David Cameron rattled by two Eds

news from Libya was grim. So naturally the Commons knew what it had to concentrate on: Ed "Edward" Miliband's wedding. David Cameron kicked off by congratulating Ed and Justine on the happy news and wished them a long and happy life together. Then he said he hadn't ruled out arming the Libyan rebels. Seconds later we were back with the nuptials. The Labour leader said that he might ask the prime minister for advice on his stag night – "I know he knows how to organise one!"

Eh? Was the Cameron stag night notorious? Had it been like a meeting of the Bullingdon Club without the genteel refinement? Mr Cameron – anything to avoid the subject of Libya – said that when he was leader of the opposition, he had longed for a honeymoon, "and you probably feel the same way".

I thought again that politicians are like rugby players. On the field you are allowed to grab someone round the knees and bring them crashing to the ground. But if you did that to the same man in the street, he would call a policeman (if he could find one after the cuts). Deep down politicians, like rugby players, have more in common with each other than with us.

Ed Miliband got on to the squeezed middle, Britain's gastric band. He knows that floating voters are deeply worried about health cuts, police cuts and universal £9,000 tuition fees. They imagine lying on a hospital trolley while burglars strip their homes, and their children sweep streets to put themselves through a university whose star course is in sandwich-making. And no university wants to be the Lidl of the academic world. They need to be like Waitrose – reassuringly expensive.

As Mr Miliband pressed, the prime minister became ratty. He reminded us of the Labour leader's speech in Hyde Park, when he compared the crowd to the civil rights movement. He could imagine no more ridiculous spectacle than the leader of the opposition speaking against the very cuts he had made necessary.

"I know Martin Luther King had a dream, but it's time you woke up." (Possibly on platform 4 at Stevenage, with a toilet seat round his neck and vomit on his trousers, if he has a Cameron-style stag night.)

Finally the prime minister snapped. Edward "Ed" Balls had been sledging him, yelling that he wasn't properly briefed. "I wish the shadow chancellor would occasionally shut up!" he barked. At this a mighty roar came from all sides – from Tories who hate and fear Balls, and Labour people who feel much the same way. "Am I alone in finding him the most annoying person in modern politics?" Mr Cameron asked. "And I have a feeling the leader of the opposition will one day agree with me!" (He probably already does.)

It was over and Mr Cameron stalked off, possibly to find a rotten kipper to put on the Milibands' engine block for when they leave the reception.

Disgraced former Labour MP Jim Devine has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for fiddling his parliamentary expenses.

The 57-year-old from Bathgate, West Lothian, was convicted on two charges of false accounting last month.
As the MP for Livingston in Scotland, Devine submitted false invoices for cleaning and printing work totalling £8,385 between July 2008 and May 2009.
He insisted during his trial he had acted on advice given with a "nod and a wink" by a fellow MP in a House Of Commons bar.
The former psychiatric nurse and union organiser then went on to claim his former office manager was to blame.
But sentencing him at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Saunders said Devine had been "lying in significant parts of the evidence that he gave".
"These offences constituted a gross breach of trust which, along with others, had had the effect of causing serious damage to the reputation of Parliament.
Mr Devine set about defrauding the public purse in a calculated and deliberate way.
Mr Justice Saunders
"Mr Devine made his false claims at a time when he well knew the damage that was being caused to Parliament by the expenses scandal but he carried on regardless."
The judge added: "Mr Devine set about defrauding the public purse in a calculated and deliberate way."
Devine has become the third MP to be jailed in the wake of the expenses scandal.
Two other ex-Labour members, David Chaytor and Eric Illsley, were jailed after pleading guilty.
Former Tory peer Lord Taylor of Warwick awaits sentencing after being convicted in January of falsely claiming more than £11,000 for travel and overnight subsistence.
Since his conviction, Devine has been declared bankrupt.
He had been ordered to pay his former office manager Marion Kinley £35,000 for unfair dismissal by an employment tribunal.
Gavin Millar QC, mitigating, said that "whatever continuing disputes" there were between the two, the former MP now accepted she was not to blame for his crimes.

Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister who resigned his position and fled to the United Kingdom, has not been offered immunity from prosecution and is "voluntarily talking" to authorities,

Moussa Koussa, the former Libyan foreign minister who resigned his position and fled to the United Kingdom, has not been offered immunity from prosecution and is "voluntarily talking" to authorities, British Foreign Minister William Hague said on Thursday.

Koussa was staying in a safe and secure place and engaged in ongoing discussions with British diplomats, including some who worked at the now-shuttered embassy in Libya, Hague said.

"His resignation shows that [Muammar] Gaddafi's regime ... is fragmented, under pressure and crumbling from within," he said.

Hague said Koussa had been his contact with the regime in recent weeks and that he had spoken with him several times.

