Labour’s leadership contest was in full swing last night after the PLP hustings, with almost all contenders taking to Strangers bar to lobby fellow MPs. Parliament’s bar’s veterans were amazed to see the likes of Starmer, Long-Bailey, Rayner, Thornberry and Phillips – almost never been spotted there – getting merry. Damian McBride, no stranger to Strangers, was seen pressing the flesh on behalf his mistress, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, in the forlorn search for a single endorsement. Burgon almost found his way to Strangers, instead he ended up having his dinner in the Commons canteen with Cat Smith instead, in turn missing a few votes…

After staying until closing in the newly inclusive Strangers bar (now allowing staff in as well as MPs) – an elite group of the Shadow Cabinet headed off to Players bar – where the resentful attitude of attending Labourites towards the Shadow Cabinet members for losing the election made things decidedly less merry. Ashworth, Louise Haigh, Chris Bryant and Lord Adonis still managed to enjoy themselves, dad-dancing and loudly singing along to apropos lyrics, “Losing everything, it’s like the sun going down on me”. Sad…

In the end, a row erupted after a singer in the bar adapted the lyrics of Frank Sinatra’s ‘My Way’ to say “the record shows, we took the blows and we lost ’cause of your way”. Chris Bryant shot back with “no we didn’t” eventually resulting in the singer calling the Shadow Cabinet “c**ts”. Singing truth to the powerless.

Expect Labour MPs to be getting on the booze a lot over the coming months…

According to the Taxpayers’ Alliance the average household will spend £1,344 on Christmas gifts, travel, socialising and alcohol. As a result, a UK household will pay an average of £212 in tax on their festive spending. The total Christmas tax bill will come to £5.9 billion, that is £5.9 billion that could have been spent on taxpayers’ choices rather than the choices of state bureaucrats. Did Guido mention we’re out for our team’s Christmas lunch?

Guido’s favourite troubador, Dominic Frisby, who had a top ten hit with his Brexit ballad “17 Million Fuck Offs”, is doing a full-on music video for his latest piece of genius, the “National Anthem of Libertaria” – for which he will need a cast of close to a hundred. He of course needs to raise some money to do it and Guido is helping with the crowdfunding. We can do this fellow libertarians…

Frisby doesn’t have the benefit of the BBC television licence fee’s cash, coerced from unwilling non-viewers. Frisby needs £5,000 for the location, the cast and the equipment hire. If you would like to appear in any of these videos as an actor, an extra, or even a zombie, please let him know. It will be fun!

Find out how you can get involved and donate here: Crowdfund the National Anthem of Libertopia

A new study from the US has found that teen cannabis use dropped by an average of 10% in states where recreational use of the drug is legalised, compared to those where it remains prohibited. Legalisation literally decimated teen use of the drug…

The study found that it became harder for teens to get their hands on the substance when it was sold from licensed dispensaries, where ID is required by law, as illegal dealers were largely put out of business. The Adam Smith Institute today called for cannabis to be sold in pharmacies to help cut crime, they tell Guido:

“Cannabis legalisation would not only wreck the criminal gangs that are fuelling knife crime and exploring young children – it was also provide the opportunity to limit underage drug use. Drug dealers don’t ask for ID. It’s good to see yet more evidence that legal cannabis markets cut down the number of kids buying weed.

Every second the Government refuses to change its failed approach, more kids are getting hold of high strength skunk and being exploited by criminals. It’s time to give the green light to legal cannabis.”

To cut teen drug use, legalise it.

Polling for think tank Volteface in conjunction with the Evening Standard has found that 61% of Brits with a view support legalising, taxing, and regulating the cannabis market. Supermajorities of the British public think that “taking an estimated £2.5 billion a year out of the hands of criminals”, “creating tax revenues of £1 billion”, and  “allow[ing] authorities to strictly regulate and label the strength of cannabis sold and limit the potency” are compelling reasons to move to legalisation.

Including those with no view, the poll found that 47% of respondents support the legalisation of cannabis, 30% oppose legalisation, and 23% neither support or oppose or are undecided. The most compelling argument against legalisation concern that “concern that legalisation would increase the numbers of people driving whilst under the influence.” After almost every Tory leadership contender admitted to having ingested cannabis and harder substances, it’s probably time to have a rethink about the UK’s drug laws…