From our UK edition
...confirms David Cameron, at his monthly press conference. If you didn't catch last night's Dispatches, Butterfill is the Tory MP who said, among other things, that it is “quite likely that I will go to the Lords,” and that this is “another string to my bow as far as you’re concerned”. More on him from Paul Waugh here.
From our UK edition
...according to the Beeb just now. And if you watched tonight's Dispatches programme, you'll know exactly why. Nick Robinson comments that the "Labour leadership" will delight in "taking revenge" on three figures who have ruffled Brown's feathers on multiple occasions – so it continues to look like backbiting and politicking will take priority over geniune reform. A grubby Parliament just got considerably grubbier.
From our UK edition
Busted. Yep, that's the word which first sprung to mind when I read the Sunday Times's expose of MPs and their dirty lobbying work. Hoon, Hewitt, Byers – they're all revealed as providing influence and access for cash, and a lot of cash at that. But it's Byers who comes out of it the worst. You can read his story here, but suffice to say that it involves boasts about successfully lobbying ministers to change policy, and about parading Tony Blair in front of his clients. He even describes himself as "a bit like a sort of cab for hire". I imagine he'll pick up fewer fares now. Our democracy could hardly bear another major political scandal, but here we have one: as grubby, underhand and dispiriting as last year's expenses revelations.
From our UK edition
Brown bunked off PMQs today, claiming a prior luncheon engagement with President Zuma of South Africa. Downing Street blamed the Queen for double-booking the PM. Can that be true? The head of state deprives the Commons of its democratic right to shout ‘Answer the question’ at a block of granite. Perhaps she had their best interests at heart. Hattie Harman, replacing the PM, turned up in a pair of alarmingly shrill pink glasses. Opposite her, William Hague wore a sober suit of inky blue. He looked ominously business-like as he aimed his first shot at her. Why had Brown cut the helicopter budget while the country was fighting two wars? This sent Hattie scampering to her dressing-up box of muddled phrases.
From our UK edition
He’ll have to because nobody else will. As Robert Peston says ‘Poor RBS, poor Britain’ – today’s figures are catastrophic. Peston’s been digging and the news gets worse: ‘But perhaps the most chilling numbers are these: we as taxpayers put in £25.5bn of new equity into this bank last autumn, the second instalment of the £45.5bn we have invested in total; but over the past year, the equity of this bank has increased by less than £16bn to £80bn. So almost £10bn of the £25.5bn we've only just put into RBS has already been wiped out by losses. Which, I think, is probably the best measure of the degree to which RBS is still haemorrhaging.
From our UK edition
If you want to understand what the Cameroon's are thinking, Danny Finkelstein is essential reading. He used to work with them and he thinks like them, there is almost a mind meld between him and them. His column today is all about why it would make more sense to actually separate out parliament and the executive and elect the head of state. I'm rather sympathetic to this point of view, but I don't think the Tories will do anything this radical even if they talk about it in private. One thing they might well do, though, is have ministers who aren't members of either the Commons or the Lords. The argument goes that the current arrangements aren't good for either the executive or the legislature.
From our UK edition
Contain yourselves, CoffeeHousers. I know that we're all really excited about today's Parliamentary vote on an alternative vote referendum (it is, after all, something our Prime Minister has described as "a rallying call for a new progressive politics"), but it isn't a done deal just yet. That "new politics" might still be put on hold. Indeed, things could get messy for Brown in just a few hours time. You'd expect him to win the vote, what with Labour's majority and the creeping sense that Downing St very much wants this to happen. But even the slightest hint of a Labour rebellion, or of Lib Dem disquiet, and the story could turn toxic for the PM.
From our UK edition
John Terry’s sacking as England captain tells us something interesting about what is considered a sackable offence in today's world and what is not. When the story was just about Terry allegedly cuckolding a team mate his position as captain seemed safe. As Danny Finkelstein argued on the Today Programme, modern society is reluctant to have people lose their jobs because of sexual indiscretions—politicians don't have to resign as soon as they are caught having affairs these days. But as soon as there started to be stories alleging financial impropriety—the claim that an associate of his was hawking out the Wembley box that Terry was entitled to through his position as England captain--then his position became far more vulnerable.
From our UK edition
Obviously, after the news that three Labour MPs and a Tory lord have been charged with various criminal offences over their expenses, there is a limit to what can be said for legal reasons. But it can be noted that because the four charged are from the two main parties, the politcal impact will be more anti-politics than anything else. I suspect the attempt of the the three Labour MPs to claim Parliamentary privilege will exacerbate these feelings. P.S. In case any CoffeeHousers missed the news, Lord Hanningfield has resigned from the Tory front bench and had the party whip suspended.
From our UK edition
It's just been announced which Parliamentarians will face criminal charges over their expense claims. They are: David Chaytor Jim Devine Elliot Morley Lord Hanningfield So, three Labour MPs and one Tory Lord. Expect plenty more public anger – the Legg report has no way near drawn a line under this issue.
From our UK edition
The Legg report is about 240 pages, if you can manage it. But the message you can take from it is short enough: there's going to be plenty more public anger with our political class. Guido's post here should tell you why. But, suffice to say, there are MPs paying back up to £42,458. There are dodgy claims for flagpole accoutrements, luxury furniture and expensive gardeners. And even the report itself cost more than the money than it's going to recoup. Although I don't think the parties should be trying to make political capital out of each other's misdemeanours – beyond, of course, proposing ways to fix the mess – there's little doubting that this is especially bad news for Gordon Brown.