"One thing I gathered between the lines of my telephone calls ... was that he was very distressed and dissatisfied" by the regime's response to protests, Hague said.

Koussa's resignation deals a serious political blow to Gaddafi, Libya's leader for 41 years, even as the regime's troops beat back rebels in the east.

Fighting reached Brega, a village near a large petrochemical plant and oil exporting facility, on Thursday, after shelling from mortars and Grad rockets forced the disorganised opposition fighters to pull back from Ras Lanuf the day before.

A big catch

Despite the lost ground, the opposition could savour some positive developments on Thursday. Koussa, described as being a pillar of Gaddafi's regime and a member of his inner circle, became the highest-profile member of the government to resign.

Western media also reported that rebels had begun to receive support from British and American special forces troops.


Agents from the Central Intelligence Agency and Special Air Service have been working on the ground in Libya for weeks, helping to identify Gaddafi's troops for air strikes and meeting with rebel forces, reports said, possibly to pave the way for training and arms shipments.

Observers have speculated that Koussa, a longtime government employee who led the regime's intelligence agency for five years, could now be providing sensitive information as well. 

What arrangement he will make with the British government, considering his possible exposure to lawsuits or criminal prosecution for being involved with the regime, remains unclear, and Hague said Koussa has not been granted immunity from prosecution in the United Kingdom or elsewhere.

Members of the Libyan opposition abroad have alleged that Koussa had a role in the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, which blew up over Lockerbie, Scotland, and killed 270 people.

Koussa was expelled from the United Kingdom, where he served as ambassador for less than a year, after saying the regime planned to kill two Libyan dissidents.

The international community, sensing a hard road ahead in their effort to assist the rebels' faltering military campaign against Gaddafi, want to see more leading regime figures abandon Libya.

"It is not through actions of war that we can make Gaddafi leave, but rather through strong international pressure to encourage defections by people close to him," Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini told Canale 5 television.

Hague said the British government encouraged others around Gaddafi to abandon him and "embrace a better future for Libya."

Many other Libyan government figures have resigned since the uprising against Gaddafi began on February 15 - interior minister Abdel Fattah Younis and justice minister Mustafa Mohamed al-Jalil have both left, as have numerous ambassadors around the world.

Labour will be the public's "first line of defence" against the coalition government's spending cuts, the party's leader, Ed Miliband, will say.

Miliband – who will vow to be the public's "voice in tough times" – will seize on local government cuts forced by the tight funding settlement at the launch of Labour's local election campaign later on Thursday to claim the coalition's reductions would cost the average family with two children £182 this year.

"Labour launches our election campaign with a clear pledge to people across the country – we will be your voice in tough times," he will say.

"Cuts designed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg are coming direct from Downing Street to your street. Families in every part of the country will be hit by these unfair cuts.

"Areas with the greatest need are being asked to bear the greatest burden. The worst-off areas are being hit the hardest, while the average family will be hit much harder than people in David Cameron's constituency.

"Labour will be your community's first line of defence against the damage being done by a Conservative-led government and their Liberal Democrat allies."

In an interview conducted prior to the launch, the Labour leader also underlined his support for "people power" by those demonstrating their opposition to government policies in street marches and rallies as "the kind of politics we need in this country".

The Labour leader has been mocked by Cameron and other critics for making a speech at the anti-cuts protest in London, organised by the TUC last weekend – notably for claiming that the march, attended by more than 250,000 people, followed the tradition of suffragettes, the civil rights movement in the US, and the anti-apartheid movement.

Miliband told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he was not trying to suggest that the government cuts were comparable to apartheid, but was making a point about the importance of the people exerting power.

"The march on Saturday was about politics being practised by people making their voice heard in a peaceful way," he said.

"That tradition of politics not just being about what happens at Westminster, or in legislative chambers, but about people themselves making a difference is an important tradition ... If politics is just practised by elites, and is just about you and me and people in Westminster, then actually I think many people will be alienated from that process."

He added: "Take the U-turn the government made on forests. That was people saying: 'You've got to change,' and I think that is the kind of politics we need in this country.

Miliband will kick-start the election campaign with a speech and a question and answer session in the Midlands.

Labour is claiming its councils charge less, on average, than Tory and Liberal Democrats authorities, to the tune of £207 and £40 respectively

UK has taken steps to expel five Libyan diplomats, Foreign Secretary William Hague has said.

Updating MPs, Mr Hague said the five - who include the military attache - "could pose a threat" to UK security.

David Cameron said the UK was not ruling out providing arms to rebels in "certain circumstances" but no decision had yet been taken.

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander questioned the legality and "advisability" of such a move.

The rebels are continuing to lose ground to forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi and are retreating from their former strongholds along the eastern coast of Libya.

Meanwhile an unconfirmed report from Tunisia's official news agency said the Libyan foreign minister, Moussa Koussa, flew to London on Wednesday afternoon.

