Biscuitman

The Backbencher: Spin and Balls


25 May 2005

Welcome to the Backbencher, Guardian Unlimited's insider's guide to
Westminster

In this week's Backbencher: Blair hires a seasoned spin doctor,
Osborne hires a weathered explorer, and the Balls was Brown after all

>>> PUTT AND PITCH

Excellent news for Rupert Murdoch: Tim Allan is returning to No 10 as
Tony Blair's communications chief after seven years in the private
sector. Alastair Campbell's more temperate mini-me originally quit
Downing Street to become director of corporate communications at
BSkyB, before starting a PR consultancy, Portland, which also worked
for the Murdoch empire. Will the spin-doctor sever his links with the
media mogul, the Backbencher wonders? Or will he continue to play
golf with the Sun's political editor, Trevor Kavanagh?

>>> SPENDING FREEZE?

The shadow chancellor, George Osborne, also has a new adviser, former
Bank of England economist Matthew Hancock, who has been helping Mr
Osborne with his sums since his promotion. Unfortunately for the man
some are calling Tory Blair, his new chief of staff does have what
you might call a chequered record of political success and personal
achievement. He masterminded the Tories' election campaign in
Guildford in 2001: the party lost the seat. His expedition to the
North Pole earlier this year was equally unsuccessful: he had to be
airlifted out after getting frostbite. Looking on the bright side,
the Backbencher can only hope that his experience of inhospitable
environments and W11 postcode will serve him well on the shadow
cabinet corridor.

>>> BROWN NOT BALLS

Giving his maiden speech today, Ed Balls revealed that it was his old
boss, Gordon Brown, who insisted the phrase "post-neoclassical
endogenous growth theory" be included in one of his speeches. It was
mocked by the then deputy prime minister, Michael Heseltine, who told
Tory party conference delegates that the words were not Brown's but
Balls. Today, the new MP said that he had excised the phrase from the
penultimate draft but that the chancellor wrote in the margins: "put
back the theory." Yes, Ed, but he didn't say "put back the
post-neoclassical endogenous growth" bit, did he?

>>> FROM WESTMINSTER

The Backbencher asked the Guardian's political editor, Michael White,
what he made of the first prime minister's questions of the new
parliament.

"In this week's question time joust, Michael Howard tried to unsettle
Tony Blair on performance. 'All talk and no action - you've had eight
years to do it,' seemed to be his theme of the day. But Labour MPs
weren't having any of that and the Conservative leader, who had a
rough ride from his own backbenchers in private last night over his
plans to reform the constitution of the party, rose to great cries of
'resign'. When Mr Howard shared Mr Blair's offer of support for
Liverpool FC in the big match in Istanbul tonight Labour MPs unkindly
cried: 'At least they're winners.'

"Mr Howard raised the issues of teachers being assaulted and the
school expulsion appeals system, on which he campaigned during the
election. But Mr Blair said appeals panels were set up by the Tories
to help deal with legal cases brought by parents. Then Mr Howard
tried to trip Mr Blair up with Ruth Kelly's fluff of statistics on
the radio today, but the PM wasn't having any of it.

"Interestingly, and not for the only time today, Mr Blair then said he
wanted to have a consensus on this. 'When he and I were at school,'
he added (not at the same time, of course, as Mr Howard is about 10
years older) 'if you got told off at school you got told off at home
and we've got to get back to that sort of system'. And so it went on
through a similar exchange over orange jackets. If you'll remember
Hazel Blears was reported as saying she wanted people to be seen to
be doing community service punishments by wearing orange jackets -
she subsequently denied it - but Charles Clarke said this was a good
thing - a goer.

"A goer? Is it a goer?" asked Mr Howard, and I'm afraid the Labour MPs
all shouted: "You're a goer." Anyway, he and Mr Blair struggled on
again looking for a consensus and didn't get one.

"Other highlights today were Charles Clarke's reintroduction of the ID
cards bill which is going to cause trouble in this parliament, and
young George Osborne, the newly appointed shadow chancellor, taking
on the mighty Gordon Brown. All I can say is: good luck George
Osborne."

>>> POLITICAL HOTTY

Maggie Jones, who was defeated by Labour mayor turned independent
Peter Laws, was not the only Labour candidate in Wales to be selected
from an all-woman shortlist. So too was this week's political hotty,
Jessica Morden (
http://www.labour.org.uk/maps/locinfo.phtml?ctid=2615), who escaped a
similar male backlash. Jessica has already received admiring glances
from the press gallery, and lobby journalists have voted her the most
attractive new MP. But you don't have to share the hacks' taste;
email your nominee for hotty of the week to
backbencher@guardianunlimited.co.uk.

>>> SLIPPERY HUNT

The pro-hunting protester, Luke Tomlinson, has again shown the sort of
ingenuity that got him INTO phpbb_the Commons chamber, this time to get him
a day out of court. Yesterday his barrister secured him permission to
be absent during his trial for invading the floor of the Commons by
telling the judge he had to play polo for England. Today, however,
his solicitor admitted that he was not playing for the national team
but for a club side, Geebung. Explaining the "misunderstanding", he
said: "I know that [Mr Tomlinson] plays in polo matches and often
these are against foreign people - when he plays polo he is
representing England because he is English and he is playing
foreigners." That's all cleared up, then.