From our UK edition
Consider the expenses wound well-and-truly reopened – not that it ever really closed in the first place. Sir Thomas Legg's report into the matter will today identify around 350 MPs who have to return a total of about £1 million in dubious claims. What's more, in his introduction to the document, Legg is set to attack MPs in general for "knowingly" encouraging and exploiting a "culture of deference" in the Parliamentary fees office. The papers are calling it "devastating". But what will it all come to? The worry is that Legg's report won't draw a line under the whole stinking affair – but will instead kickstart a new round of grumbling, backbiting and reprisal on the part of MPs.
From our UK edition
Ok, ok – so PMQs may be of more interest inside Westminster than out. But, love it or loathe it, it's still one of those things which affects the mood music of politics and how it is reported. Far better for a party leader to do it well, than to be bludgeoned by his opponent at the dispatch box. Which is why Team Dave should internalise Matthew Parris's article in the Times today. Not only is it typically readable, but it's packed full of sound advice for how the Tory leader should present himself in the weekly knockabout sessions. Here's a snippet: "Millions are now eyeing Mr Cameron up as a potential prime minister, and considering, not unhopefully, whether he’s up to it.
From our UK edition
I have just received what I hope is the last of a series of letters from the parliamentary commissioner, John Lyon. He has informed me that a complaint against me has finally been resolved, which is something of a relief. When I first heard from him I must say I was irritated. Someone called Mark Pack had pointed out over the summer that I had not updated my entry in the journalists' register of interests. This is the mechanism whereby members of the lobby, who gain access to parliament thanks to their connection with an individual media organisation, register other paid employment. When I was at the Observer and the New Statesman I had been pretty assiduous about keeping up my register of interests.
From our UK edition
Stay tuned for live coverage from 1200. 1200: Still waiting. You can watch live coverage here. 1202: And here we go. Brown leads with condolences for fallen soldiers, as well as for those affected by the earthquake in Haiti. 1203: First question from Danny Alexander on rural Britian losing out on broadband services. Brown says that 95 percent of the country will have fast broadband soon - and that efforts will be taken to deal with the remaining 5 percent. 1204: Tony Wright on the "outrage" of the Cadburys take-over. Brown says that has received assurances from Kraft that British workers will keep their jobs. There are rumblings to the contrary, though... 1205: Cameron now.
From our UK edition
Two weeks ago, Barry Sheerman opened a second front against Brown's premiership by attacking Ed Balls’ appointment of Kathleen Tattersall to Ofqual without a pre-hearing before the Schools select committee. Brown had introduced a requirement that recommended appointments to offices that reported to Parliament be scrutinised by legislators prior to confirmation of their appointment. Sheerman, with characteristic venom, referred to a “sleight of hand”. This afternoon, Balls defended himself and his permanent secretary, arguing that the committee did not object to the appointment when it was made in July 2008, and any rate the pre-hearing was not operational then. I don’t know whose memory is accurate.
From our UK edition
Expenses, expenses, expenses. This morning's Telegraph splashes with the news that the junior culture minister Sion Simon paid over £40,000 in taxpayers' cash to his sister. How so? Well, he rented a London flat from her between 2004 and 2008, and claimed against it as his "second home". Problem is, the practice of renting a property from a family member at taxpayers' expense was banned in 2006. Simon has since said he'll pay back the money that he "inadvertently" claimed. Aside from the fact that it's yet another example of, at best, gross error on a politician's part, two other details stand out.
From our UK edition
So MPs have until the end of today to declare whether they're appealing against Sir Thomas Legg's request that they repay certain expenses claims. Three have already done just that, one from each of the main parties: Jeremy Browne, Frank Cook and Bernard Jenkin. You imagine that more may follow throughout the day, especially given the rumblings that the Legg review contained a fair few errors. Now, it's only fair that MPs have a right of appeal – but you still wonder what it will mean for the expenses saga more generally. From the public's perspective, a swathe of appeals could look like MPs resisting reform.
From our UK edition
As Andrew Sparrow says, it's well worth reading Iain Dale's interview with John Bercow in the latest issue Total Politics. It's a fun read, mostly because the Speaker is remarkably candid – a quality that's normally to be admired in a politician. But I can't help thinking that he made a mistake in admitting this: "I received various approaches from various senior people in the Labour party saying: 'Aw, you know, we'd love to have you on board. We think you're being discarded by the Conservatives. We think you'd be quite at home with us.' Senior people, not in a formal setting, but people sidling up to you – ex-ministers, current ministers, backbenchers, whatever.
From our UK edition
We all know how bureaucratic and convoluted a lot of Parliamentary practice is, but this reminder from Heather Brooke of the bodies involved in reforming MPs' pay and expenses is still pretty astonishing: "Currently we have: the senior salaries review body (which makes recommendations on MPs' salaries and pensions); the committee on standards and privileges (appointed by the House of Commons to decide on complaints against individual MPs reported to them by the parliamentary commissioner for standards – currently John Lyon); the committee on standards in public life (which deals with complaints about unethical conduct among MPs – the current chair is Sir Christopher Kelly); the members allowances committee (made up of MPs who advise the members estimate committee on the rule.
