At least Chris Moyles didn't get his todger out

Or maybe he did and no one noticed?

Previously on the Daily Pundit: My night with Chris 'button mushroom' Moyles

Douglas Carswell told to put a sock in it by former Tory Chief Whip

I'll link to David Maclean's speech when it appears online. (now online-see below) Until then you'll just have to take my word for it that the former Tory chief whip has hit out at MPs and media commentators for bad-mouthing the Speaker. At the end of his speech Maclean went out of his way to call on his Tory colleagues to end the "attacks" against Michael Martin. Presumably that includes Tory oddball Douglas Carswell, who appears to be continuing his thuggish, ill-mannered vendetta against the Speaker via his blog.

Carswell has even had the cheek to show the Houses of Parliament upside down. Off with his head? It would certainly be an improvement.

David Maclean: "I say to my colleagues that, clearly, some decisions were made in the House—we shall find out more about them—that were perhaps not best advised, but I ask colleagues on both sides to call off attacks on the Chair of the House. Such attacks only feed those in the print media, some of whom sit in judgment above Mr. Speaker and have always held a grudge against him. Yes, we must make it clear that we will defend Parliament from all unwarranted assaults on our rights, but we do not defend Parliament by going along with some in the media who wish to bring down Mr. Speaker. It is interesting that some of those in the print media who now profess to want to defend the status of Parliament are among the first who want to rake in our dustbins to find every derogatory item that they can get."

Boris Johnson drops himself in it over conversation with Damian Green

The London mayor's admission that he phoned Damian Green after his arrest has left senior officers at Scotland Yard "dismayed", Labour GLA members 'astonished', and Sky's award winning crime correspondent, Martin Brunt, perplexed: "These are extraordinary statements for the chairman of the police authority to make," Brunt remarked.

Labour's Len Duvall told Sky it was "astonishing and inappropriate" for Mr Johnson to be speaking to a "potential criminal suspect". "Boris Johnson is picking and choosing private information to use for political advantage."

Full story via Sky.

PS. Sky's Joey Jones suggested that Boris, known for giving a 'straight answer to a straight question', should have "dead-batted" the questions from Labour GLA members. Could Joey be looking for a change of career as a media adviser?

Home Office leaks: Potential breach of national security

So says acting Met Chief Sir Paul Stephenson after he detailed the reasons for Damian Green's arrest at a meeting of London Assembly members this morning (webcast). He also refuted Tory claims of political involvement in the arrests:

"Let me deal finally with the suggestion that any political or ministerial influence on this or any other police operation under my command. I would strongly refute that I or any senior officer under my command have, or would allow, any improper influence of our operational judgement and actions for political purposes. That is not what we do".

The potential breach of national security could account for Peter Mandelson's dig at the Tories this morning when he accused Cameron and his frontbench of using the row as a "smokescreen" to cover his (Green's) involvement in the leaks. And probably explains why Jacqui Smith has accused David Cameron and Dominic Grieve of 'behaving in a manner unfit for high office'.

Meanwhile, Times columnist Alice Miles has put self-important MPs in their place by summing up the public's attitude to Tory threats to disrupt the Queen's speech.

'The very idea that the public would sit up and take notice were MPs to "disrupt" the debate today shows how far removed this argument has got from the perceptions of ordinary people. Parliament, cheered on by a media bored with writing about the credit crunch (yes, me too), is in danger of making an ass of itself. Do MPs not realise that standing on your dignity is only possible when you have sufficient dignity left to stand on? In the opinions of most people around most of the country that, sadly, is not the case.'

Miles for PM!

Tory councillor forced to quit over links with IRA

I'd be interested to hear what David Cameron makes of the story that one of Croydon's Conservative councillors has been forced to resign over links with the IRA in the early 1970s. More than 35 years have passed since Maria Gatland chronicled her relationship with the Provisional IRA leadership in 1971-72. Isn't it time to let bygones be bygones?

As Jonathan Calder points out, the councillor's resignation from her post as cabinet member for children and young people "may seem rather unfair when you consider everyone was happy for Martin McGuinness to be in charge of education in Northern Ireland for many years."

Home Office leak investigation set to be dropped?

Or is it just wishful thinking on the part of Sean O'Neill, Crime and Security Editor for the Times?

