Spin-Cycle : Anyone know why Labour MP Angela Eagle is sniffing into Portland PR and why Liam Byrne is dodging answering the questions?
Angela Eagle (Wallasey, Labour)
To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings officials in his Department have had with representatives of the public relations company Portland PR; what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility; and what the nature of the contract is in each case.
Liam Byrne (Minister of State (Immigration, Citizenship and Nationality), Home Office)
The Department does not maintain a central list of such meetings.
Spin-Cycle : Anyone know why Labour MP Angela Eagle is sniffing into Portland PR and why Liam Byrne is dodging answering the questions?
23 comments:
c.f. Private Eye
The answer is as it is because it's true. Government departments do not store information centrally on meetings held which is categorised on an organisation by organisation level
Which leaves the question of Contracts.
Anonymous - are you telling us that departments do not keep records of "what contracts Portland PR has with his Department and agencies for which he has responsibility".
No wonder the government is in such a mess if they don't know who is running their PR!
However, if you read the website:
"Portland was founded in 2001 by Tim Allan. His background combines 4 years as Deputy Press Secretary to Tony Blair "
"Prior to joining Sky Andrew Sholl established the Labour Party's pioneering media monitoring unit, leading Newsweek magazine to dub him the most influential foreign national involved in Tony Blair's general election victory."
Thought you lot were at the cutting edge of Westminster politics. Its a fascinating game of internal Labour politics going on with Brownites and Blairites, through Portland PR (Tim Allen - Blairs old spin doctor) have a look at all the questions that have been tabled in the last couple of weeks. Richard Taylor is also at Portland PR (he's the guy who worked for Hoon when Kelly's name was leaked) the plot thickens.
I doubt DFID will mention that Portland wrote some of Hilary Benn's speeches last year - makes you wonder what his SPAD is for....
ASDA speak very highly of them, I believe
Strange you should note this as my MP (Eric Martlew) asked a similar question on the 6th of June to The DTI and got the same response. Other MP's have asked similar questions of other departments. I wonder whop is behind this as Eric isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer & would not have done this off his own back.
Popular Alliance New Party, make the difference, membership details: www.popularalliance.org There Chairman is Brian Buxton. Secretary Tony Bennett.
No - but I do remember her, and her hot leather trousers, drinking coffee late at night in my college rooms. Of course that was before she discovered she was a lesbian, I always think I must have spoilt her for any other man, none could measure up....
To describe Martlew as a knife, blunt or other wise, is a gross insult to wooden spoons.
.
Liam's a Harlow lad who's naturally diplomatic, like his father, grandee of Harlow Labour Party and former General Manager of Harlow Council, Dermot Byrne.
That's two Government Ministers from Harlow now, Dermot's pal, Bill Rammell, who was also once a Harlow councillor and Liam. Two Ministers from one small town - is that a Guinness World Record?
Rammell almost lost his Govt job and constituency at the last election, scraping through just 70 votes up on the remarkably talented and courageous Tory, Robert Halfon, who ovecame his severe disability to fight an inspired campaign. Halfon for Harlow next time is the word - though I'd say Halfon for Government! No wonder Harlow's one of Cameron's key marginals.
Still playing catchup, Look where these questions began: Nick Brown. Clearly i'm going to have to start my own blog up. Guido playing catchup, less time in the bookies me thinks.
Anonymous said...
Popular Alliance New Party, make the difference, membership details: www.popularalliance.org There Chairman is Brian Buxton. Secretary Tony Bennett.
Any party with Tony Bennett as chairman is my party. Will they have Englebert Humperdinck as Party Secretary? Duets with kd lang for fundraisers?
Tony Bennett - the Metric Martyr - another Harlow man, there must be something in the water!
Born again Christian fundamentlist ~ ex Labour Party ~ ex Independant councillor up north ~ ex UKIP ~ ex Veritas ~ ex Kilroy-Silk PA ~ who attempted to prosecute Michael Barrymore during Big Brother and called the Prophet Mohammed a paedophile. This'll be good entertaining.
Just what contracts did Liam Byrne have with his little company ? something called "EGovernment" whatever than might be
Lots of Labour MPs are after Portland for a range of reasons, but the main reason is Portland's expansion into union busting - http://www.asdawatch.org/asda_newsstory.asp?story=53
Can't remember the exact wording but Private Eye have been watching them. The reason I think it either because a senior civil servant/ex-minister is on their board or they have been promising access to government ministers to clients or both.
Not often the dead tree press beats you to it Guido but this was in Private Eye and in some detail a couple of weeks back. Clearly Tim Allen is mates with a lot of bright young Blairites like James Purnell, Pat Macfadden, Liam Byrne etc. and the Brown camp want early revenge. Does make one think a night of the long knives might be in prospect.
Bad SMELL from Old Harlow.Lot of XX's would love to see the smile on Robert Kilroy's face. From Orange to Red no doubt.
Tony Bennett X Popular Alliance X Solicitor X Terry Lubbock solicitor XXX & Out.
I see the dreaded Bennett man so called X Solicitor had donned his Columbo style MakinTOSH in another case. God help the people who make contact with this man.
BEWARE should be put before the name of Tony Bennett, you only have to ask the Lubbock & McCann families and Robert Kilroy Silk.
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