The Foreign Office said it was unaware of the visit.

Earlier, the prime minister's official spokesman rejected suggestions the UK's stance on the possibility of supplying weapons to them had shifted in recent weeks.

Jim Devine has been jailed for 16 months for falsely claiming over £8,000 of public money.

Jim Devine has been jailed for 16 months for falsely claiming over £8,000 of public money. 

The former MP for Livingston was sentenced today after being found guilty of false accounting last month.
Devine was convicted after a jury agreed with the prosecution that Devine showed "woeful inadequacy" in abiding with the principles excepted of members of parliament. 

Today he became the third former MP to be jailed in the wake of the expenses scandal when he was sentenced at the Old Bailey by Mr Justice Saunders.

The judge said: "Mr Devine set about defrauding the public purse in a calculated and deliberate way."

Devine was Labour MP for Livingston between 2005 and 2010 after being elected after the death of Robin Cook. He was barred from standing for the party in the 2010 election over his expenses. 

Today, the judge said cleaning and maintenance work claimed for by Devine was either not done at all or not paid for by Devine, saying invoices submitted for printing work were "entirely bogus".

Devine's claims in court that another MP told him that what he did was "accepted practice" were false, and he had been "lying in significant parts of the evidence that he gave", the judge added.

"These offences constituted a gross breach of trust which, along with others, had had the effect of causing serious damage to the reputation of Parliament.

"Mr Devine made his false claims at a time when he well knew the damage that was being caused to Parliament by the expenses scandal but he carried on regardless."

Last month, the 57-year-old was declared bankrupt at Livingston Sheriff Court after he failed to pay former office manager Marion Kinley £35,000 for unfair dismissal. 

During his trial, Devine had denied three accounts of false accounting, but was found guilty of two of these charges.

One refers to three invoices on Tom O'Donnell headed paper for £360, £360 and £2,160.

The other count says that between March 2009 and April 2009, Devine falsely claimed £5,505 for stationery from Armstrong Printing using two false invoices.

He was cleared of a third count, relating to two other invoices from Tom O'Donnell, both for £180.

political universe changed dramatically since then – the rise of cable news, the expansion of talk radio and arrival of the Internet are among the new forces, all of which will work to her political advantage.

 

It's easy to dismiss Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) as bomb-throwing back-bencher who is eying a presidential run largely because her attempt to secure a post in the House leadership was stymied. There's a long history of camera-hungry House members making improbable runs that have served mainly to highlight their irrelevance.
But Bachmann is no mere redux of 'B-1' Bob Dornan, the conservative former California congressman-provocateur who took his bombast from the House floor to the Iowa cornfields in the 1996 presidential election only to get less than one percent in the caucuses.

The political universe changed dramatically since then – the rise of cable news, the expansion of talk radio and arrival of the Internet are among the new forces, all of which will work to her political advantage. And Bachmann, who CNN reported Thursday is planning to form a presidential exploratory committee, possesses an array of other strengths that are certain to make her a factor in the GOP primary.
Money
The Minnesotan, who was elected to Congress in 2006, has already established herself as a fundraising powerhouse. She raised a staggering $13.5 million for her re-election last year – far more than any other House member – but, more important, is how she did it. Only 3 percent of her contributions were from political action committees, a low number for a congressional incumbent that serves to illustrate her strong capacity for direct mail and online fundraising.
So Bachmann begins a potential campaign with a national base of support that would seed a presidential campaign and ensure that she's able to get her message out on the airwaves. Keep in mind that it doesn't take a Mitt Romney-like fortune to play in Iowa, where voters demand an personal touch.
Iowa
Bachmann is a good fit for an important bloc of the Iowa GOP electorate. An Iowa-born social conservative and born-again Christian who hails from a neighboring state, she'll appeal to some of the 60 percent of caucus-goers who described themselves as evangelicals.
The history of the Republican caucuses demonstrates that there is always a significant share of votes available for movement conservatives. If Mike Huckabee and Sarah Palin decide not to run, she'd have a prime opportunity to compete for that support.
Interviews with Iowa Republicans earlier this month revealed significant interest in Bachmann, with multiple activists volunteering her name when asked who they were considering.
Bachmann is already going to great lengths to make sure other caucus-goers know that she was born and grew up in Waterloo and is showering the state with flattery.
At a fundraiser for Rep. Steve King last year in northwest Iowa, she recalled the precise moment she was taken against her will from the state.
"I will never forget the day in sixth grade when my parents came to tell us that my dad had taken a job at Honeywell up in Minneapolis and they were asking us — not asking – telling us that we were going to move up to Minneapolis and I remember crying," she said, according to a RadioIowa report. "The tears came down my cheeks and I said, 'I just don't want to leave Iowa. I love Iowa,' and I said, 'Des Moines is our capital. How can I move to another state where Des Moines is not our capital?' My tears had no effect on my parents. We moved anyway."
Such talk will warm the hearts of proud Iowans, but the backing of King, a member of Congress who actually represents the state, may matter just as much.
Bachmann is very close to King, who represents the conservative western half of the state, and has made plain he wants to be a kingmaker this election cycle. He has said that he regrets waiting so late to endorse in the last campaign – he didn't get behind Fred Thompson until December 2007 – and his early backing of Bachmann would offer her an important ally going into the August state GOP straw poll.

