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Carly Fiorina would be the final absurdity to end McCain's chances.

Those who have the time to read might check the latest New York Review of Books to see the Virginia Senator touted as a likely VP for Obama.

Yet another strike whilst yes i do have sympathy very little thought seems to be given to the fact that this action (again) alienates other low paid workers like parents who have to take days off work that WE cant afford or at least not as easily as the people striking apparently can.

I hear the unions say their member only get so much yada yada. If they don't like it why not get another job? It is detached from reality for everyone to get more taxes just to insulate them from the real economy? Or does the real economy not apply to them?

Who is the target audience of this obsession with every nuance of israel?

What's happened to the coverage of Glasgow East you promised last Friday?

There's even a real news story today that you could cover from your London desks:

Why did Margaret Curran's Labour website at falsify a story about their own George McGuinness and a week later replace it with a very similar story about the real John Hipson with no apology whatsoever?

The Guido Fawke's blog at is one of many in the blogosphere to have spotted it, but right now you can see it for yourselves by Googling:
www.eastendlabour.org.uk "glasgow east" McGuiness "93 year old"

At the time of writing you'll get 2 main entries. The 2nd entry gives the new version with no mention of the misspeak(?). The Cached link beside gives you the text of Maggie's original entry.

Could you not at least give Margaret Curran the chance to clear her name on air and ensure balance by letting Mason have his take on it?

Covering the Scottish "fat fireman" strike might be more fun!

What about getting McNulty and Dianne Abbott on to see who "misspoke" over the 42 days "discussions" behind the scenes?

#4 Brownedov

I agree with Brownedov on Glasgow East. This is a "biggie".

Re #7 thegangofone

Thanks - it certainly looks a biggie to me, and can be clarified before Glasgow East voters have to make their decision.

Right now, the parallel with Private Eye's PM Decree column is astonishing. Can we expect the next one to cover the re-writing of history, I wonder?

See

If there's any "Parish Pump" stuff tonight it really ought to come from the steps of St. Jude's!

AOB ('Ideas on these and anything else most welcome')

I would like to continue the debate regarding the 'mental health' of MPs.
A point to address is: When does an inappropriate psychological profile spill over into 'a mental health issue'?
Take Homer Simpson as an example. Homer is Safety Officer at the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, yet his general demeanour: sloth, gluttony, nihilism etc, clearly disqualifies him from the job. That Homer holds that position, runs remarkably parallel to UK Politics in that Homer's boss (Montgomery Burns) is a Machiavellian nincompoop. Enough said. However, I venture that Homer has no definable mental health issues.

Those who stand for parliamentary office, with the inbuilt possibility of rising to be a minister - even Prime Minister, should clearly undergo maximum scrutiny for quirks, foibles obsessions etc. After all, we wouldn't want a delusional, messianic or an infantile autodigester as a PM now, would we! Were MPs chosen from the locality and known to the electorate as a PERSON not a political cipher, I believe the mental tenor of Parliament - hence the country - would be well served.

APRIL FOOLS?

As trusts, SLAs, and commissioning of services from the (still poorly understood by many I bet, just as 'trusts' are) "Third Sector" is something which New Labour has been very actively pushing across the public services (this must not to be confused with privatisation by the way), perhaps Newsnight will consider inviting Lord Ramsbotham (who has been asking questions like the ones below for about 10 years now and seems a tad irked....as I recall, nearly all the things he refers to WERE provided (or were in the pipeline) before HMPS was reorganised 18 years or so ago), the head of NOMS (National Offender Management Service, now in the Ministry of Justice) and a few MPs (and other interested 'stakeholders') onto the programme so the general public might better appreciate just how trusts and 'The Third Sector" are supposed to work IN PRACTICE (in NOMS and elsewhere)?

Hansard (Lords) 14th July:
Lord Ramsbotham (Crossbench)
asked Her Majesty's Government:

"What is the system for managing women in the prison system; and which official is responsible and accountable for the overall direction of that management; and

What is the system for managing children in the prison system; and which official is responsible and accountable for the overall direction of that management; and

What is the system for managing young offenders in the prison system; and which official is responsible and accountable for the overall direction of that management; and

What is the system for managing life-sentenced prisoners in the prison system; and which official is responsible and accountable for the overall direction of that management; and

What is the system for managing sex offenders in the prison system; and which official is responsible and accountable for the overall direction of that management; and

What is the system for managing foreign nationals in the prison system; and which official is responsible and accountable for the overall direction of that management.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath (Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Ministry of Justice; Labour)

Following the restructuring of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) from 1 April this year, specifications and standards for managing the different groups of prisoners will be set by the Director of Commissioning and Operational Policy (in consultation with the Youth Justice Board for young people under 18 years of age), and delivery to these specifications will be the responsibility of the NOMS chief operating officer."

it has cost the treasury a fair amount to delay the 2p petrol hike, it can hardly be called a sweetner to the Glasgow east by-election as most of the poor that live there will not have cars so it is a bit disingenious for Cameron to suggest that it is a cunning plan. Could it just be that the government realises that it is going to be turfed out and is doing all it can to redress the balance. It will, of course, fail horribly.

Why that drug and knife crime is ungovernable? Why do we not hear about the state of affairs that tend to suggest the inability of Police and government e.g. soft on causes of the crime?
Politicians are always keen to act tougher than their opponents are on crime. Prison building has increased, but there is no sign of stemming the tide to justify the cost. More victims and their families suffering while the prison population in England and Wales reached a new peak of 81,918 - 100 places short of its maximum "bust" capacity.
Both parties’ pay lip service to socio-economic causes avoiding the values that creates the permissive atmosphere for crime in this secular liberal society. Nothing seems to curb the growing soft porn industry commonly called "lifestyle magazines for men".
To do anything to cut back on this would be as fundamental illiberal and the values that underpin society. Society upholds the interests of powerful few in their pursuit of happiness at the expense of weak - the permissive values that promote the culture.
Tough on crime and tougher on the causes of crime should result in fewer weeping mothers whose sons are stabbed to death, whose daughters are raped and whose children are criminally abused.

CAVEAT EMPTOR: GOBBLE GOBBLE

referringto (#12) "Society upholds the interests of powerful few in their pursuit of happiness at the expense of weak"

As far as the former are concerned, the more of the latter there are the better (either through differential fertility -education actually tilts the birth rate towards the less able by delaying motherhood for smarter girls) or via low-skilled immigration). The weak are cash/vote cows/pumps - aka 'consumers' who, all being equals, are quite capable of making their own choices, so are responsible for them (even if they don't really understand).

No patronising nanny-state here thank-you.
In fact, the less meddlesome government the better. Power to the people.

Robert Mugabe should live the country alone resign and allowed others to administer.