Two Things to Note From Today’s Guardian/ICM Poll

Labour Must Bear Blame For Decline of NHS | Sean Worth
Cameron is Destroying Tory Party | Nigel Farage
Drop Crosby’s Clients Then Put Him in Charge | Paul Goodman
ICM Was Most Out With UKIP in 2009 | Political Betting
Cutting Spare Room Subsidy Already Getting Results | Harry Phibbs
British Left’s Pitchfork Mob For Zimmerman | Louise Mensch
Can Tory Party Be Saved? | Iain Martin
Austerity Hits the BBC | Speccie
Left Treat Working Class as Exotic Tribe | Brendan O'Neill
David Ward Attacks Israel Again | Jewish News
Real IDS v Fake IDS Quiz | Guardian

TUESDAY, JULY 16, 2013

Two Things to Note From Today’s Guardian/ICM Poll

CM/Guardian Poll

JulyJune

20

36

Tories

36

Labour

13

LibDems

7

UKIP

Labour and the Tories are neck and neck with UKIP trailing off in this morning’s ICM poll for the Guardian. Though as Mike Smithson explains ICM was the pollster most out with UKIP at the 2009 Euros, where it undershot their result by 6.5% and had them in fourth place when they came second. Also worth taking into account that at the weekend Survation had UKIP on 20%, Opinium on 19% and ComRes on 18%. Still, who knew union bashing and welfare reforming was so popular?

Watson On Job Hunt

Tom Watson is wasting no time updating his CV as he looks for a new job after quitting the frontline. Of all the possible career paths available to him, who might he be trying to impress? Last night Watson added “Public Affairs” and “Corporate Communications” to his skills on his LinkedIn page. Because we don’t have enough politicians turned lobbyists in Parliament…

MONDAY, JULY 15, 2013

Labour Party Guide to Policy Making

Dave might have succumbed to yet another Social Media Own Goal onTwitter this morning, though there has been lots of fun at Labour’s expense today too. This guide to policy making (H/T @mrsteedUK) doing the rounds is particularly good:

While Mark Thompson’s alternative Liam Byrne note just about sums it up:

Silly season begins.

Dave’s Party Charm Offensive Continues

As Guido revealed in yesterday’s Sun column, it is not just Tory MPs who are on the receiving end of the PM’s summer charm offensive. Former Chairmen of the Conservative Party also got the Downing Street drinks party treatment. Current Chairman Grant Shapps and his disgruntled predecessor Sayeeda Warsi were joined recently by blasts from the past like Norman Tebbit, Cecil Parkinson, Norman Fowler, Chris Patten and Maurice Saatchi.
The old guard and more modern faces like Liam Fox and Theresa May – all of whom have done time in the Chairman’s seat – were on hand to offer advice, though Guido understands not all of it was greeted with enthusiasm.
No sign of Eric Pickles…

Desmond Does Digital
“Media Mogul” Joins Twitter

After announcing a digital shake-up at his newspapers and magazines, Richard Desmond has joined Twitter. Guido’s sources confirm that it’s “100 percent” Desmond. His first engagement was with Murdoch:

@rupertmurdoch congratulations on your cost cutting move to the baby Shard—
Richard Desmond (@digiDesmond) July 14, 2013

No reply yet…

David ‘The Jews’ Ward Off On One Again

Guido Fawkes Esq.
FAO Alistair Carmichael,
Chief Whip Liberal Democrats
Dear Mr. Carmichael,
Sincerest apologies for disturbing you on your birthday. 
On 27th February this year, following a meeting with David Ward MP, you wrote that you had “agreed language that will be proportionate and precise in your future interventions in this debate”. After your warning he said he was “disappointed and angry” at your letter.
This exchange came after Mr Ward had caused uproar over his comments concerning “the Jews”, including saying that he could think of no better day than Holocaust Memorial Day to discuss the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Your party has repeatedly said that it is taking Mr Ward’s conduct “extremely seriously”, also promising “there will be consequences” if he makes similar comments in the future. You have also said that you have effectively given him a “yellow card”, despite him making controversial comments on at leastthree further occasions.
Unfortunately, yesterday Mr Ward chose to ignore your words once again. Writing on Twitter, he questioned the continued existence of the State of Israel:
Jeremy Newmark, chief executive of the Jewish Leadership Council, tells Jewish News the tweet will “only fuel the view that extremism and politics of hate are acceptable Lib Dem discourse”. 
I hope you find the time to take these comments into account before continuing your celebrations.
Yours,
Guido Fawkes

Moves to Deselect David Ruffley
Tory MP Seeks Professional Help to Solve Staff Problems

Guido readers will be well aware of Tory MP David Ruffley’s fearsome Hulk-style temper. Staffer after staffer has felt his wrath, so much so that his almost monthly adverts for new office helpers are going unanswered. Things are so bad that Ruffley has had to enlist the support of “professional services” specialising in recruitment to fill his empty office. The extra cost to the taxpayer? A blood-boiling £7,560. As Guido revealed in yesterday’s Sun column back in Ruffley’s constituency of Bury St-Edmunds, moves are afoot in the local Tory party to deselect their MP. End of the line?

Byrne’s Giant U-Turn

Liam Byrne’s membership of the reality based community upsets lefty types on the best of days, but today they are particularly vocal over his new line of attack. Here’s what Byrne said about the welfare cap to Progress in January 2012:

“…where they go wrong is their politics is divisive and it sets one person against another and you see that, my goodness, running right the way through the Welfare Reform Bill that we get in the House of Commons tomorrow… they are about setting against one neighbour against another, sowing the policies, sowing the politics of division, sowing the problem of ‘the other’ and actually we have to be the party that governs for everyone and that is particularly important at a time when the electorate and the electoral coalitions are in a state of flux”

Now Baldemort has attacked the government for not going far enough with that very same cap. The New Statesman are having such a hissy-fit about it that they label Byrne “morally dubious”. Dubious, perhaps, but only in terms of credibility.

More NHS England Lunacy

The good news is that NHS England – the new body that runs healthcare in England – are hiring more doctors. The bad news is they are spin-doctors, as the number of NHS scandals and cover-ups grows, they have decided to double the size of their media team. Another win for the “Envy of the World”.
See also: NHS England Blow £177,028 on iPhones For Staff