Major landmarks across Canada -from the legislature in the Inner Harbour, to the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver to the MontRoyal Cross in Montreal -will stand in darkness Saturday

Major landmarks across Canada -from the legislature in the Inner Harbour, to the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver to the MontRoyal Cross in Montreal -will stand in darkness Saturday as more than 100 countries pledge to turn their lights off as a call to action for climate change.

Earth Hour started as a simple conversation between the World Wildlife Federation (WWF), Chicago-based advertising agency Leo Burnett and the Sydney Morning Herald about climate change and how to raise and demonstrate public support.

That discussion sparked an idea that led to the nowannual, hour-long, lights-off event.

In 2007, Australia participated in the first Earth Hour when more than two million people and 2,000 businesses spent an hour in darkness to shed light on an important global issue. At last year's Earth Hour, the number of participants surged to more than one billion worldwide.

"Last year was the biggest yet because we got China involved in a big way and obviously that brings in a lot of people," said Josh Laughren, WWF's director of climate and energy program.

In Victoria, local governments and businesses have participated for the past few years. This will be the third year the lights that frame the outside of the legislature will go dark.

According to B.C. Hydro, Victoria reduced its electricity consumption by 1.4 per cent during last year's event. Across the province, the load dropped by 1.04 per cent. The community of Burns Lake, in the northcentral interior, measured the highest reduction in consumption in B.C. at seven per cent.

This year, WWF has garnered more support and expects at least 130 countries to switch off. In Canada, 414 municipalities will take part.

In the capital region, several municipalities have signed on, vowing to turn off as many non-essential lights as possible and ensuring that computers are off over the weekend. Many businesses will also turn off the lights, including pubs and restaurants offering service by candlelight.

Earth Hour takes place from 8: 30 to 9: 30 p.m. local time. For more information, go to EarthHourCanada.org. The City of Victoria has an Earth Day event on the city's Facebook page.

The Stop the War Coalition has condemned Britain and its allies for launching a "new war" in the Middle East

The Stop the War Coalition has condemned Britain and its allies for launching a "new war" in the Middle East after the "bloody and failing" occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan.

A spokesman for the campaign said: "Air attacks on Libya will not help end the civil war but will escalate it and could be the prelude to a much wider war. They will not help bring the downfall of Gaddafi. He is already portraying the UN's decision as an act of western colonisation and himself as the defender of Libyan sovereignty. Air strikes by the US and Britain will strengthen, not weaken, his position."

"History shows us that the consequences of western intervention are almost always disastrous and not in the interests of those it claims to support."

Andrew Murray, national chair of the coalition, wrote that the decision to "attack Libya and impose regime change" was "instigated by the despots of the Arab League, desperate to secure deeper western involvement in the region to save them from their own peoples".

But the coalition could name just four MPs who were supporting its stance: Labour's Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Paul Flynn and the Green party's only MP, Caroline Lucas.

In the Commons, Corbyn, MP for Islington North, said: "Is the prime minister now suggesting we should develop a foreign policy that would be prepared to countenance intervention elsewhere where there are attacks on civilians, such as Saudi Arabia, Oman or Bahrain? I hope he has thought this whole thing through."

McDonnell told the Commons: "I support the freedom struggle and I'm a supporter of the United Nations but I have grave and serious concerns about the use of force by western powers in this region, both the short-term and long-term consequences. In the short term, in the interest of conflict resolution, is there to be a final offer from the United Nations to Gaddafi for peace talks?"

Corbyn and McDonnell have rushed out an amendment ahead of a Commons debate on Monday calling on the government to exhaust peaceful attempts at conflict resolution under the auspices of the UN and directly involve other Arab nations before, and during, any deployment of armed force.

Low radiation levels from Japan are being detected in Washington

Low radiation levels from Japan are being detected in Washington, but officials say there is no health risk at this time.
A Department of Health air monitor in Seattle has detected trace levels of radiation in connection with Japan's nuclear emergency. The small amounts of radioactive iodine are millions of times lower than levels that would be a health concern.
Despite these very small amounts, the state's overall background radiation levels haven't risen. The results are consistent with findings reported by federal and Canadian officials, as well as independent researchers.
As expected, because of the distance from Japan and air mixing, radiation reaching Washington is so diluted that officials say there is no health risk, making protective action unnecessary.
Health officials say people in Washington shouldn't take potassium iodide, also known as KI, because of what's happened in Japan. Only people who work in or around nuclear power plants during an emergency, or who live near such a plant and can't get away, should take KI.

