Labour plan fightback after more dissapointment

Political Producer Ben Burton blogs from Parliament

Massive disappointment for Labour MPs in the South and South-East after the stunning Conservative victory in Crewe and Nantwich.

That kind of swing repeated at a General Election would see most of them pondering life outside of the Commons. A re-shuffle from the Prime Minister still looks unlikely with Gordon Brown hoping to move on as quickly as possible.

However a change of personnel could form part of the fightback and the help the Labour party to grab hold of the agenda.

Already some are tipping the Southampton Itchen MP for a move.

John Denham has kept a relatively low profile at the Department for Innovation, University and Skills and MPs from all sides of the house often talk about him taking on a bigger role.

Some are talking about Defence where Des Browne hasn't had the easiest of times particularly as he has to look after Scotland at the same time. However after he resigned over the conflict in Iraq that looks unlikely.

More credible is the belief amongst others that the former Home Office Minister is heading back to his old department to take over from Jacqui Smith.

Expect the rumours and gossip to only get louder.

When Parky met Sally

Political Correspondent Sally Biddulph blogs from Parliament

The guy is a living legend, a broadcaster, knighted for his chat-show prowess and on Tuesday I met him – the one and only Sir Michael Parkinson. I had gone to Guy’s and St Thomas’s hospital in Westminster to interview him about his new role as Dignity Ambassador for the NHS. Yes me, interviewing Parky! Having seen him talking to the great and the good for my entire life on the telly, I was, I have to admit it, a tiny bit nervous. But he was a dream, a consummate professional and utterly charming. Being married to a Barnsley boy myself, maybe I’m a bit biased, but he had a little twinkle in this eye and the first thing he did when I shook his hand was serenade me with, “Sally, Sally, pride of the Alley!”, that Gracie Fields classic I’ve heard more than a few times in my life, but never before sung by a Sir.

Before the interview began I asked him to tell me his name so we could check his sound level on the camera equipment, not, I add, because I didn’t know who he was. “I’m Ross, Jonathan Ross”, came the reply followed by a little snigger from my crew. So then I asked, “How does it feel to be interviewed, rather than doing the interviewing,” “Oh I like it, it’s much easier,” he replied. The next few minutes passed without incident as we talked about his new role promoting dignity and compassion in elderly care. He spoke passionately and candidly on the subject and talked about his mother’s last few years suffering from dementia and the care she received in the Thames Valley.

When the interview was over we chatted a bit more, that warm Yorkshire accent holding my attention. I mentioned that a little bird had told me he was a Reading fan, living as he now does in Berkshire, so I asked what Barnsley FC made of him supporting the Royals. “Were they jealous?” I uttered. “Oh I support three teams, Sally, and in a very specific order, Barnsley first, Man U second and Reading third, so I’m looking forward to Reading playing Barnsley next year in the Championship!”

Watch Sally's Parkinson report here on ITV Local.

Prime Minister asks for your questions

Political Producer Ben Burton blogs from Parliament

Meridian viewers have been using ITV Local for many years now to get in touch with the programme and tell us what you think.

Back at the Conservative Party Conference last year people even sent us their questions for the Tory leader David Cameron to answer.

Politicians have been a little bit slow to catch up with the internet though and are trying new ways to get us engaged with the process.

So if you think we don’t quiz the PM properly now is your chance to put him on the spot.

Downing Street has launched a You Tube channel and Gordon Brown will answer your questions.

But don’t think this is a chance to vent your anger at ever rising fuel prices or ask why your shopping bill seems to go up every week.

The PM’s suggestions for things you might like to ask about include: globalisation, climate change and public services. All important but unsurprisingly not subjects currently dominating the agenda-remember we are still watching Gordon’s fightback after the 10 pence tax problem!

Oh and by the way your video can’t be longer than 30 seconds, must contain no party political content and of course Number 10 reserves the right to select whatever questions they like?

What would you ask Gordon?

Visit Downing Street's You Tube page here.

Libs Dems struggle for the limelight

Politcal Producer Ben Burton blogs from Parliament

Many Liberal Democrats complain that their party doesn’t get a fair share of coverage in the media. In our part of the world in particular - whilst they only hold a handful of seats - they do have a substantial number of voters and believe they deserve more attention.

But with all of Gordon’s trouble leader Nick Clegg (pictured right) isn’t leading the TV bulletins and all eyes are on Crewe and Nantwich. The ever growing consensus is that the Tories will finally win a by-election in a seat they don’t already hold, their first gain from Labour in 30 years.

Normally the Lib Dems cause a storm when a by-election is called and few would write them off. But this time around thanks to the Tories things don’t look so good and the Lib Dems might be wise to not go courting any more publicity.

They’ve imposed a candidate on the association there and are still hoping that they can mop up all those voters fed up with Labour and some that can’t bring themselves to vote for the Tories.

But things don’t look good.

David Cameron’s Conservatives appear to be running away with things and Britain’s third party could be left with a very small share of the vote.