'Scotland Yard's announcement of an urgent review of the Damian Green affair is the first step towards dropping an investigation that has embroiled it in an almighty scandal and threatens to wreck the careers of two of its most senior officers. While the Metropolitan Police has maintained that the inquiry into Home Office leaks is ongoing, the reality is that it has been stalled by the furore. The next logical step for detectives following the evidence would be to interview David Davis, the former Shadow Home Secretary. But the political atmosphere is so volatile that taking that step is now unthinkable.'

Video footage of 'The moment the Met invaded the Commons'

Ailing Standards?

I have absolutely no evidence for this, just an old-fashioned, cynical hunch that the Evening Standard's Paul Waugh is determined to be as outrageous as possible in order to raise the profile of his increasingly seedy blog. Job cuts loom at the 'Ailing Standards'. Is this post Paul's cry for help?

Ailing Standards.

Will Damian Green be the first MP to appear on Nightwatch?

While the Westminster village has been busy convincing itself that Damian Green's arrest was an outrage, the voting public need no convincing of that old adage - no smoke without fire. So I'm surprised to hear that the Tories, already perceived as weak on issues of national security following Green's arrest, are threatening to release a Conservative Party video of the police raid on his property.

I can't help wondering whether the police also filmed the raid? If they did, Steve Scott's ratings could go through the roof.

Tory Treasury team at war over spending cuts

There's a turf war underway in the Tory Treasury team and if the events of the last few days are anything to go by George Osborne is its first casualty.

In an astonishing snub to the Shadow Chancellor, his deputy Phillip Hammond has effectively overruled Osborne by announcing that a cut in the overall level of public spending would be "politically extremely difficult".

"I don't think it's ever been done for a sustained period," Hammond told a packed audience of seminar-goers last night.

Incredibly, Hammond's remarks came just hours after Osborne was insisting that 'there remained a strong commitment to find economies in the public sector.'

Some sources are suggesting that relations became so strained last week that the Tory leader was eventually forced to intervene when he insisted that his own waste supremo, Oliver Letwin, is not conducting a review into public sector waste!

None of this comes as a surprise to the Daily Pundit. It is the pantomime season after all.

HE'S BEHIND YOU!

ConservativeHome has the full story of u-turns and infighting that have become the hallmarks of a divided shadow Treasury team.

Can Mandelson win over middle England?

If the latest poll is to be believed the Tory lead is now down to a single point and Labour has done enough in the PBR to win back the support of its core vote. Next stop, middle England?

Home office Mole had more than one Tory contact

'It seems that other Tories may have had dealings with Galley, but party sources say that Green was their "main contact",' reports Andrew Sparrow in the Guardian.

Could that explain why the Tories have described Home Office claims that its investigation into the leaks involves 20 documents (not the four documents widely reported) as a "complete exaggeration"? Have other documents been leaked to unknown shadow ministers or Tory MPs without the knowledge of Tory high command?

Or perhaps there's a second Tory mole in the Home Office who's yet to be unmasked?

As for this afternoon's press conference with Chris Galley and his solicitor, Neil O'May, I was intrigued by O'May’s defence of his client.

"Mr Galley gave Damian Green information which was important for the public to know in an open and democratic parliamentary system. As a shadow minister for immigration and as a Member of Parliament, Damian Green received the information in the same spirit and used it in his parliamentary duties."

So why was it important for the public to know the names of Labour MPs expected to rebel against the government plans for 42-day detention?

Meanwhile, Chief Constable Ken Jones, the President of ACPO, has defended the Met's handling of Green's arrest and given whingeing MPs who think they're above the law some food for thought

"No one can be above the law," he said. "The good reputation of our Parliament turns, to an extent, on its willingness to demonstrate its support for the principle when necessary." The fact that the Home Office handles sensitive information affecting the security of the country must be taken into account when considering the nature of the investigation, Mr Jones added. "To meet that responsibility in a way which delivers effective law enforcement to the people of our country requires complete trust between government, law enforcement and intelligence agencies. "Leaks can and do erode that trust."

