Tom Watson has been in Court today as a witness in Jim Devine’s fraud trial,  The Telegraph reports that Devine alleges that Watson and Labour whip Steven McCabe told him when “merry” in the Strangers Bar that he could take money from his office allowance to resolve his staffing problems. All he would need is a “friendly printers” to knock up the receipts. Not an excuse in law and both men deny the conversation ever happened, but it was the mention of “friendly printers” that got Guido thinking. What is a “friendly printer”?

Surely an organisation that was run by former Labour staffers and with a willingness to send differently worded invoices for the same product must be a “friendly printer”. Public Impact Printers are a “friendly printer” who were so helpful to the current Shadow Justice Secretary. Chris Huhne knows a thing or two about “friendly printers” too. Especially that one based in the same building as his constituency office.

Today is the day that Tom Watson predicted Andy Coulson would resign. He was clearly woefully inaccurate, out by 96 hours, but then he also said it would be over by Christmas. In the same long rambling piece from a couple of weeks ago, Watson suggested that the same excellent source told him the Cameron was planning to go to the country in May. Needless to say most people dismissed the idea immediately, and they are highly likely to be right, however since Watson’s Coulson tip nearly came true, Guido has been thinking. The CCHQ research department has been restocked after being raided for SpAds, the press office has been boosted by the unexpected return of Henry Macrory and the digital team is beefing up. Are they on a war footing?

The LibDems would be obliterated by an early election and Miliband has not had enough time to settle into the role, so you can see the logic. The only problem being that Dave doesn’t want to obliterate the LibDems.

UPDATE: Eagle-eyed commenters notice that Political Betting suggested yesterday that Tom Watson’s source should be revisted. Guido hadn’t seen the piece, it was the jobs in CCHQ that got him thinking, but they do point out another factor – the Tories are certainly the only ones who could afford an election.

It’s no surprise that Tom Watson has taken to opposition so well, surreally Guido even got to collect an award on behalf of the attack dog last week. However Watson’s out of the blue claim that Coulson is off imminently is nothing but traffic grabbing bluster. Of course Number 10 dismissed the claim as such almost instantly, but then it’s still another day that village gossip is once again full of chatter. Job offers have apparently come Coulson’s way…

Stories concerning the government and Dave in the last few weeks show Coulson hasn’t had his eye 100% on the ball, and that’s before the silent war in Downing Street is even considered. There may not be a smoking gun, but no doubt Hilton and his “zen men” are enjoying the constant drip drip drip. Expert punters don’t agree with Watson and it’s going to take more than a letter with an exaggerated claim to push Coulson over the edge…

As the phone “hacking” saga gets its debate in the House, and now a Standards and Privileges Committee investigation, new levels of hysteria have been reached. Tom Watson is demanding that Rupert Murdoch to be called before Parliament to answer for himself. Don’t hold your breath mate…

Given journalists left, right and centre are openly admitting, sometimes live on TV, that the practice of listening to other people’s answer-phone messages was widespread, you must wonder how papers like the Observer and the Mirror are justifying their Coulson onslaught. Back in 2002 a crowded room of showbiz reporters cheered and laughed as a Sun hack blamed Vodafone, who were sponsoring the event, for their lax security that enabled the Mirror to get their exclusives. When the Guardian wrote it up back then, they knew exactly what was meant and didn’t bat an eyelid.

Labour’s case is undone by only targeting News International and making this a big bad Murdoch attack. If they were really as concerned as they are pretending to be then they wouldn’t be focussing their fire on just one publication…

Well it’s taking some getting used to for Guido, but Tom Watson is certainly taking to his new role as chief-thorn-in-the-coalition-side. One of the benefits of going from government to opposition is you know where the bodies are buried. He knows his way around the Cabinet Office too. Though he seems to have been stonewalled on getting the government hospitality wine cellar list published, he is aiming slightly higher now…

First there was his report on government cars and who has actually given them up and who hasn’t, now this morning he has released his research into private offices and found Hague costs the taxpayer three times more than Vince Cable. Caveats like security and breadth of brief aside, it makes for an interesting read. No surprise that Caroline Spelman feels she needs twelve personal staff to assist her at DEFRA.

