Czech this out

Prescott might have thumped a protestor but we are yet to see scenes like this in British politics. Watch this news report to see what happens when two Czech politicians have a tiff: http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=2407

MacBlunder (or perhaps the world's worst attempt to spin...)

Have a look at this unintentionally hilarious interview with McDonald's UK boss Steve Easterbrook from Channel 4 news: http://www.channel4.com/news/special-reports/special-reports-storypage.jsp?id=2412 He really needs some decent media training. Watch as he repeats the same line again and again. Perhaps it would be best if you kept flipping burgers Mr Easterbrook... His message is completely obliterated by his refusal to answer a straight question.

Sorry....at last (only about the bad publicity?)

So, at long last, Labour MPs Chris Bryant and James Purnell have apologised for their involvement in the ghoulish auctioning of a copy of the Hutton Report, signed by Cherie Blair and Alistair Campbell. See the BBC report about their regret here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5012280.stm

They had little option - their actions were indefensible. Even Mr Bliar gave a half-hearted sorry during Prime Minister's Questions (if you saw it, it was a rather pathetic, schoolboy-ish, head-down line about no offence being intended). Perhaps Mrs Blair, Campbell and the two MPs will spend a while trying to find their moral compasses.

The country has got to a pretty depressing state when leading figures in the governing part think it is acceptable to try to raise funds from a report into the death of a man who spent his life working for the betterment of mankind....

What do we expect to find at the next New Labour (I say New Labour as I'm pretty sure there are plenty of traditional Labour MPs and supporters who are disgusted as the rest of us at these events) fundraiser.....the selling off of autographed copies of death certificates of soldiers killed in Iraq....

Have they no shame?

Spoof Sun front page

How low can go they go? Does Mrs Blair have no shame? This story comes from the BBC's website:

Tory MPs are demanding a public apology from the Labour Party after it emerged members, including ministers, took part in an auction for a copy of the Hutton report into the death of Dr David Kelly which was autographed by Cherie Blair.

According to a Commons motion tabled by Peterborough's Stewart Jackson, the event took place at the Arts Club in Mayfair last week and raised £400 for party coffers.

The motion says the event was "in appalling bad taste, arrogant and crassly insensitive in seeking to make money, albeit indirectly, through hawking, as a novelty item, an official Government report into the death of a public servant".

It "regrets the distress caused to the family and friends of the late Dr Kelly; and calls on the Labour Party to apologise for such tasteless and offensive conduct and to donate the money raised to an appropriate charity".

A Labour spokesman meanwhile said it had not been a party event. "We know nothing about it," he said.

See the Early Day Motion in full – it is number 2224 - http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmedm/60522e01.htm

Good for Guy

Full marks for unflappability to Guy Goma, the taxi driver who was mistakenly interviewed about the Apple (no link here, they've got enough money) court case on BBC News 24. Other than looking very surprised when he was introduced, Congolese Mr Goma was a far better interviewee than most people interviewed for vox pops on the BBC Six O'Clock News. See the interview here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/avdb/news_web/video/9012da680042758/bb/09012da680042984_16x9_bb.asx

President Sheen, Prime Minister Bremner?

So U2 frontman Bono edited The Independent today. Of course Radio 4's Today programme ( www.bbc.co.uk/today ) has given over limited editorial control to celebrity guest editors over the festive season for years but perhaps this should be a more common phenomena. I'm sure our American friends would rather see Martin Sheen taking over the White House for real. Personally I'd trust Rory Bremner to spend my taxes more wisely than Mr Blair seems to have done – and if she was alive perhaps Hattie Jacques could take over from Patricia Hewitt. As for Mr Prescott, perhaps it could be arranged for him to guest edit The Beano….

Judge for yourself

There are clearly plenty of flaws in the human rights legislation – most notably that its seems the rights of criminals appear to hold more sway than those of the law abiding majority. However, while Mr Blair seems keen happy to blast away at judges, I'd still trust a judge more than I would Tony and his cronies.

The BBC proves its drama output can be Streets ahead

The BBC gets a fair bit of flack (not least accusations of dumbing down, which in the case of the Six O'Clock News, seem quite fair - I mean, what were they doing last week covering Bruce's Forsythe's daughter's missing dog story - surely that wasn't a national news story for the licence fee funded BBC. As much as I sympathise with Brucie and his family, there were bigger stories around that day) but what a gem Jimmy McGovern's The Street (catch it on Thursday and out soon on DVD) has proved to be. It's one of those dramas that are worth paying the licence fee for on their own. Brilliant performances, as usual, from Jim Broadbent and Tim Spall, but for me Neil Dudgeon (see http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0240072/ ) deserves to be singled out for praise. If he doesn't get a Bafta nomination then there's no justice.

Cooking up a storm...

Great letter in yesterday's Guardian magazine: "Pigeon breasts are a bit of a bugger to cook," says Matthew Fort (Food, May 6). Well, why don't you try not cooking them and leaving them on the pigeon, where they belong?" Madge Woollad, Sheffield Vegan Society.

A question of priorities...

From today's Sunday Telegraph....."the [British] security service has 1000 fewer officers countering terror plots that there are bureaucrats implementing Gordon Brown's tax credit system"....interesting set of priorities Mr Blair....