Nick Clegg hasn’t had the best of times since he took the top job. This contest could prove a major test for the young leader and if it’s a bad result he won’t want to be answering too many questions.

If their poll ratings don’t improve (they went down in overall vote share in the local elections at the beginning of the month) even former leadership contender Chris Huhne could be seriously worried about his future employment.

His majority in Eastleigh is less than 600 hundred!

Gordon Brown on the FA Cup

Political Editor Phil Hornby blogs from Parliament

Gordon Brown held his monthly news conference at Downing Street today. There were lots of questions about 10p tax, the credit crunch, his future as Prime Minister…

And then a journalist from Wales popped up to ask him if he was going to wish Cardiff City luck in the Cup Final. “You’re a Raith Rovers fan,” the questioner reminded him. “So will you be cheering for the underdogs on Saturday?”

Now, Mr Brown is too canny to fall for that one. Sure, he’s sometimes accused of dithering, and of not being able to make his mind up – but this time, his indecision was completely understandable.

There are of course lots of votes in Cardiff – but there are two important parliamentary seats in Portsmouth, including Portsmouth North which is a marginal Labour seat.

So, in a diplomatic triumph, the Prime Minister said he was looking forward to watching the Final, was sure it would be a terrific match….and wished both teams well.

Political memoirs pack punches

Political Correspondent Sally Biddulph blogs from Parliament


Another day, another memoir….there has been quite a run on them of late in Westminster. We’ve got the former Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott’s: “Prezza: Pulling no Punches”, Cherie Blair’s “Speaking for Myself” and Labour’s former chief Fundraiser and Tony Blair’s tennis buddy, Lord Levy’s “A Question of Honour” – all released within a week of one another and all making uncomfortable reading for a wounded Prime Minister.

All of them talk about the stormy relationship between Gordon Brown, then Chancellor, and the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair. We’ve heard about the keys to Number 10 being rattled above Tony Blair’s head from Cherie, "Prezza" saying he told Tony Blair to sack Gordon Brown and Lord Levy saying he felt let down by both Number 10 and Number 11 during the “Cash for Honours” investigation. The PM has said he won’t be swayed by such memoirs and is getting down to the “serious business of politics” and running the country. He may have decided to turn his attentions to fixing the 10p tax fiasco, but journalists’ bags up here are weighed down with the three tomes, as we all search for that next nugget of intrigue. With serialisations in major newspapers, there’ll be more revelations to come.

I actually bumped into Lord Levy yesterday in Millbank, our Westminster Studios, and said to him I had bought his book. He shook my hand firmly, looked me straight in the eyes, pulled me close and kissed me on both cheeks and said “how marvellous my dear!”. I have never met this man before and was quite taken aback by his sheer exuberance. He went on to say “do tell me what you think, even if you think it’s total rubbish (he actually used a far more emphatic word, which we can’t print here) drop me a line at the Lords”

And as a final thought, at a press lunch on Tuesday, the Tory leader and Witney MP, David Cameron, was asked, “whose memoir would you fear most and why?”. Without hesitation he said, “My wife, Samantha’s!” An instinctive answer perhaps and one that left me wondering if it was a veiled warning to Tony Blair about Cherie’s!

Anti-hunt campaign back on the political agenda

Political Editor Phil Hornby blogs from Parliament

If you thought the debate about fox-hunting was well and truly over - think again.

Ann Widdecombe, MP for Maidstone and an indefatigable anti-hunt campaigner, held a film-show at Westminster, and it wasn't for the squeamish.

It was an hour of footage shot by 'hunt monitors' - people who spend their weekends in the countryside, armed with video cameras, collecting evidence that the ban is being flouted.

Certainly, the film did seem to show that hunting with hounds still goes on, although whether these were isolated incidents, or whether abuse of the law is widespread, it's impossible to say.

Ms Widdecombe recognises that the hunting ban can't be policed properly. So she reckons the monitors should be licensed, and the Crown Prosecution Service ("So weak!” she says) should take their findings more seriously.

There were lots of anti-hunting MPs at the meeting. There were also a few who are pro-hunting, and they didn't seem entirely convinced by her arguments.

A representative of the Countryside Alliance was there too. He seemed convinced that a) there will be a Tory Government in two years' time and b) that Government will overturn the ban.

I can't see it being one of David Cameron's top priorities if he does get to Number Ten, but groups like the Countryside Alliance would put huge pressure on him to act.

If he doesn't, they'd be furious. If he does, the whole can of worms would be reopened. Hunting threatens to dog (pardon the pun) his Premiership, just as it did Tony Blair's.

Apparently Mr Blair could never understand why it was such a big issue, but hunting is one of those topics that really inflames passions, on both sides of the argument.

If the Tories do move to make hunting legal again, one thing is sure. Ms Widdecombe, by then comfortably ensconced in her retirement home in Devon, will re-emerge into public view and fight him all the way.

Tally ho!