Don't Delete this Email

From: Guy Fawkes
To: Ruth.Turner
Date: Dec 30, 2006 1:28 PM

Subject: Happy New Year

They do say a new year is a good time to make a fresh start, turn over a new leaf, make a clean breast of things.

Good luck.

--
Guido Fawkes Esq.

Three weeks ago a credible source told Guido that Ruth Turner was "fully co-operating" with the police investigation. This is really co-operating rather than in the sense that Chris Evans or Sleazy Leavy were "fully co-operating" before they were arrested. It is widely reported that Ruth has now retained her own legal counsel, rather than using the Labour party's in-house counsel. A clear sign that her interests and her master's interests have diverged.

Happy Christmas Wishing You Peace and Prosperity

Guido will be mostly off-line until the New Year....

WebCameron Co-conspirators Want Answers

This could be a Miliband-Wiki type debacle for another online politician not playing it straight with the net-roots. Already the most voted for question on WebCameron's "Ask Dave" this week is the same one he shamelessly dodged last week. Where do the millions come from? Who is behind the offshore funding fronts? Don't try to fob us off with an "I'm a transparent kinda guy" answer this time.

Vote here if you want answers.

Guy News TV : Have a Cheeky Christmas!

Latest Tory Mayoral Candidate Throws Fedora Into Ring

Winston McKenzie is an official Tory Mayoral candidate. The former Veritas candidate lost his deposit at the general election standing in Croydon North after gaining 324 votes. This bettered his standing in Brent East in 2003 where he won 197 votes standing as the "Black Voice for Great Britain".

Guido interviewed him and found his policies, err, interesting, he is against the congestion charge and tough on crime. He is very keen on sport, boxing in particular. Guido can't wait for the hustings...

We Are the Cheeky Dems

Picture credit : Serf

Re-Ask Dave

The first Ask Dave response video was a bit surreal, he said "I am the party leader who is for transparency", this is in response to Guido's question about mysterious backers hiding behind companies and foundations in Geneva, the British Virgin Isles and Liechtenstein. Dave went on to claim "You can see total transparency, there is no secret loans or anything like that, go to the Electoral Commission website and you can see the whole thing."

So Guido did just that, he looked there, and was none the wiser. Which was clearly the intention of the Liechtenstein lenders. So despite Webcameron users voting for answers in droves, they still don't know who backs the Tories to the tune of millions.

What Guido does know is that when Blair buried the British Aerospace / Saudi bribes investigation last week, the Tories were silent. Stunning. A government mired in sleaze, itself under investigation by the police for corruption, quashes an investigation into corruption. An open goal for a determined opposition surely? Nothing doing.

Wafic Said made a £100,000 donation to the Tories in February, on top of the £550,000 or so he is alleged to have given through his wife on the quiet. He was the middleman who profited from Britain’s biggest arms deal ever — “Al-Yamamah” — which involved the multi-billion-pound sale of British Aerospace fighters to Saudi Arabia. Quite a coincidence, voters might wonder if the money and the silence are linked.

For the avoidance of doubt, wouldn't it be better to tell the voters who is, forinstance, behind this mysterious anonymous offshore lender in Liechtenstein? Fortunately a co-conspirator has re-asked Dave the same question posed last week, maybe if it gets enough votes (again) Dave will take the opportunity to bring it out of the shadows and answer it this time. Vote here if you want answers.

Lembit Lobbied for Cheeky Girls

Guido didn't bother running with the Lembit / Cheeky Girl story this week. The satire / reality continuum seemed to have warped too much.

However it appears that there is a political angle, Lembit has tried to fast-track the Romanian's visa process. The Cheeky Girls are in Britain illegally - that would make it illegal to hire them as well. Which Guido understands has been possible in the past...

UPDATE : Isn't it an offence to offer an inducement to an MP? Do they live in his constitutency?

UPDATE II : Machiavelli points out in the comments:

The Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament:

"Holders of public office should not place themselves under any financial or other obligation to outside individuals or organisations that might influence them in the performance of their official duties."

"Holders of public office have a duty to declare any private interests relating to their public duties and to take steps to resolve any conflicts arising in a way that protects the public interest."