Britain's military is capable of taking part in a swift campaign against Libya, but prolonged fighting could stretch its armed forces and raise pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron to rethink deep defence cuts.

Britain's military is capable of taking part in a swift campaign against Libya, but prolonged fighting could stretch its armed forces and raise pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron to rethink deep defence cuts.

Despite its role in Afghanistan and severe financial pressures, senior British ministers and military chiefs say they can comfortably help to enforce the no-fly zone over Libya.

However, if the operation grows or drags on for months, it could strain areas such as the support crews that arm and refuel planes and perform airborne reconnaissance.

Britain's involvement in the first stage of the strikes against Libya appeared to be relatively limited, with planes flying from one UK airbase and one submarine firing Tomahawk missiles, analysts noted.

Anger: Kate Middleton's mother Carole, is said to be 'up in arms' over a royal wedding party in her village

Normally it’s the bride battling pre-wedding nerves.

But with six weeks to go, it seems the pressure is now getting to Kate Middleton’s normally composed mother Carole.

She has confronted the landlord of a local pub over fears he is turning the wedding into a circus by holding a £15-a-head party on the day of the event which includes a ‘best prince and princess’ competition.
John Haley – who runs The Old Boot Inn in Stanford Dingley, Berkshire - is one
of several locals invited to next month’s ceremony.

Young and posh Sloanes to drown their sorrows over Royal Wedding snub at their own 'Not Invited' party
But former air-hostess Mrs Middleton has visited him personally to confront him over claims he has been talking publicly about his wedding invitation.

Enlarge
Publicity: A posted advertising the wedding party at The Old Boot

Other locals say Mrs Middleton, 56, is also angry about A4 posters in neighbouring villages trying to drum up interest in the pub’s wedding party.

The brightly coloured posters, which feature pictures of the Royal couple, offer locals
the chance to celebrate with a ‘super BBQ, salads, live music and a disco from 6pm ’til late’.

Other highlights are a Royal Wedding-themed fancy dress competition for adults and children including the prizes for ‘best prince and best princess, best wedding hat and best Royal collage’.

A sticker placed across the adverts claims spaces for the 200-capacity ticket-only event have already sold out.

One local said: ‘Carole had a pretty fiery conversation with John and also fell out
with another friend who tried to stick up for him.

‘She is up in arms about the party at The Boot.’

The resident added: ‘I think part of the problem was they put all these posters up around the village which drew attention to it. Not just here but in neighbouring villages
as well.

‘They had pictures of William and Catherine and they have these stickers on them saying Sold Out.


Getting ready: The royal wedding on April 29th will be celebrated with parties and events throughout the world

‘I think if they had been a bit more discreet and maybe knocked on a few doors near the pub and said, “We’re having this party, would you like to come?” it wouldn’t have been so bad.’

Mr Haley refused to comment on whether The Old Boot party had the support of the Royal bride’s family.

But he insisted he was not profiting from the event, which has been organised by the Stanford Dingley activities committee.

The 55-year-old said: ‘There is a party and it is being hosted in my pub but I am not making a penny out of it.’

The Middletons live in a five-bedroom detached house in Bucklebury - a five-minute drive from Mr Haley’s pub.

How does a millionaire get even richer?

How does a millionaire get even richer?

By charging his aggrieved friends to have their say.

Entrepreneur Sir David Tang has created a new website called ICorrect.com, which allows the rich and famous to log on and correct false news stories about themselves.

And what a swanky address book Sir David has — it’s a bit like attending a posh drinks party without the need to cram yourself into a cocktail frock!

You can visit the site, but to be a participant it’s ‘by invitation only’ and if you sign up, your references will be checked and then there’s the small matter of an annual fee of £622 — so it’s not exactly cheap justice for the ordinary person in the street.

Since it went live last Thursday Kate Moss and Sienna Miller have posted statements saying they do not use Twitter.

Stephen Fry has complained about an article which said he didn’t care for Catholics.

Multi-millionaire Richard Caring says that a diary story which claimed he snubbed a City lunch was untrue — and, by the way, his tan is real, not fake!

Best of all, Naomi Campbell has corrected a tabloid story which said she was ‘thrilled’ Russia were to host the 2018 football World Cup. Sadly, few of the corrections are concise — and Naomi’s is no exception.

I’m sure you’ll sleep a bit better tonight knowing that secretly, Naomi wanted England’s footballers to succeed.

It will be interesting to see what other stories she decides to correct — perhaps not the ones about chucking phones at staff or being abusive at Heathrow.

