Guido hears that David Axelrod came under attack at a heated meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night, where tempers frayed over the “disastrous direction” of Labour’s election campaign. Labour MPs sobbing into their bitter late into the night in Strangers, as reality dawned on them…
Apparently things got really gloomy when Scotland was discussed, but it was the general campaign that was the main cause for concern. “It’s said we are paying for all these experts but it’s clearly not working” sums up the general thrust of the complaints, and demands were made for more control of the party’s messaging and strategy to given to elected MPs rather than leader’s pets and expensive – yet absent -American consultants. Wishful thinking…
Fresh from wowing everyone with his CV, Ed was asked about his teenage night-time exploits in his first selfie-stick interview*:
Sky: What were you like when you were 18? What were your interests? What were you up to?
EM: I cared a lot about… er… the world. I was actually living in America for a time working in the media, just before going to university. I was actually an intern. I was also interested in British politics and global issues and what was happening in the world.
Sky: What did you do on a night out though? What were you interested in?
EM: What did I do on a night out? I did some things that most teenagers did, I drank a bit too much, you know, um, but I grew up in a household where you were told to care about the world…
Did he really drink too much, or did he just read about it on the internet?
*David Cameron refused to do a selfie-interview because, a CCHQ source says. “it is twattish”. Correct.
UPDATE: A reader writes:
If Ed Milliband was living in New York when he was 18, as he said in the interview, and drank a bit to much he was breaking the law as the minimum age at which you drink alcohol is 21, and has been since 1985. Miliband would have been there in 1987 when he was 18. He could have consumed alcohol bought by a parent. Perhaps wild teenage nights in the town with dad!
The final pint was poured at the O’Reilly’s pub in Kentish Town last night, which is being re-branded as some sort of awful hipster dive. With locals gathering to mourn, one person was conspicuous by his absence. The local Labour candidate.
Local Tory candidate @Will_Blair leads the mourning at O'Reilly's. @Keir_Starmer & @natalieben are nowhere to be seen. Tells you everything.
— Damian McBride (@DPMcBride) February 1, 2015
It's safe to say @Keir_Starmer would rather be seen dead than be seen in a pub like O'Reilly's. If he even knows where it is. #VoteBlair
— Damian McBride (@DPMcBride) February 1, 2015
Presumably a bit rough and ready for Sir Keir.
Though in Damian’s defence it was 9:38pm…
Senior LibDem Don Foster, MP for Bath for the past 23 years, clearly thinks he can do the job in his sleep. The chain-smoking chief whip has been struggling to stay awake even during Cabinet meetings. As revealed in yesterday’s Sun, Tory ministers have been unable to hide their giggles as the 67-year-old dozes off, out of sight from his leader Nick Clegg but in full view of the Prime Minister. Gambling coalition cabinet colleagues have opened a book, taking bets on how long into the Tuesday morning meeting the old dear’s eyelids will start to droop. Sounds like a dream job.
Green leader Natalie Bennett hesitated just a little too long under the forensic questioning of LBC’s Duncan Barkes this lunchtime:
DB: “Are you a drug user?”
NB: “Um, er, I… have a glass of wine most evenings…”
Natalie revealed she used to smoke dope but insisted she doesn’t “dabble” any more. Could have fooled anyone who has read her manifesto…
Guido Squawks responds to the news the Greens have been invited to the TV debates:
Party round his tonight…