Totty Watch : CF Party @ the Erotic Gherkin

click picture to enlarge

Wall-to-wall totty at the CF Christmas party, no wonder Mark Clarke, Conservative Future chairman, is always smiling. Francis Maude's attendance meant that Guido was not the oldest party-goer. Guido left early - having not taken any Totty pictures. These were, once again, provided by a co-conspirator...

Police Want More Answers

Yard saying more letters have gone out to Downing Street players requesting more information and requesting further interviews. You might want to keep this handy for the next month..

Party Funding : Tory Whips Tell MPs "Shut Up"

Word reaches Guido that Tory MPs have been sent a note telling them to maintain a silence on the issue of party funding, and it is odd that there appears to be a media black-out on the issue from the Tories.

John Redwood appears to have not read the memo.

Fugitive Flees Britain Disguised As Woman

Picture Credit : Theo Spark

Any Answers Dave?

Voting closed on the first set of Ask Dave questions on Sunday. Guido's question about where does the money come from was voted the question WebCameron users most wanted answered [update: until the last moment in a perfectly normal flurry of late voting].

No answer yet, but tomorrow is another day...

"I'll have a 'P' please"

Surprise! Smith Institute Plans More Meetings at No. 11

On Friday Gordon complained about smears in a statement where he denied that the Smith Institute had any formal link to him. Sure he is not on the board, but the board is Brownite.

Remember Wilf Stevenson, the institute's director, both denies it is political (which would put it in breach of charity law) and that it is a Brownite front. Nevertheless we discovered recently that Gordon pushed to have Wilf made a working peer.* That would have meant that Brown had made him a Labour working peer for his Smith Institute work. How in any sense therefore is he non-political and non-Brownite?

This is all a "Mandelson smear" the Sunday papers were briefed. Guido has no formal link with Mandelson, but he has been digging into "the Sith" sleaze for months. When is a smear not a smear? When it is the truth.

Guido has obtained this list of events being held by the Smith Institute. You have just missed "Shaping Global Policy" - which seems an odd subject title for a non-political public charity. Isn't policy formation a bit political?
Are these meetings open to the public in line with the charity's charter? No. Are they anything to do with Brown's current imperative to repaint himself as Green? They are all being held at No. 11, what do you think?

*So, yes, he would actually have become the Dark Emperor's very own Sith Lord.

Congratulations on the Promotion Yates

Guido is sure that many co-conspirators will wish to congratulate Assistant Commissioner Yates on his just confirmed promotion. Well timed and well deserved given the impotent "we're going to get you for this" spin from Downing Street bunker loyalists.

Even that weather-vane arse-coverer Sir Ian Blair can see which way the wind is blowing: "I'd like to congratulate John Yates on his appointment as Assistant Commissioner. In a long and distinguished career with the Metropolitan Police Service, he has consistently demonstrated his policing ability, working at the highest levels."

You can show your support here.

Labour Due to Re-Pay £6,725,000 of "Commercial" Loans

This month and next month some major "commercial" loans are due to repaid:

Unity Trust Bank	£2,000,000.00		Unity rate + 2.00%	13/12/06
Co-operative Bank	£3,500,000.00		Base + 2.00%	31/12/06
Co-operative Bank	£1,225,000.00		Co-op rate + 2.00%	20/01/07

In the case of the small union controlled Unity Trust Bank the Financial Services Authority has put the bank on notice that it must report the risky Labour party loan situation monthly. If the loan is re-scheduled instead of repaid the FSA may have to take a closer look at the situation.

See here, here and here for more details.

"It's Gotta Be Worth a 'K'!"

Rumour going round that a showbiz figure is prepared to testify that Sleazy Levy offered him a "K" for a donation.

Odds On Blair to Go Before Year End Slashed

As the wheels fall off Blair's explanation, with his "they were party peerages" line in particular falling apart as donors deny it and the written applications themselves contradict Blair, things look more dicey. In addition with the possibility of Downing Street players facing charges sooner rather than later, the betting markets have had a big move in the last few days. This chart shows how the odds on Blair to go before the end of the year have moved dramatically. If Yates decides to charge someone before Christmas - say for obstructing the course of justice, something they have had evidence of for sometime - is it any wonder that increasingly punters think Blair could throw in the towel?