>>> LAST WEEK'S COMPETITION

Thanks to the many readers who wrote in - with divers wry asides - to
answer correctly that Douglas Alexander, the new Europe minister,
once worked on the (failed) US presidential campaign of Michael
Dukakis. Special mention goes to Allan Knox. "One bio I read said he
was a press steward," Allan writes. "I have this lovely vision of him
in a bright orange bib." Each to his own, the Backbencher supposes.
Unless Allan is alluding to the Home Office's plan to take young
delinquents out of their hoodies and put them in orange jumpsuits. Mr
Alexander may be fresh-faced, Allan, but don't forget he's even older
than the shadow chancellor.

But the prize, Andrew Blick's How to Go to War: A Handbook for
Democratic Leaders, goes to David Spencer, who also answered
correctly. "By the way," he asks, "is it enough to give an answer to
win this competition, or do I need to make some witty remark as
well?" An answer will be fine, David.

>>> THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION

The prize this week, courtesy of the Hansard Society
(http://www.hansardsociety.org.uk/), is a copy of their report,
Members Only? Parliament in the Public Eye, the result of their
Puttnam commission on the communication of parliamentary democracy.
The report, worth GBP25, was published this week and recommends,
among other things, freer television coverage of parliament. None of
which you needed to be told, of course. To get your hands on this
august tome, name the Oscar winner who was once touted as a possible
'Stop Ken' candidate for London mayor - but called for Tony Blair's
resignation this month? Answers - with witty remarks if you must - to
backbencher@guardianunlimited.co.uk. Terms and conditions are in the
usual place
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/backb...151064,00.html).

>>> NEWS ROUND-UP

The price of an identity card will be higher than previously thought
at GBP93, the Home Office admitted today
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homea...491894,00.html),
as it published a new bill to introduce the controversial scheme.

The Liberal Democrat leader, Charles Kennedy, has pledged
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/libde...491795,00.html)
his party would stick to its plan to replace the council tax with a
local income tax, saying the policy had "tested positively" during
the general election.

Tim Allan, the former deputy head Labour spin doctor, is almost
certain to sell his private PR firm
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/labou...491900,00.html )
and return to Downing Street in an over-arching communications and
strategy role.

The chancellor, Gordon Brown, has claimed
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homea...491801,00.html)
the number of new homes being built in the UK has reached its highest
level for 15 years.

The number of prisoners being sent back to jail after release has
nearly trebled
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homea...491938,00.html)
in the past five years, according to a new report.

Mentally ill patients are being sedated with drugs due to critical
staff shortages in psychiatric hospitals, research shows
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/publi...491844,00.html).

>>> THIS WEEK'S TV & RADIO

TONIGHT, 8pm, R4: Any Questions
At the Royal African Society as part of today's Radio 4 focus on
Africa

TOMORROW, 6.30pm, R4: The Party Line
New sitcom about a frustrated backbench MP, written by The Now Show's
Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis.

THURSDAY, 10.30pm, BBC4: The Thick of It
New Armando Iannucci-devised comedy based on life in a government
department.

FRIDAY, 7pm, BBC2: Rover's Billion Pound Blunder
Quentin Sommerville investigates the Phoenix Four.

SATURDAY, 11pm, BBC2, Have I Got News For You
William Hague hosts.

>>> FORTHCOMING EVENTS

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1, 5.30-7pm The Collapse of Globalism and the
Reinvention of the World by John Ralston Saul
Seminar and book launch at the Foreign Press Association, 11 Charlton
House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AJ
RSVP to Garry: research.officer@fpc.org.uk or 0207 388 6662

WEDNESDAY JUNE 1: Everyday Democracy: Building the new politics
Pamphlet launch and discussion on reconnecting political
decision-making with the everyday reality for most people.
More info: http://www.demos.co.uk/events/everydaydemocracy/

THURSDAY JUNE 2, 12-1pm: Putin and the Media: The Revival of
Soviet-style Propaganda
A public seminar with Oleg Panfilov, Director of the Centre for
Journalism in Extreme Situations, Moscow and Edward Lucas, Britain
editor and former Moscow correspondent, The Economist
The Council Chamber, Royal Institute of British Architects, 66
Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD
RSVP to Ella: russia@fpc.org.uk or +44 207 388 6662

>>> FINAL READING

Explained: the government's new shared equity scheme
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homea...490474,00.html)
to help key public sector workers and other struggling first-time
buyers.

Economic tunnel vision has led to unemployment and disenchantment in
Germany and France, argues William Keegan
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/eu/st...491245,00.html).

Blair hopes to leave his legacy in policies such as ID cards by
capitalising on Tory 'disarray', says Ed Vaizey
(http://politics.guardian.co.uk/colum...487790,00.html),
but he underestimates the Conservatives' sense of purpose.


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IF THE EU WAS THE ANSWER, IT MUST HAVE BEEN A STUPID QUESTION!

Alex McKee

Biscuitman could you stop posting such long things . . . :cry: I'm tired and ****** and unable to read them . . . :cry:

:shock:

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