We are pleased to announce that the Guido team has a new member, Simon Carr. In the Gallery from 2000 until last year Simon was the sketch writer for the Independent. He has lived on both sides of the political fence having written speeches for a prime minister and helped to found a political party that got half a dozen MPs elected. But that was in another country.

He was said to be “the most vicious sketch writer in Britain” (Tony Blair) with “a sensibility exquisitely tuned to the House of Commons” (Peter Oborne) and “a complete ****” (various MPs). There is a minority report which describes him as “a very kind person”. He repudiates this.

Simon will be covering events for the Guido Fawkes Blog in the chamber, select committees, press conferences and any court appearances that do not directly include himself.

He starts today with the first PMQs of the new session.