Ferret Watch : Brownites V Blairites

When Guido read the headline about the "Shambles" memo on Iain's blog on Saturday his first thought was "Gould". Gould tried to work with Brown some months ago as part of the perparation for an "orderly transition", but the short-lived co-operation fell apart in mistrust.

On Friday the Brownites believed the weekend would see a smear operation on Brown, Gordon's spin-meister Damian McBride put out an extraordinary statement dealing with three issues - Gordon's knowledge about loans, his lobbying for peerage on behalf of his two cronies, Ronnie Cohen (whom he secured a knighthood) and Wilf Stevenson, director of the Smith Institute, which serves as Gordon's private political secretariat.

The "McSnide" statement:

Rather than respond in piecemeal fashion to these unfounded allegations and smears, we wish to make the Chancellor's position absolutely clear - on the public record:

Neither is there any formal position for the Chancellor in the system of nominations for Labour working peers. And the Chancellor has never made any such submissions nominating an individual or individuals in letters or statements.

When asked to give his opinions informally about potential working peers to be nominated by the party, the Chancellor has, of course, been happy to give them on the basis that eligibility should naturally be based on service to the community and country, present and in the future.

Mr Stevenson, former director of the BFI and now director of the Smith Institute, and Sir Ronald Cohen of the Portland Trust are known by the Chancellor and he respects their service to public life and has no hesitation in saying they would have made valuable working peers.

But the fact is that no nomination has been made for either individual to the political honours committee, nor has the Chancellor ever submitted any letter or statement of nomination. In Sir Ronald's case, it is understood anyway that Sir Ronald has made it clear he would not wish to be considered.

We understand that neither Mr Stevenson nor Sir Ronald has ever made loans to the Labour party.

We also know that if any donations have been made they are anyway a matter of public record under the rules and neither individual has ever discussed any such donations with the Chancellor.

And, as the register of Members' interests confirms, at no time in Opposition and, of course, never subsequently have either of them made any donations to Mr Brown's political office.

And in respect of the Smith Institute, set up in memory of his friend, the late John Smith, Mr Brown welcomes and encourages the work they do and their contribution to the intellectual and policy debate of the country but Mr Brown has no financial nor any formal relationship with them.

Guido thinks Brown really wasn't involved in the Loans for Lordships scam, but McSnide does not really deny that Gordon lobbied for Ronnie and Wilf to get peerages to become working peers. Odd because Wilf protests that he is non-political and has no relationship with Brown, who in turn claims no formal relationship with the Smith Institute. A patently false claim, since we all know that it is a Brownite operation and that if Gordon had his way his friend Wilf would now be a Sith Lord...

See You Soon

Friday Caption Contest (Sith Edition)

This is a picture taken at a closed meeting held by the "non-political", tax subsidised, "public educational charity", the Smith Institute. In the middle is Wilf Stevenson, the institute's director, on the left of him is James Purnell, Minister for Creative Industries. On the right of Wilf is Eric Nicoli, Chairman of EMI group, a business regulated by the Minister. Around the table are industry lobbyists and vested interests.

At the meeting, according to a transcript obtained by Guido, Eric Nicoli told Wilf "We have the problem that the political agenda is, on average, about two years out in terms of the time horizon because of elections and so on, yet we are here trying to develop something for the longer term. So I agree, not least because prime ministers and chancellors seem to last a bit longer than the average minister, that we should go after them and be relentless in our pursuit of our objectives.

Wilf, who says the institute is non-political and "has no direct relationship with Gordon Brown", told Eric at the meeting "What you are going to say will have a great impact on the government's thinking".

EMI then paid £29,375 to the New Statesman, owned by Geoffrey Robinson, the former paymaster general. The Gordon Brown backing New Statesman rents office space to the Smith Institue at below market rates. EMI has also made undisclosed*, but substantial donations to the The Smith Institute. Nor is this the only Smith Institute/New Statesman event organised by Konrad Caulkett and sponsored by EMI over the last two years.The Smith Institute held a seminar on copyright reform at No. 11 just before Gordon's big PBR speech last week. It was a happy affair. Later, in his PBR speech Gordon went outside his usual brief to announce reform of copyright legislation.

