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31/03/2009
Pickles Party: the full story
The Pickles drinks reception last night was a staid affair - apart from the chairman's jokes - and would probably have passed off without much comment.
Unfortunately, one guest was Ian Thomas, who runs an Islington-based publishing firm Sugarmedia. He was invited along with two colleagues I'm told because his firm publishes Student News, a publication that apparently reaches 200,000 students, and the party needs to get its message across to as many outlets as possible.
Thomas and his pals were escorted from Portcullis House up to the party in the Shad Cab room near the Speaker's Chair. As visitors, they were not allowed to walk around on their own in Parliament and were accompanied by Commons passholders.
After the drinks, however, 40-year-old Thomas and his pals slipped away without escorts. He then embarked on what is described by an excellent source as a "domestic" with one of his companions. The row was so heated - and took place so close to the Speaker's Chair (near the Table Office I'm told), that it attracted the attention of a police officer. At some point one of those involved declared "I'm HIV positive". As a result, one copper is expected to take an HIV test as a precaution.
A punch was thrown at the officer, his lip cut and all hell broke loose as other officers arrived, CS gas was unleashed and three officers restrained Thomas on the floor.
Thomas was handcuffed and nicked and taken to a cop shop.
Strangely, Sugarmedia's website is down at the moment. But I can tell you that its clients include Student Times, The Official Guide to Black History Month and other groups. There is even some suggestion that the firm may have claimed to have worked with Number 10, the Mayor of London and GCHQ.
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