Power firm EDF Energy said Japan's crisis is unlikely to significantly delay the UK's £50 billion nuclear power plant building programme

Power firm EDF Energy said Japan's crisis is unlikely to significantly delay the UK's £50 billion nuclear power plant building programme, it has been reported.
There had been fears that a major safety review sparked by events in Japan would severely slow Britain's nuclear plant rebuilding programme, on which 100,000 jobs depend.
But senior executives at French-owned EDF, the largest nuclear operator in the UK which is constructing new power stations at Hinkley Point in Somerset and Sizewell in Suffolk, are confident they will complete the projects virtually on schedule, according to the Mail on Sunday.
They told the newspaper they have received signals from the Government that the crisis would delay Britain's nuclear programme by a couple of weeks at the most.
EDF boss Vincent de Rivaz said while the industry needed to learn lessons from the disaster in Japan, it should not delay its progress in the UK. adding his enthusiasm for nuclear expansion was undimmed. He warned Britain is facing an "energy gap" as power stations come to the end of their working lives, which could cause power shortages and blackouts.
He told a meeting of the Nuclear Development Forum this week: "It is totally right that the nuclear incident unfolding at the moment should trigger so much attention and concern.

Cherie Blair is rather proud of her upcoming appearance as one of the celebrity teachers on Jamie Oliver’s Channel 4 series Jamie’s Dream School

 Cherie Blair is rather proud of her upcoming appearance as one of the celebrity teachers on Jamie Oliver’s Channel 4 series Jamie’s Dream School.

So proud, in fact, that even though her debut on the show is still more than a week off, she has already uploaded pre-edited footage of her starring role onto her self-congratulatory personal website.

However, there are certain important aspects of the business of teaching a group of problem teenagers that, one suspects, Cherie, a barrister, has not quite got her head around.

Take, for example, a recent piece she wrote for The Times to promote her appearance — which, again, she has proudly re-published on her website.

Rather thoughtlessly, she crassly comments in the article that she suspects one of the eight girls she taught on the programme — some of whom are as young as 16 — might be gay.

And then there are Mrs Blair’s rather disastrous attempts to maintain order among the pupils, all of whom have failed their GCSEs, as she tries to teach them about human rights.

On film, a black boy in her class apparently takes exception to Cherie addressing him as ‘Banana’ and, moments later, storms out of the lesson.

Indeed, it has to be said that outing one of your students as possibly being gay in the national media, and inadvertently using highly unfortunate, if unintended, racial stereotyping in the classroom might, in other circumstances, risk your average teacher being instantly disciplined for a breach of the Human Rights laws — of which Cherie is such an avid proponent.

But then, as we know, Cherie is often disposed to opening her mouth and putting her size five-and-a-half foot in it.

There will be no more tax rises and no more spending cuts in this week's Budget,

There will be no more tax rises and no more spending cuts in this week's Budget, which will set out a package of measures to boost growth and jobs, Chancellor George Osborne said today.

But he left no doubt that he will resist Labour calls to scale back the pace of deficit reduction, saying: 'That's not going to happen.'

Mr Osborne confirmed he will raise income tax thresholds in real terms on Wednesday, amid reports that he may take all those earning under £8,000 out of the tax altogether.

And he gave a strong hint that he will postpone the 1p rise in fuel duty scheduled for April 1 in order to relieve pressure on motorists struggling with prices at the pump of £1.30 or more.

But asked on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show whether he will rein in the cuts programme, as Labour has demanded, the Chancellor replied: 'That would be a huge mistake for the country.

'We would lose economic stability, we would be back in the mess of wondering what is going to happen tomorrow to Britain's credit rating. That's not going to happen.'

Mr Osborne said that the necessary cuts and tax rises were all included in last year's emergency budget, leaving him free this year to concentrate on growth and jobs.

'Having undertaken the rescue mission last year, I don't have to come back and ask for more this year,' he said.

'So I can say in the Budget this week I am not going to be asking for more tax

Libya's Al-Watyah air base, 170 km (100 miles) southwest of the capital Tripoli, was among the targets of Western air strikes overnight, a Libyan military official said.

Libya's Al-Watyah air base, 170 km (100 miles) southwest of the capital Tripoli, was among the targets of Western air strikes overnight, a Libyan military official said.

"They tried to attack the (base's) anti-aircraft defences," said the official, who did not want to be identified. "Some were damaged." He said there was no other damage to the base

Ed Miliband has been hit by a growing Labour revolt

Ed Miliband has been hit by a growing Labour revolt against his support for a change in the voting system as more than 200 Labour MPs and peers back the existing first-past-the-post process.

Writing in The Independent today, the shadow Health Secretary John Healey becomes the most senior Shadow Cabinet member to come out against electoral reform. He brands the alternative vote (AV) system, on which a referendum will be held on 5 May, as "perverse".

Mr Healey, who came second in the elections among Labour MPs to the Shadow Cabinet last October, said the introduction of AV would make Nick Clegg the "kingmaker" in any hung parliament.

