Polish MP Krystyna Pawłowicz has written to Jean-Claude Juncker complaining that his “obvious alcohol dependency” has become a “problem of the entire European community”. Pawłowicz claims Juncker’s drinking was “particularly distasteful and out of place” during the visit of Pope Francis and accuses him of “offensive” behaviour towards “women who were certainly too polite to ask you to take a rest”.
No one would ever have known…
A happy day for the UKIP NEC 😎 pic.twitter.com/7uakpcmQjw
— UKIP (@UKIP) March 27, 2017
With a nod to Douglas Carswell’s trademark sunglasses emoji, UKIP’s NEC break open the bubbly to toast the loss of their only MP…
Twitter employee Joanna Geary was in the Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem last night when she bumped into the Foreign Secretary dining with an old friend. She says “I hadn’t seen David until Boris said “‘I suspect you’ll recognise my friend David’ and pointed in his direction”. Team Boris strongly deny allegations of dad dancing, though Reuters‘ Anjuli Davies alleges some standing on chairs:
Boris @BorisJohnson and @David_Cameron dine together and stand on chairs … pic.twitter.com/2bowiUCG3X
— Anjuli (@AnjuliDavies) March 24, 2017
UPDATE: A spokesman for Boris Johnson said: “The picture is of Boris trying to get out of a very tight seating area against the wall in the restaurant. Nearly all the other members of the group on that side had to do the same (step up and over) to get out.”
Once a Bullingdon boy…
After days of vicious negative briefings against him from Number 10, and 19 Tory MPs publicly opposing his Budget, Philip Hammond is looking to heal wounds. This afternoon the Chancellor invited MPs to a reconciliation drinks party at his Commons office, where he will no doubt be reassuring colleagues over his National Insurance rise. (Or ditching it.) Note the date, March 27, is one of the rumoured dates Article 50 could be triggered. Guido has the invitation:
Subject: Chancellor Drinks Reception – Monday 27 March
Dear Colleague,
I am writing to invite you to drinks with the Chancellor, on Monday 27th March, 18.30 – 19.30. The event will take place in the Chancellor’s Commons Office, Room 21c Ministerial Corridor.
Please let me know if you are able to attend.
Very best
John Glen MP
PPS to Rt Hon Philip Hammond MP
Assume Theresa May’s aides are NFI…
Shami, keeping champagne socialism alive, at the Grosvenor Hotel, Victoria. pic.twitter.com/34DKX1tdLB
— Eye Spy MP (@eyespymp) February 20, 2017
Via the EyeSpy.MP Twitter account, Shami reportedly on the fizz this afternoon as her colleagues in the Lords begin their Brexit debate…
Guido can reveal that the Cambridge student who allegedly burnt a £20 note in front of a homeless man is related to Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. Ronald Coyne, a law student at Pembroke College who is a member of the Cambridge University Conservative Association, was filmed brandishing the cash and a cigarette lighter last week. Sources tell Guido that Coyne has previously repeatedly boasted about his relationship to Sturgeon. A Scottish government spokesman says they are not “directly” related. A senior Scottish government source confirms to Guido that they are “distant” relatives by marriage.
Coyne has been expelled by the Cambridge University Conservative Association following the incident. A CUCA spokesman told Guido:
“This occurred in the private capacity of the individual – he was not attending a CUCA event. Despite this, his membership was immediately revoked when we heard what had happened.“
A University spokesperson said:
“The University is committed to respecting the rights and dignity of all members of our community. We expect our students to treat others with respect, courtesy and consideration at all times, and the University takes allegations of unacceptable behaviour very seriously. We do not comment on individual cases.”
Coyne did not respond to Guido’s repeated attempts to contact him. Most embarrassing for Nicola that he’s a Tory…
