Regional Lobby hacks are up in arms – the Press Association is trying to move in on their jobs. PA has been contacting editors of regional newspapers offering a service “for a fraction of the cost” of having their own lobby correspondents drinking in the bar all day.

The solution to the alcoholic regional hack problem is, according to PA, Lobby Extra, their service which supplies regular stories tailor-made for individual publications. PA doesn’t recognise the National Union of Journalists, and the NUJ’s president, Chris Morley bleats that this “is an attack on the diversity of journalism within our major cities outside London. Blah, blah, blah”. Actually it is eminently sensible and will leave more room at the bar for Guido when his lobby pass arrives.

(Paul Linford will be on to give us the benefit of his wisdom in a moment.)