Guido can reveal George Osborne’s contribution to the long standing tradition of political Christmas cards. It features the Chancellor as a pre-budget snowman with red briefcase in hand, complete with obligatory hard hat and hi-vis vest for building his northern powerhouse. Guido expects George wishes he was this cool when he was getting a drubbing off Angela Eagle yesterday…
The Home Affairs Select Committee have sent out an early contender for best political Christmas card of the season. Chairman Keith Vaz stars as a lightsaber-wielding jedi, opposite Theresa May in full Princess Leia garb. Mike Penning as Chewbacca steals the show.
Nigel Evans’ offering was rather more serious, featuring the Tory MP uncharacteristically taking a drink on the terrace.
Scandal-hit Tory peer Emma Pidding meanwhile sent a photo of two large bison. Two mardy cows…
It’s that time again! Send in your political Christmas cards as you get them and Guido will publish the happiest and the crappiest on the site. First out of the blocks this year is UKIP’s effort featuring a festive purple Santa. You can buy a pack of ten for £8.25. Because a Finnish Father Christmas is proof that good things come from outside the EU…
Shadow Transport Secretary Michael Dugher seems to be the last person left in Westminster, press releasing this morning about Tory transport hypocrisy: “Yet again, this Tory-led government has been shown to be all talk and no action.” When it comes to hypocrisy he might want to have a word with his own team though…
Shadow Rail Minister Lilian Greenwood has spent the year banging on about privatisation and slagging off the private rail operators, telling the Commons she wants to renationalise:
“I would accept that we were perhaps too accepting of the overall franchising model…With all the inter-city franchises expiring in the next Parliament, we are right to look again at the best way to structure the railways to deliver real value for passengers and taxpayers. My message to the Government is clear: “Call off the privatisation, get the Department in order, and make sure that essential investments in our inter-city lines are kept on track.”
That didn’t stop Comrade Lilian accepting a nice healthy bung from privatised rail this festive season though. She’s got East Midland Trains to sponsor her Christmas cards:
“All talk and no action…”
After it fell to Ed Davey and DECC to provide us with this year’s political correctness gone mad Crimbo-ban story, Eric Pickles’ office have responded in characteristically pugnacious form:
“It’s been a busy year. We reversed the policies of Edward Heath; defended the right to (office) party; exposed Gordon Brown’s Big Macbill; bunked in with Theresa May to save £220 million; shelved Labour councils’ plans to hike the cost of your weekly shop; extrapolated Labour’s Jammie Dodgers bill; sent in Commissioners to clean up Tower Hamlets; did our bit for ‘elf and safety by encouraging bonfires; turned the screw on the union pilgrims; told the last one out of Labour HQ to turn off the lights; marked Europe Day by celebrating the liberation of Jersey from the Nazis; and commemorated Britain’s Victoria Cross heroes from a century past.
In some parts of Whitehall, Christmas cards are passed round like Samizdat in Soviet Russia. Not here. Have a very Merry Christmas!”
Well, tonight thank God it’s them instead of you…
No Jesus, just Cameron’s kitchen sink.
