Morning roundup, Wednesday 22nd April 2009

Sadie Smith — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 09:39:07 +0000

It's Budget day, and everyone has a view. Read our faves here (in no particular order): Nick Robinson, Don Paskini, the Telegraph has some odd facts about Budgets passim, and the Guardian;
Following the announcement that the Gord plans to reform MPs' allowances in precisely the way everyone in the opposition parties and right-wing media was demanding, there has been much harrumphing from these quarters that Brown has done just that. Iain Martin of the Telegraph has a hilarious take on how this is an affront to the independence of Parliament which has already been much eroded by Evil NuLab (a myth wearily, and periodically debunked by the wonderful Phil Cowley of Revolts), and Iain Dale has received a deputation from his Total Politics staff asking if they can all have an overnight allowance too. Why? Is Shane Greer commuting from Aberystwyth or something?

Olly's Onion's is predictably funny on Ahmadinejad's thoughts on the nature of Israel and contemporary Zionism and Craig Murray is just predictable;
Anton Vowl on finding an even bigger nobber than Littlejohn. Le roi est mort, vive le roi!
Paulie, resident of this parish, examines the danger posed to society and justice by having too many cameras in public places;
Tory Troll finds that Rape Crisis Centres are no longer a priority for our beloved Mayor of London;
... and because he was my former boss and this deserves wider circulation: Victoria Derbyshire interviews John Mann MP from the small bedroom in Waterloo that comprises his second home. Well worth watching if only for the suspicion evidence of a student-esque quick-the-parents-are-visiting cleanup when Ms Derbyshire bravely opens the wardrobe.

Common Endeavour » MPs allowances