Morning roundup, Monday 23rd February 2009

Sadie Smith — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 09:21:40 +0000

Like the Taxpayers' Alliance, we at Common Endeavour were really relieved when Lord Ashcroft hoved into view to save the Conservative Party from having to rely on the vastly increased wads of Short Money (TAXPAYERZ MONEY!!11!!!) that the evil Labour Party granted them in order to prevent them from going bankrupt following the 1997 election. Triumph of democracy, innit? But it appears that the man that many within the Tories almost certainly refer to as "the good Lord" might be facing some tasty questions about some of his companies (Chris Paul has an excellent roundup here). Ho hum. Whilst we wait for the Electoral Commission to investigate, why doesn't the Taxpayers' Allowance investigate the estimated £4.5m the Tories received from the beleaguered public in Short Money in this year alone? No, thought not;

If I miss a story like this again, will someone shoot me please? It seems that the Member of Parliament for Haltemprice and Self-Effacing Modesty has coined the term "the Davis Agenda" What, we all ask, in the name of Alan Partridge is that all about? The Spectator breathlessly explains that the Davis Agenda "is instantly understood by a significant chunk of the population." Dear oh dear. Are all politicians destined to start believing their own press releases in the end?
Tom Harris questions the merit of accepting on face value the views of "an embittered quitter who chose the cushy life of academia over the hard slog of opposition (and subsequent government)". You go girlfriend!
The Daily Quail on the Mail's horrific dilemma;
Lack of affordable housing and the rise of the BNP? Don Paskini quotes a view from the stump, whilst various charities call on the Government to begin a major programme of construction;
... and help a comrade out: Paulie has got a rather excellent article over at the Liberal Conspiracy on how we need to protect politics and representative democracy (with a couple of crafty ones directed at the Convention on Henry Porter to boot). Don your tinfoil had and head over there and post something hilariously incisive about how he's an agent of the Police State, or alternatively you could attempt to engage intelligently with the madness. Your call.

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