How to Hack Harriet Harman

As the government contemplates a law to criminalise "reckless" losses of data it is worth reflecting on the sophisticated data security employed by Harriet Harman to prevent hacking of her blog:

username : harriet
password : harman

The hacker also tells Guido that he used "log-less multiple proxies" - which are the internet equivalents of dead drops. Apparently.

UPDATE Sunday : Adam Boulton asked Harman on Sky if the story above was true (Adam, how could you doubt?) she sheepishly confirmed it to be the case.

Harman Backing Boris on Her Blog

click to enlarge

Her website is also currently announcing her defection to the Conservatives. Guido thought it was a spoof site at first. In fact it appears she has been taking online security lessons from Grant Shapps. Her real website appears to have been "improved" overnight. Nice touch thanking Guido for knocking Hain out of the race...

This is the spoof site. They seem to be remarkably well informed about the hack of the real site. Maybe they swapped Harriet some chocolate for her password...

UPDATE 09.05 : Guido called Harman's parliamentary office for a comment. No answer. Well they do keep public sector hours so perhaps someone will get back to Guido before lunch. Meantime you can leave a comment, and many of you have already...

UPDATE 09.10 : The hacker has contacted Guido to tell him that the passwords have been changed. Harman is now locked out of her own website.

Never Mind Seal Clubbing, What is Hague Going to Do to Harman?

Recess Monkey admits that Labour MPs and activists are resigned to witnessing horrific and possibly brutal cruelty at PMQs today.

So let's get the popcorn in and sit back and enjoy the show...

UPDATE : Fantastic comedy value and very entertaining. She gave Hague as good as she got. Guido would go as far as to say she did very well. Better than Prescott ever did at PMQs against Hague...

*Guido of course abhors unnecessary cruelty to advertisers seals, but he does wonder what they taste like...

Canoeist Wife Tries the "Harman Defence"

Is Guido the only one who is amused that Anne Darwin is using the "Harman Defence". Claiming that she took the unlawfully obtained money "in good faith". If Harman wants to run to Panama, Guido will happily pay for a ticket...

Harriet Is Having a Party Tonight

Guido knows how skint Harriet is so he wants to do his bit to help tonight. Leg it on down for 7.30pm to the Fox on the Hill, 149 Denmark Hill, Camberwell, London, SE5 8EH. For only a mere £10 contribution to the buffet, you can help her out. Now Harriet, don't forget if it does make a profit to register the money this time.

A bit of a come down after the cancelled swanky champagne and canapes fund-raiser party she planned for yesterday in a West End nightclub. Times are hard...

Bad In Westminster, Worse in Scotland

The press is having a field day with Donorgate, nobody believes that knowledge of the Labour party's illegal funding operation was restricted to Peter Watt. Jon Mendelsohn says Abrahams was lying when he said Mendelsohn knew about it, and is suing the Evening Standard, Guido doesn't believe Mendacious Mendelsohn (send writs to the usual address Jonny).
Guido has been trying to get hold of Roy Kennedy, who was the Director of Finance and Compliance when the illegal funding operation was under way, to ask him when he knew about it, with no luck. Presumably the investigating officers from Scotland Yard's Operation Minerva will have more luck.

In Scotland the situation is even worse, Wendy Alexander has broken the law, apologised, then lied, immediately been caught lying and is only still in position because Brown fears that if she goes others will be toppled. Westminster hacks are not really focusing on the Scottish aspect yet. Guido is because he believes she will be charged, grasp this, the leader of the Scottish Labour party will face criminal charges based on documentary evidence. Brown is so scared of the domino effect of his protege Dougie Alexander's sister resigning, that he is resisting internal party pressure for her to go. Mad, it will be worse if she is charged in office.

Labour is trying to spread the blame, with "we're all at it" spin lines. They keep referring to Lord Ashcroft, who makes all his donations to the Tories above board and has actually given less money than Labour's Lord Sainsbury.

They also keep referring to "a breach of the rules", no these are criminal acts, a breach of the law is not the same as cheating at Scrabble. They are now hiding behind the "we're not going to give a running commentary on a police investigation" line (© T. Blair).

Another line they are using is that they have "given the money back". They haven't as yet. It is in any event likely to be confiscated by the Electoral Commission.

There is no real need for new laws or reviews, there is a need for politicians to simply not break the existing laws. If Labour figures had not circumvented the existing laws they would not be in trouble. The idea that this situation is just the result of one publicity shy donor is nonsense, it has nothing to do with Wendy Alexander's problems or Harman's second problem.

