As the Independent this morning claims the UK faces a “Christmas booze shortage due to supply chain chaos“, supply chain expert Professor Richard Wilding appeared on LBC to put fears to rest and assure punters that the shelves will be stocked for the festive season. Speaking to Nick Ferrari, Wilding said that, despite challenges such as the pandemic surge in Europe, Britain won’t be as badly affected:
“I think we will have booze on the shelves, that is for sure. But there are still big challenges in the supply chain… we’re hearing about how the pandemic is starting to ramp up in Europe, that will create a disruption… you have to remember that when you’re planning Christmas within the supply chain, believe it or not, we start in January. So this isn’t something that’s just suddenly happened.”
Guido will drink to that.
Red Lion patrons enjoyed some prime entertainment last night from the shadow education secretary Kate Green, who clearly needs to learn to hold her drink better. After regaling people on the need for a left-wing Labour leader and the merits of Lisa Nandy, she was seen by around three dozen patrons “face planting” in the pub “after one too many”, with Steerpike reporting – without naming her – that she tripped up a flight of stairs and collapsed flat on the ground, “smashing [her] glass in the process.”
An audio recording of just after her fall, passed to Guido, has Green being asked by an aide “oh my God are you OK” to which she replies “yeah I’m fine”. When asked again a few seconds later however she concludes “errm no…”.
She was subsequently carted off by a bag carrier. Thankfully for Green, fellow Labour MP Charlotte Nichols is also in the news this morning for getting so drunk on a recent parliamentary trip she had to be carted off from the airport in a wheelchair, so could be worse…
Guido is pleased to report that the Westminster Arms will re-open today and that will mean that at last all the hostelries will have now re-opened. Just in time for summer recess…
Glorious scenes from Maggie’s Bar on Fulham Road last night as it re-opened for the first time since March 2020. The Thatcher-themed haunt hired a Boris impersonator to welcome in the return, telling queuing punters:
“Clubs are once again re-open and especially tonight we are taking a journey back in time because I am most proud to say that Maggie’s is re-open!”
Guido can’t wait to re-visit soon…
Guido can reveal a Labour MP has admitted to actively selling drugs – and doing so since her election in 2019. Taiwo Owatemi quietly let slip the announcement earlier this week, revealing she’s been operating primarily in the Kestrel Way area of Welwyn Garden City.
Guido’s sure she’s a valued team member at the Tesco Pharmacy…
Tonight, Keir Starmer stonewalls Piers Morgan in a Life Stories broadcast interview after being asked 14 times whether he has taken drugs. Piers challenges Starmer: “You did not spend all your time at Leeds University in the library, did you? So, a cheeky spliff here and there?” All Keir will confirm to Piers tonight is that “We worked hard, and played hard.” When pressed for more detail, Keir claims “drugs weren’t my thing.” Piers pushes him further for a “yes or no” response. Starmer, characteristically, stays on the fence.
Exasperated Piers quite rightly asserts “Given your clear reluctance to give me a straight, simple answer, am I right in assuming from your response that you have tried drugs but that you didn’t actually like them and didn’t want to take any more? … I’m not saying it was your thing, but you did try it. I mean, you’re reluctant to just say yes. You haven’t said no.” Guido can help on this very question…
Back in 1989 when the editor was spending his weekends orbiting the M25 helping to organise acid house raves, on occasions in the week afterwards he would find himself in the courts in relation to causing a public nuisance, various noise related civil offences, and suchlike. On one occasion a young barrister from the National Council for Civil Liberties argued, on our behalf, that Thames Valley Police had acted unlawfully by setting up roadblocks and confiscating sound equipment to prevent a Sunrise rave from taking place. It was “an incredible abuse of police powers”, he argued. We lost that case…
Whilst the rave organisers were waiting outside the court, the suited, and frankly square, young barrister chit-chatted with his sartorially psychedelic clients. Making small talk to pass the time, he told them (perhaps in an effort to boost his street credibility) that when he was younger he had taken LSD. That self-confessed acid tripper was Keir Starmer…
