Welcome

HOME | ARCHIVE | FACTS | QUOTES | COMMENT | CONTACT

WEDNESDAY 18 OCTOBER: Both the Tory and the Government policy wonks like to claim they're modern communicators but yesterday both sides leaked their own documents by putting them on the internet.

The Tories were going to publish their tax proposals by Lord Forsyth's commission today but last night the Treasury were amazed to find them on the Tory website when they checked it.

As a result, that sorceror's apprentice, Ed Balls toured the tv studios, sending the Tories into a panic. Cameron's spinner, George Eustace suddenly appeared in the press gallery of the Commons armed with large numbers of their 'tax bombshell' report to brief journos before Balls stole all his thunder.

But the Government was little better. The Lord Chancellor's department, accidentally leaked an interim report by Sir Hayden Philips, the former permsec at the same department, on the funding of the political parties.

Philips was not pleased to find a press release announcing the main findings of his interim report had been pasted up on the net yesterday.

Because they're not complacent and because the status quo is not an option, the communications reform programme is reverting to oiled, naked marathon runners carrying cleft sticks. 

WENESDAY 18 OCTOBER: Ed Balls was overheard in the lobby saying the court has thrown out the boundary-change appeal to save his disappearing Normanton constituency. If so, he'll be looking for a safe seat somewhere. It's nice next door. It is a pretty seat, nice and safe, and warm, and occupied by his wife, Yvette Cooper.