In the run up to the pitched battle over social care at yesterday’s PMQs, Labour councillors had firstly criticised the Government’s policy and then mysteriously withdrew their names from the letter in very mysterious circumstances.  The Times reports:

“Iain Malcolm, of South Tyneside, was the only council leader to return calls from The Times, which approached all councils and individuals involved. He said the decision to remove his councillor’s name was entirely his own after she had told him of the situation. He was unable to explain why his e-mail was identical in wording and style to other retractions.”

He also failed to mention that he spins for controversial lobbying firm Sovereign Strategy and is David Miliband’s election agent…

In times gone by honourable men when disgraced would enjoy a last brandy before reaching for their revolver.  Now “right honourable” men when disgraced become lobbyists.  Andrew MacKay was the “senior political parliamentary adviser to David Cameron” (according to a statement he made to the police).

Having with his MP wife Julie Kirkbride double-claimed for mortgage expenses for years he is lucky not to be facing charges.  He tried to spin his way out when he was caught but an enraged local Conservative Party membership ousted him acrimoniously.  So much for MacKay’s crisis management spin skills.

On Monday Dave told us that about

“… the next big scandal waiting to happen. It’s an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money.  I’m talking about lobbying – and we all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisors for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way… It arouses people’s worst fears and suspicions about how our political system works, with money buying power, power fishing for money and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest…  if we win the election, we will take a lead on this issue by making sure that ex-ministers are not allowed to use their contacts and knowledge – gained while being paid by the public to serve the public – for their own private gain.

Andrew MacKay is Cameron’s ex-adviser, his dubious ethics are now a matter of public record.  Why wait until he is Prime Minister, Dave can demonstrate the truth of his words by signalling that MacKay is no longer part of the “cosy club at the top”, that he will take a lead and not let MacKay use his contacts for his private gain.  MacKay should be shown the cold shoulder by the shadow cabinet.

Yesterday Dave had a go at the hidden hand in our democracy:

Now we all know that expenses has dominated politics for the last year. But if anyone thinks that cleaning up politics means dealing with this alone and then forgetting about it, they are wrong. Because there is another big issue that we can no longer ignore.  It is the next big scandal waiting to happen. It’s an issue that crosses party lines and has tainted our politics for too long, an issue that exposes the far-too-cosy relationship between politics, government, business and money.  I’m talking about lobbying – and we all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisors for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way…

We don’t know who is meeting whom. We don’t know whether any favours are being exchanged. We don’t know which outside interests are wielding unhealthy influence. This isn’t a minor issue with minor consequences. Commercial interests – not to mention government contracts – worth hundreds of billions of pounds are potentially at stake.  I believe that secret corporate lobbying, like the expenses scandal, goes to the heart of why people are so fed up with politics. It arouses people’s worst fears and suspicions about how our political system works, with money buying power, power fishing for money and a cosy club at the top making decisions in their own interest.

We can’t go on like this. I believe it’s time we shone the light of transparency on lobbying in our country and forced our politics to come clean about who is buying power and influence.  Politics should belong to people, not big business or big unions, and we need to sort this out. So if we win the election, we will take a lead on this issue by making sure that ex-ministers are not allowed to use their contacts and knowledge – gained while being paid by the public to serve the public – for their own private gain.

Anyone involved in politics knows that lobbyists infest politics, lobbyists become politicians, politicians become lobbyists.  It is a sordid underhand, undemocratic trade practised out of sight of the voters and taxpayers.  Ex-ministers having to wait an extra year before profiting from their inside contacts is a minor improvement.  In the interests of having a transparent democracy we need to move towards a system where all contact between those who are seeking to modify, hinder or help the passage of any legislation have to declare and register their contacts with politicians and civil servants.  Lobbyists are covertly subverting democracy, it should be a criminal offence.

Is Dave really up for taking on the lobbyists?  Guido so wants to believe he would.  However look at the new Tory benches and the new intake of PPCs. Lobbyists and former lobbyists easily outnumber all other trades.  Obama said much the same thing, before he appointed lobbyists to his administration…

How many times has Dave met power lobbyists like Matthew Freud, Alan Parker and Roland Rudd? We know he socialises with them, parties with them, holidays with them and even hops on their private jets. Is that a bit too cosy?

Bad Al Campbell is decrying Andy Coulson for “bullying”. Where does one start?

Campbell drove a man to his grave.  He is the model for Malcolm Tucker, he lied and bullied all his days in Downing Street.  Damian McBride was just a cut price version of his predecessor.  Watch his face in this classic encounter when Michael Howard goes all j’ accuse…

Coulson now spends his days bullying tabloid editors.  Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose…

Like Cinderella it turns out that despite cancelling their own party, Bell Pottinger’s Peter Bingle shall go to the Tory ball. They are sponsoring Policy Exchange’s party at the Conservative conference.  Rumours of a six figure sponsorship deal turn out to be spin from rivals.  A “four-figure party” Guido is told. 

Hope there will be enough canapes to go round…

Will caveat this story with a warning that no one concerned has confirmed (or denied) the veracity of the story. Did try to confirm it with Cameron’s spokesgirl, but she is probably too busy with Twatgate…

According to an impeccable source, Roland Rudd had David Cameron over to his Holland Park mansion for dinner at the beginning of the month. Rudd is the spinmeister for Oleg Deripaska, Nat Rothschild and a few nationalised and bailed out banks, including if Guido’s memory serves him right, Lloyds and RBS.  (Rudd is also a good mate of Robert Peston, who coincidentally had the inside track on those same banks during the banking crisis).

Didn’t the Tories claim recently they were telling lobbyists to “back off”?  Odd therefore that the party leader is dining with Rudd.  Guido hopes he supped with a long spoon.  Rudd represents a number of corporate interests critically exposed to government regulation – BSkyB, BAA, and telecoms companies like Cable & Wireless and Vodafone.  No doubt his clients at the bailed out banks are critically keen to protect their interests and bonuses as well.

We seem to be on the path to transparency in politics – the incoming Tory administration is committed to opening up the workings of both  parliament and government to sunlight.  Fine words and promises…

What about the shady world of political lobbying?  People like Roland Rudd, Matthew Freud and Alan Parker are not in favour of an open democracy.  When they lubricate corporate deals with politicians behind closed doors, or nowadays more likely on private beaches, on behalf of their clients you can be sure that the interests of the taxpayers and voters are not on their minds.  Osborne has learnt his lesson with Yachtgate, Cameron should likewise distance himself from these corporate schmoozers. 

Guido’s five year Porkbusters campaign against troughing by MPs is now winding down.  Guido’s new campaign over the coming years will be to highlight the fat cats of spin and their hidden hand in politics, in particular how they corrupt and seduce politicians.  Ironically Cameron is an ex-corporate spinmeister himself.  Guido thinks it extremely unhealthy for democracy that the next Prime Minister is hitching freebie lifts on Matthew Freud’s jet to Santorini, or taking a beach holiday in South Africa with Brunswick boss Alan Parker.  It is human nature to be helpful to people who have been generous hosts towards you.  That politeness is ruthlessly exploited by the likes of these spinmeisters: there is no such thing as a free ride on a jet…

UPDATE : Cameron’s office have got in touch to say it was more like a year ago rather than a month ago that he last dined with Roland Rudd.