So co-conspirators, what was Eric Nicoli really saying to the Smith Institute meeting?

*Neither EMI or the Smith Institute were willing to make a comment.

Did Police Make Audio Recording of Blair Meeting?

Some speculation going round that Blair's "chat" was recorded.

SFO Re-Branding

Picture Credit : Theo Spark

Politicians Dodging Tricky Questions

Theresa May MP, Tory Shadow Leader of the House, yesterday published a dossier listing nearly a thousand questions that Labour has refused answer. She says

"There is growing evidence that the culture of spin is alive and well in the heart of Whitehall. It is clear from this new dossier that Labour Ministers have systematically sought to avoid public scrutiny by evading awkward Parliamentary Questions. Labour may not like it, but the fundamental purpose of Parliament is to scrutinise and hold the government of the day to account.

Not only are Labour's actions deeply corrosive to our political system and the impartiality of the Civil Service, but I fear it will fuel further cynicism with politics and politicians."

Obviously that won't happen with Ask Dave. He'll give Guido straight-forward answers to the two simple questions which WebCameron users have overwhelmingly voted the ones they most want answered.

Dave won't cynically evade akward questions to avoid public scrutiny because that would fuel further cynicism with politics and politicians... right?

Credit : unlock democracy

Take a Deep Breath

What is this "they were party peerages" defence? That is not a legal defence, it is an explanation. Financing Cherie's haircut is not grounds for a peerage. Some of the donors/lenders had no party affiliation and had in fact given money in the past to the Tories. They were never going to be Labour working peers.

If they were generously supporting the Labour party why did they make "commercial loans" for presumably commercial profit? If they were not really loans for profit, but loans intended to be turned into donations, that is illegal. There are too many holes in the story being handed out by Tom Kelly.

As for all those clucking, "see it is going nowhere", shall we see? They did say he would not be questioned. Guido will grant that he did report that Blair would be questioned under caution, and Blair hasn't been cautioned today.

It is not much to be proud of is it? The best Blairites can claim is that the PM was not arrested or cautioned, merely "helping police with their inquiries".

Classic News Management

+++ BBC : Blair Has Been Questioned +++

Sky say PMOS is still briefing.

Nearly two hour interview today 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Not under caution. No solicitor present. [Well Blair is a barrister].

Gordon's Knighthood for His Banker, Ronnie Cohen

The C4 News story is now online.

Get Your Own Blogs

When this blog got started the aim was to have fun at the expense of politicians, cause mischief, entertain and amuse Guido primarily. The readership was in the hundreds, the regular comment makers were witty or contributed gossip.

Now the daily readership is 10,000+ plus, and a good proportion of them seem to be total loons, it is getting tedious to have to delete dozens of comments a day. There also appears to be some kind of misunderstanding about the blog's purpose - it is not a public service.

So for guidance here is a reminder of the somewhat arbitrary comments deletion policy:

• If you want to libel someone - get your own blog.
• If you want to abuse Guido, get your own blog (unless you do it wittily).
• If you want to complain about Jews, blacks, lizards, little green men in your head etc. Get your own blog.
  
• If you want to complain that it is biased, get your own unbiased blog.
• If you want lengthy discussion about policy, bore on your own blog.
• If you get offended easily, don't complain, don't come back.

Comment moderation is a lot of hassle, but always an option.

Guido More Popular Than the PM (Again)

Guido was told there was much satisfaction in Downing Street last month after the introduction of the e-petitions gimmick brought increased traffic to the PM's website. They took particular satisfaction from toppling Guido and Iain Dale from online dominance. No doubt they were cheered no end. But you can wipe that smile off your face now Oofy...

This bad news just in hot off the servers - the natural state of affairs has re-asserted itself now the novelty has worn off:

click to enlarge

Message to Downing Street: no taxpayers are hurt in the making of this blog, it isn't produced by a team of civil servants, it is beyond your reach, out of your control and it is more popular. Do you lot inside that bunker have any idea how hated you really are?