Harman's re-mortgage of £40,000 is an illegally undeclared loan - made against her home's presumably joint mortgage - to her leadership campaign. Technically the loan is in equal part her husband's loan. Her husband is Jack Dromey, the Labour party Treasurer, so he has permitted an undeclared loan to be made to the Deputy Leader of the Labour party, a loan from him. That is prima facie an illegal loan by two of the very highest ranking officials. She broke not only the spirit but letter of the law - in two instances - the loan and the proxy donation. Harman, the former Solicitor General, should face charges as a consequence.

The Day Heffer Nearly Donated His Brolly

This anecdote from Simon Heffer is worth recounting in full:-

It was a Labour Party conference in Brighton a few years ago. It was pouring with rain. I was leaving a restaurant and asked for my coat and umbrella.

The latter was a shockingly expensive, black wooden-handled model, bought deliberately so I would remember not to lose it. Instead, I was given the sort of floral collapsible one sold by Italian street vendors for a quid. I then saw a woman leaving the same restaurant with my umbrella. She protested it was hers. I protested it wasn't.

I pointed out that a brass collar on the shaft bore my initials. At that moment, a waiter said, "Madam, here is your umbrella", and handed her the Italian floral job. Flustered, Harriet Harman (for it was she) said that she thought she had borrowed the gamp from her sister who, being called Sarah Jane Harman, had the same initials as me.

Looking at the two brollies, I said I could see how easily she might have confused the two. She failed to appreciate the joke. Am I surprised that she is up to her neck in effluent about dodgy donations? Am I hell.

This is the reality of Harriet Harman. Too stupid to successfully steal an umbrella.

The Party is Over...

Word is that the Harriet Harman party on Wednesday has been cancelled.

No word on ticket refunds...

Hat-tip : First Post

Mendelsohn "Offered to Launder Moneyfor Deputy Leadership Campaign"

The London Evening Standard is reporting rumours that are flying around that the Benn deputy leadership campaign was offered and turned down illegal funding organised by Jon Mendelsohn. Which would explain why Baroness Jay is being so tight-lipped.

"We were approached by Mendelsohn. He rang up to say he had ways of supporting people. He said he was close to Gordon and was going to help with his leadership campaign. We discussed things but it became clear early on what he was talking about. He said there were people who want to make donations but they can't be in the public domain. He said he could facilitate moving money around through a network of other people. He said 'don't worry, there's nothing dodgy about it'. I ran a mile and said 'thanks but no thanks'. A source close to Mr Mendelsohn revealed that he had met Gareth Thomas MP, a member of Hilary Benn's campaign, for a cup of coffee and had mentioned how difficult it was to get donations because of the cash for honours affair. The source suggested that there were Labour supporters ready to offer funds, but Mr Mendelsohn categorically denies any suggestion he raised the idea of using third parties."

Looks like the Labour knives are out. If Harman is forced out of course one of the other rivals could take her place - perhaps Hilary Benn...

Harriet Harman Should Resign

• Hilary Benn turned down £5000 for his deputy leadership campaign after Margaret Jay told him the cash from Janet Kidd was on behalf of David Abrahams. He insisted the cash should come from Mr Abrahams himself.
• Gordon Brown also turned down £5000 for his campaign, so presumably his campaign team knew it was dodgy.
• Peter Watt admits he knew about the money laundering scheme on behalf of Abrahams.

Despite her husband being the Labour party's treasurer everyone seems to have known except for Harriet, she says she took the cash in good faith, that she thought it was a bona fide donation, that she did not know. In which case she will now of course repay the £5,000...

When the disgraced Blunkett was caught fiddling his expenses for his mistress he paid back the money - as if that made it alright. Whenever politicians are caught breaking the law they seem to think they can buy their way out of trouble with the same money they have cheated. That is not enough.

Harman is now chairman of the Labour party, her deputy leadership election was governed by electoral law. She received illegal funding for her campaign. It is that simple. If she had any honour she would resign this afternoon.

Letts on Harman

Quentin Letts, who is evidently a Guido fan, has a characteristically fair minded and gentle piece about Harriet Harman today. Well worth reading.

Harman Was Backed by the Sith

Guido has only just found out that Harman was advised by Deborah Mattinson, the high-priestess of the Sith, Gordon's personal pollster, Smith Institute board member and recipient of many juicy government contracts though her firm OLR.

It was her, Guido believes, that commissioned the YouGov poll showing that Harman had much needed appeal in the South East. That poll result featured heavily in Harman's propaganda...

GuyNews : "Oh, F**K" - Who's That Girl?

No doubt Harriet Harman will be savouring the moment the announcement was made by watching the video of it over and over again.

Watch the reaction of the girl immediately behind her - you can clearly make out the verbal exclamation as she buries her head in her hands.

It doesn't take the skills of a lip-reader. Watch the clip on GuyNews.

[Many thanks to a T-shirt winning co-conspirator in the gallery.]