This is from last night, but Guido was waiting for decent-quality footage to appear online of his old mucker Tom Watson losing it in the Commons and managing to break pretty much all established Parliamentary protocol in one sentence. It’s fair to say he doesn’t like Michael Gove very much:

Note the apology was only out of “deference” to Bercow, who for obvious reasons wouldn’t like the term pip-squeak.

Tom Watson has a new bee in his bonnet.  Like so many Labour MPs who are finding it deeply “unfair” that they are no longer in power, Watson has decided to try carry on the scorched earth-policy from the other side of the Commons chamber.  Because he no longer gets to quaff it, our old friend has started a justified campaign to have Government Hospitality, a unit that answers the Foreign Office, sell off their entire wine cellar. The mandarins are strangely stalling  at the first stage with the fairly astonishing excuse they get such a good deal on the wine that they couldn’t possibly reveal how much it costs. Offers too good to be true?

Tom and Guido have had their moments in the past but for once there is some common ground here, other than an appreciation for a good bottle. However for someone so willing to rebel against his own party in government, be it on the Digital Economy Bill or instigating a coup against their most successful leader ever, it’s mighty strange that only now that he finds himself in opposition is he willing to take up this new cause.

For many years Gary Elsby was a regular contributor to the comments on this blog, much to the amusement of fellow co-conspirators. So it is without hesitation that Guido endorses his campaign “to do battle” and “carry the torch of socialism.”

The former Stoke Labour Party constituency secretary is standing as an independent, this is a bit of collateral damage in advance of the full-scale civil war that will come following a Labour defeat. Mandelson is trying to hold the line against the Whelan-Balls-Brown axis which is putting its placemen into upcoming seats using UNITE’s muscle with Tom Watson enforcing the faction’s advantage wherever he can. Mandelson in private sees the battle for Labour’s soul as his primary mission having calculated that Labour is likely to face at least one, if not two terms out of office.

The exit of so many Blairites has been a tawdry money-grubbing affair which has strengthened the Brownite / UNITE hand with ordinary disgusted Labour Party activists.  Mandelson has weakened his hand by misjudging matters and insisting that a “toff” like Tristram should be a standard bearer for his faction.

All in all, Stoke promises to be a foretaste of the chaos that will engulf the Labour Party following election day…

Tom Watson explaining his opposition to libel reform…

“… personal experience of the current CFA arrangements has helped my understanding of how the system works.”

Details are a little sketchy tonight, but Guido understands that there has been a last minute ambush of Jack Straw’s libel reform bill in the Select Committee on Statutory Instruments.

The ambush was apparently galvanised by Tom Watson, with the support of Chris Mullins, Peter Kilfoyle, Jim Sheridan and Julie Kirkbride.

It seems inexplicable, the reform carries widespread support across all parties. Cynics note that some of last minute opponents had in the past benefitted from Conditional Fee Arrangements (CFAs). Others point to the closeness to former speaker Michael Martin, who opposes the reforms in the Lords. Others note that some of the oppents have themselves been beneficiaries of CFAs . Solicitors Carter-Ruck are lobbying intensely against to keep the no-win-no-fee system. Carter-Ruck won £50,000 for Tom Watson on that basis. Coincidentally.

+ + + Developing + + +

Guido Fact : Carter-Ruck solicitors had a table at the Index on Censorship Awards.

UPDATE : Index on Censorship has more:

LIBEL COSTS REFORM STALLED BY LABOUR MPS’ REVOLT

30 Mar 2010

A Statutory Instrument that would have reformed costs in English libel cases was stalled at committee stage tonight after several Labour MPs voted against their party whip to bock a reduction of lawyers’ success fees from a 100 per cent mark-up to 10 per cent. Chris Mullin, Peter Kilfoyle, Tom Watson and Jim Sheridan and Julie Kirkbride voted against the move. Watson and Kilfoyle have both taken advantage of Conditional Fee Agreements in past court cases. Conservative MPs abstained from the vote.

The proposal will now go to a full parliamentary vote.