C4 Tonight : Gordon "Cash for Honours"

Guido has just been tipped that C4 News is going to do a "Gordon in Cash for Honours" story tonight.

Co-conspirators and readers of this blog will have heard about Ronnie Cohen months ago.

Tomorrow :

Guido will be exposing evidence of how the Brownite Smith Institute's "Cash for Access" machine became a "Payments for Policy" racket - with Gordon Brown delivering the policy.

Guido will name the the donor the institute's director, Wilf Stevenson, told at a Smith Institute meeting "what you are going to say will have a great impact on the government's thinking" - two months before Gordon announced the policy change wanted.

Spin Cycle : LLM Not Celebrating Christmas

Staff at LLM, the sleaziest lobbyists in London, will not have much to celebrate this Christmas. The close-to-New-Labour firm born at the beginning of Blair's reign is increasingly finding that nobody wants to be close to New Labour. The firm has told staff there will be no annual bonus this year since the firm has not made any money for the second year running. Oh dearie me...

Guido is Giving Yates a Book for Christmas

Demos think-tank founder Geoff Mulgan was Tony Blair's chief policy guru from 1997 to 2004. He has a book out Good and Bad Power - The Ideals and Betrayals of Government.

The title is apt - flick to page 84 for an interesting admission from a man who, when he was at the centre of government, is known to have seen the odd honours list in his time "In later years the scarcely concealed sale of peerages to wealthy party donors, and the appointment of the party's top donor - Lord Sainsbury - to ministerial office, did little to restore the British public's confidence." Oh really?

Clearly a copy of this admission should be sent to Scotland Yard sharpish. Any other suggestions for books for Yates of the Yard? Guido sent him the The Little Red Book of New Labour Sleaze months ago. Now what is Yates going to give Guido in return?

PM Not Answering Questions

Have just watched the video of Blair not answering questions at his monthly briefing. He had some 27 questions, 11 of which were on the Middle East and his plans to become Blair of Arabia. Of the 16 other questions he gave direct answers to arguably 5. That is how difficult his position is nowadays - he is simply unwilling to answer two-thirds of the questions put him.

Next month, when Guido's lobby pass comes through, it could be even worse - assuming he is still around.

Policy Exchange Christmas Party

Guido turned up late to the Policy Exchange party on Monday, by the time he arrived the speeches were over and Basher Davis was very merry. He had just meandered over from the Institute of Economic Affairs' clashing party. How did he find the way? "He went left, left, left..." In the circumstances Guido still felt it prudent to stay well out of the reach of his clunking fist.

Before regular readers complain about the lack of totty shots you should know that Guido was accosted by various gorgeous young ladies who berated him about previous totty watch editions. Such was the level of intimidation that Guido didn't dare risk being battered to death with a Chloé handbag.

These were sent in by an anonymous co-conspirator.

Hard Man Breaks With Red Top

According to Popbitch, The Sun's Rebekah Wade has broken up with butch Ross Kemp. No police were involved.

Konrad is Not Speaking to Guido...

... and no-one else at the Smith Institute is answering questions, so Guido will just pass this one straight to the Charity Commissioners for their investigation into if the Smith Institute has crossed over into "politics".

Konrad:

• During the 2005 election campaign when you went up to the Normanton constituency to help Ed Balls' election campaign, were you still being paid by the Smith Institute?
• Was it in your capacity as "events coordinator" for the Smith Institute that you blew up balloons for Balls?
• Who does actually pay your salary? The salary sums don't add up.
  

Isn't it odd that a public charity, subsidised by the taxpayers through the treasury, refuses to answer questions about funding?

What has Gordon's little helper got to hide?

Prezza Baffles Translators and Spits Out a Tooth

Andrew Porter in this morning's The Sun has a great exclusive. At last week's congress of European Socialist parties in Portugal, Prezza had a 5 minute slot for his speech. Unfortunately he had prepared a ten minute speech. Instead of chopping it, he decided to deliver it at double-speed.

The oratorical strain proved too much for the translators and his false teeth, one of which flew out of his mouth to the amusement of the audience who struggled not to laugh as he persisted with his speech.

Someone please upload a video onto YouTube.

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