A WOULD-BE Lib Dem MP who speaks out on crime and policing is behind bars after battering his family cat to death

A WOULD-BE Lib Dem MP who speaks out on crime and policing is behind bars after battering his family cat to death — with a WALKING STICK.
Mike Dixon, 53, prospective parliamentary candidate for Birmingham Northfield, killed black and white cat Tipsy with repeated blows to the head and body in May last year.

He "lost his temper" and clubbed the feline to death at the family home in Kidderminster, Worcs, after the pet scratched one of his grandchildren.

In the same month Dixon gained 6,550 votes (15.66 per cent) when he stood as a Lib Dem candidate in the General Election.

He came third behind the Conservative candidate Keely Huxtable and Labour MP Richard Burden.

Dixon admitted causing unnecessary suffering to a cat contrary to the Animal Welfare Act 2006 at Kidderminster Magistrates Court and was jailed for 16 weeks.

Ministers,will supply their own cars and civilian drivers will be hired

The Government this morning agreed new arrangements for the transport and staff support for ministers in line with the terms of the Programme for Government.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has said the changes would produce substantial savings.
Under the new arrangements, garda drivers and State cars will be retained only for the President, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and the Minister for Justice and Equality for security reasons.
Ministers, together with the Ceann Comhairle and the Attorney General, will supply their own cars and civilian drivers will be hired, as has been the case for Ministers of State for some years.
Official cars and garda drivers will no longer be provided to former Taoisigh and former Presidents, except for important State occasions.
The new arrangements will come into effect for Ministers at the latest on 1 May, and in three month's time in the case of former Taoisigh and Presidents.
The Department of the Taoiseach said the moves will release a substantial number of gardaí to regular duties.
The decision does not affect the provision of a State car to the Chief Justice and the current Director of Public Prosecutions, the department said in a statement.
The Department of the Taoiseach said the measures will make a significant impact on the cost of Government, saying it reflected the determination of the Government to establish a momentum for political reform.
A Garda Representative Association spokesperson said it would be seeking clarification on the Government's plans before making any comment.
The Department said the moves would more than half the cost of transport for ministers and would lead to a reduction of 25% in the permitted staffing of Ministers' Offices and 33% for Minsters of State.
The new arrangements are in line with election pledges and follow a series of reviews.
Both Fine Gael and Labour pledged to tackle the cost of official transport in their election manifestos.
The bill for 27 cars and 54 garda drivers was nearly €11m over two years, according to the latest figures.
The Government has also announced a reduction in the maximum number of staff allowed in Ministers' private offices and constituency offices.
Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin said: 'The limits applied by the previous administration to the numbers of staff in Ministers' Offices are being reduced.
'This will result in the guideline numbers being reduced by four in total for each Minister and Minister of State.'

Labour has announced its commitment to a two-year council tax freeze in the next parliament.

Labour has announced its commitment to a two-year council tax freeze in the next parliament.
Scottish leader Iain Gray said that if elected in May the party would not balance its budget on the back of families "already feeling the pinch" from Westminster spending cuts.
And Mr Gray called on First Minister Alex Salmond to remove a Local Income Tax plan from the SNP manifesto, which he said would make Scotland the highest-taxed part of the UK.
Mr Gray said: "My view is that this is not the time for radical change because the economy is still emerging from a severe recession and there is huge uncertainty over the implications of the UK government's proposals to devolve council tax benefit.
"Labour has always believed a property-based tax is the right way to contribute to the cost of local services.
"If any council in future wanted to raise council tax there would be a cap to keep it below inflation.
"There will be no revaluation from Labour in the next Parliament."
The Conservatives' finance spokesman Derek Brownlee said: "For the past four years Labour has opposed the council tax freeze and recently Iain Gray was caught off-guard saying that the freeze would end if Labour got into power.
"This U-turn can't be viewed as anything other than an increasingly desperate Labour Party saying anything to get through the election."
Liberal Democrat finance spokesman Jeremy Purvis said: "We will not be blocking the council tax freeze, because under our saving plans to cut quangos, reduce top pay, cancel bonuses to top bosses and gaining greater efficiency in Government agencies, we can match the reduced funding revenue."