Nick Robinson: Meet the Home Office mole

Lib Dem civil war looms

But there is some good news for Nick Clogg. According to Lib Dem Chief Executive, Chris Rennard, the "useless" Steve Webb has 'put out a helpful statement confirming that he has had a friendly conversation with Nick over the article and that the report does not accurately represent Nick’s views.'

Which just leaves Chris Huhne and Julia Goldsworthy, who didn't have the time today to have a 'friendly conversation' with Nick. But did they find time for a 'friendly conversation' with Vince Cable?

Clogg failed to learn his lesson the last time he slagged off his colleagues in public. One more gaffe and he'll be out on his ear.

Bigmouth Clegg fails to distract Steve Webb from real politics

Damian Green to step down?

By the end of the week? I can't see it myself, but the allegations are coming thick and fast, including a suggestion in today's Times that he 'groomed' 26-year-old Christopher Galley, the Tory supporting Home Office mole. Green is also alleged to have offered inducements to the former Tory council candidate. More worryingly, the number of leaked documents in question has risen to a staggering 20, not the 4 documents widely reported.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mail has some interesting revelations about Galley.

'An entry on the Friends Reunited website apparently reveals his interests as: 'Centre-Right politics, the stock market, political satire, the miners' strike.' At 22, he stood as the sole Conservative candidate for the safe Labour ward of Hetton, during the Sunderland council elections. He polled 676 votes and came fifth.'

It's also worth noting that he played the euphonium in his school's brass band. Attention seeker?

Home Office mole, Chris Galley, claims Damian Green offered him inducements

John Prescott gets his first A grade

Simon Hoggart eat your heart out.

Bigmouth Clegg fails to distract Steve Webb from real politics

While the Lib Dem leader was busy defending himself over accusations that he was overheard slagging off his front bench colleagues, Lib Dem front bencher Steve Webb was busy defending the rights of women to more than £100 million in enhanced pensions. Steve tells his blog readers :

"I received confirmation this week that a long-running campaign to get women the pension that they are entitled to is likely to yield over £100 million in enhanced pensions... The pensions minister at the time (now Secretary of State James Purnell) went on the radio saying I was talking nonsense and that there was nothing more than the odd case. I persisted, and worked with the subsequent pensions minister Mike O'Brien to convince the Department that this was more than a few isolated cases. HM Revenue and Customs in due course agreed to trawl their records to see what they could find, and a written answer to me this week said that they reckon between 100,000 and 150,000 women may be missing out."

Steve Webb 1 Nick Clogg 0.

David Davis has finally lost the plot

The former shadow Home Secretary does himself a disservice when he compares the arrest of his colleague Damian Green to the sort of treatment meted out to opposition politicians in Zimbabwe. Spot the difference between MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, after being detained by Zimbabwean police, and Damian Green after being detained by British police.





Matt Withers of Wales Online puts the hyperbole coming out of the Tory camp into context: "not only is their direct comparison of Mr Green's arrest with Zimbabwe and the Soviet Union offensive to people who've known genuine suffering, it makes them sound utterly ludicrous."

"In Zimbabwe, Mugabe has rigged elections, attacked civil society, killed and maimed opponents and suspended the rule of law. Opponents of his regime are routinely arrested and many have been tortured and burnt alive by his personal militia.

In the Soviet Union under Stalin millions of people who were suspected of being such a threat were executed or exiled to Gulag labour camps in remote areas of Siberia or Central Asia, where many more died of disease, malnutrition and exposure. Estimates of the number of deaths associated with his Great Purge run from the official figure of 681,692 to nearly two million. In Britain, an obscure shadow minister was arrested, questioned and released without charge."

Jonathan Ross is 'top dog' says BBC1 controller

Jay Hunt must have been asleep on the job for the last six months if she hasn't noticed that "responsible broadcaster", Jonathan Ross, is despised by millions of BBC poll tax payers.

64 percent say BBC licence fee is a rip-off

Home Office mole, Chris Galley, claims Damian Green offered him inducements

A 26-year-old Conservative Party supporter has been unmasked as the Home Office mole. Christopher Galley, a former Tory council candidate, is now said to be in hiding for his own safety.

The story so far. Two years ago, disillusioned with his career as a junior civil servant in the Home Office immigration directorate, Galley approached the Tory party looking for work. He was eventually interviewed by Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, but 'failed to land a job' says the Times.