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Although George Osborne has many questions to answer regarding how he can take on the role of editor of the Evening Standard while remaining the MP for Tatton and a £650k per annum advisor to BlackRock, the former chancellor shied away from addressing any of the numerous conflicts of interest when he addressed staff in the Standard newsroom this afternoon. Mr S's mole reports that the MP for Tatton -- whose last editorship was on Oxford University's Isis Magazine -- received a lukewarm reception from the paper's staff as he gave a short speech to the shocked hacks.

Today George Osborne has managed to get MPs and hacks alike in a spin over his appointment as the new Evening Standard editor. Giving an interview to the BBC at the paper's headquarters in High Street Kensington, Osborne said he could see no issues balancing the role of MP with editor as he can do one in the morning and the other in the afternoon. As Osborne celebrated his new job, it turns out his old colleague David Cameron was just around the corner -- getting the weekly shop in at High Street Kensington Whole Foods. When an eagle-eyed hack spied the former prime minister browsing the ribs, they asked Cameron what he made of his mate's new job. Dave replied that it was a 'great move'. https://twitter.

Fraser Nelson, James Forsyth and Freddy Gray grapple with Osborne's shock appointment: In recent months, Mr S has kept readers up to date with the multiple jobs (and large salaries) George Osborne has taken up since returning to the back bench. Just last week, the former chancellor used Budget day to sneak out the news that he would be earning an extra £650,000 per annum in his part-time role as an advisor to BlackRock. However, Osborne's latest job takes the biscuit. Osborne has been announced as the new editor of the Evening Standard. Former Independent editor -- and Lebedev sidekick -- Amol Rajan managed to somehow bag the exclusive: https://twitter.com/amolrajanBBC/status/842694551995342848 https://twitter.

Oh dear. It's not turning out to be the best week for the conservatives. On top of an embarrassing omNICshamble U-turn, Theresa May is on a sticky wicket over 'IndyRef2' and now the Conservatives have been fined £70,000 by the Electoral Commission -- for failing to declare a total of £275,813 in campaign spending in the general election. With criminal charges now being considered across 12 police force areas over claims of expenses fraud by the Tories, perhaps it's understandable that Patrick McLoughlin -- the party chairman -- wasn't in a chatty mood when he bumped into Sky's Darren McCaffrey. Alas, McLoughlin struggled to control his temper on facing questions -- resulting in him knocking the reporter's phone. https://twitter.

Champers at the ready. After much speculation last year over Her Majesty's feelings towards the EU, the verdict is finally in: the Queen backs Brexit. Her Majesty has given Royal Assent to the government's Brexit Bill -- thereby making it an Act of Parliament. Theresa May now has permission to trigger the UK's exit from the EU at a time of her choosing. The news has been met by celebrations in the Commons: https://twitter.com/BBCParliament/status/842330578078842880 However, over in the Lords it's a more muted affair: https://twitter.com/BBCParliament/status/842331901943808000 Oh well, you can't please them all...

Allahu Akbar! Greetings from Samsun, where Turkish protestors — their eyeballs spinning in orgasmic Islamic rage — tried to set fire to the Dutch flag while chanting the usual ‘Allah’s dead good’ stuff. They used cigarette lighters and some lighter fuel and up it went — and was then jubilantly trampled on by the inflamed, howling masses. Except that it wasn’t the Dutch flag — they had got hold of the French flag by mistake. I wonder if any of the similarly inflamed Turkish protestors in the Netherlands would have noticed? My guess is most of those demonstrating in Rotterdam had spent their entire lives in the Netherlands, but possibly still wouldn’t know what the country’s flag looked like.

It's not turning out to be a great day for the government. After announcing a u-turn on the NICs rise in last week's Budget, Philip Hammond has spent the afternoon having to face down angry MPs in the Chamber. Now it turns out that a 'clerical error' has meant Michael Heseltine has been temporarily 'unsacked' from his post as a government advisor. After the government sacked the Tory grandee last week over his Lords rebellion on Article 50, many were surprised today to receive a letter from the Welsh Secretary declaring that he was counting on the 'expertise of Lord Heseltine' for the upcoming City Deal for the Swansea Bay City Region. Mr S has since been assured it's just a mistake -- rather than the second u-turn of the day. Don't worry Theresa, it's only two days until Friday...

This time last week, Philip Hammond stood in the Chamber and made a joke about how the last Chancellor to proclaim they would deliver the last Spring Budget had been sacked 10 weeks later. Little did he then know that just seven days later he would have to face down angry MPs questioning his future -- as he appeared in the House to explain the government's NICs U-turn. Flanked by Theresa May and David Gauke, Hammond was met with heckles as he said the government had come to the conclusion that while the national insurance class 4 rise is compatible with the tax lock legislation, it 'does not meet a wider understanding of the spirit of that commitment'. As a result of this, there will be no rise in national insurance in this Parliament.