a rift between David Cameron and his top civil servant became public

This week a rift between David Cameron and his top civil servant became public. Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Cabinet Secretary, was apparently deeply unhappy about the Prime Minister’s recent speech fingering the bureaucrats of Whitehall among “the enemies of enterprise”.
Strains in relations between Number 10 and the Cabinet Office next door are nothing new. For the cabinet secretary of the day is the most powerful unelected member of the government; he is the real-life Sir Humphrey from Yes, Prime Minister, who pulls the invisible strings across the whole of Whitehall. And cabinet secretaries tend to stay in office when a prime minister moves on: there have been only 10 of them since the Cabinet Office was formed nearly a century ago, but there have been three times that many governments.
Unlike the prime minister, the top mandarin is allowed to see all the papers of previous governments. In Whitehall, where knowledge is power, the Cabinet Secretary is the person who knows most of all. He is the chief policy adviser and father confessor to the prime minister. He sits next to the prime minister at all meetings of the Cabinet and its top committees. So the current Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, who is on his third PM, knows more secrets about Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron than anyone else in the country.
Sir Gus gave Mr Cameron the traditional first briefing by the Cabinet Secretary after he entered Number 10. “There are various nuclear and intelligence issues which new prime ministers need to be briefed on very quickly,” Sir Gus says. “And one of the things the cabinet secretary has to do is to juggle those first 24 hours in managing this process of getting the urgent and important done.”
After that first briefing about some of the stark realities of power, prime ministers are never quite the same again. Tony Blair’s ex-chief of staff Jonathan Powell takes a decidedly realpolitik view of what the cabinet secretary is seeking to do: “What’s happening there is a wrestle for power. The cabinet secretary is trying to capture the prime minister by overawing him about the job he is taking on.”

William Hague described the job of Foreign Secretary as 'addictive'

William Hague yesterday insisted he would not 'walk away' from his post as Foreign Secretary - despite speculation he has tired of front line politics.

In a defiant interview the former Tory leader hit back at reports that he has  lost his 'mojo' following criticism of his handling of the Libya crisis.

'If some of the people who write about mojo came with me for a week, they would drop dead on their feet,' he said.

Mr Hague said he had the full support of David Cameron, and described the job of Foreign Secretary as 'addictive'. He said he had given up too much to return to front line politics to quit so soon.


Defiant: Foreign Secretary William Hague says he made many sacrifices to return to frontline politics and has no intention of quitting

He added: 'I gave up lots of things I love doing - writing and business and playing the piano and so on. I wouldn't give up all those things and come back into politics because I wasn't interested in it. Why on earth would I do that?

'There were two reasons I came back into politics - to support David Cameron and to serve the country. I am not walking away from those things.

'People had better get used to the idea.' Mr Hague has come under intense scrutiny in recent weeks over the Government's handling of the unfolding crisis in Libya.

urge William Hague to obtain guarantees from foreign governments before they are given aid. three-quarters of all religious persecution in the world is now directed at Christians

Cardinal Keith O’Brien accused the Foreign Secretary of doubling overseas aid to Pakistan to more than £445 million without demanding religious freedom for Christians and other religious minorities, such as Shia Muslims.

He claimed that three-quarters of all religious persecution in the world is now directed at Christians, resulting in a collapse in the number of followers in some Middle East countries.

The cardinal was speaking ahead of the launch of a report into Christian persecution, which suggests it is getting worse in 22 of 34 ‘problem’ countries identified.

Earlier this month, Shahbaz Bhatti, the only Christian in the Pakistani government's cabinet, was shot dead by gunmen in Islamabad. He had previously spoken out against Pakistan's blasphemy laws.

Cardinal O’Brien, the head of the Catholic Church in Scotland, said: “I urge William Hague to obtain guarantees from foreign governments before they are given aid.

Burger King Double Whopper England: “The food is terrible and the women are not very attractive."

Bernardo Hees, 40, told a group of students in Chicago that “here the food is good and you are known for your good-looking women”.
Comparing the city to his student days at the University of Warwick, where he studied for an MBA, he recalled of his time in England: “The food is terrible and the women are not very attractive."
His gaffe came only six months after taking the helm at the chain, which has 11,500 outlets worldwide, and unsurprisingly were not welcomed in Coventry, where Warwick University is based.
Charli Fritzner, women’s campaigns officer at the University’s student union, said: “If he views women as potential distractions in academia, I wonder how he views them in the workplace?
“It doesn’t make Burger King an attractive employer for women.”
Marcus Wareing, a Michelin-starred chef at London’s Berkeley Hotel, who specialises in English produce, said his comments were an “insult to British gastronomy”, especially given what the Burger King menu contains.
After Mr Hees’ comments, which were made in an unguarded moment, were picked up and reported in America, a spokesman for the company said he regretted them, adding: “Mr Hees apologises if his comment has offended anyone. It …. was intended as a humorous anecdote to connect with his audience.”
One way for British women to make themselves more attractive might be to avoid a visit to one of Mr Hees’ fast food outlets.
Boasting 950 calories, a Burger King Double Whopper with cheese accounts for half of a woman’s recommended daily calorie intake of 1940 calories.
The burger has twice the calorie count and, with 22g of saturated fat, more than double the saturated fat count than its comparable rival, the McDonald’s Big Mac.

Nick Clegg has attempted to allay the fears of Liberal Democrats by vowing to protect the party's "soul" amid anger over key coalition policies