on his phone.

Always one to help their journalists get to the bottom of the mystery, Guido suggests the Guardian’s investigations team take a look at the following:

• If GMG Hazel Acquisition 1 Limited holds no assets, why have its owners continued to pay registration fees since 2007 so it can remain an active company?
• If it does hold assets what is the total present value of GMG and associated companies’ assets held via the Cayman Islands or other offshore tax havens?
• Does GMG Hazel Acquisition 1 Limited have “sham” nominee directors, if so, who are they?

If they could answer these questions, now that would be a great story…

Further reading on the Guardian’s tax hypocrisy:

• Guidorama Investigation: Guardian Offices Owned Offshore
• The Guardian: Uncut and Full of Cant
• Guy News Special: Inside the Guardian’s Tax Dodges
• Tax Avoidance Firm Slammed By Guardian Advises Guardian
• The Guardian’s Poll Tax Moment
• Guardian Attacks the Tax Status of the Guardian
• Guardian’s Tax Hypocrisy is Ridiculous