August 31: Just not cricket
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I had a twinge of sympathy for the sports minister
and Kent MP Hugh Robertson today who has waited until now to take a
holiday having spent much of the summer attending to government
business while his colleagues have been away.
Don't freeze Pakistan out of top flight
cricket, says minister>>>
He wasn't to know that a betting scandal was to engulf the
Pakistan test series just as he was hoping for a break and, as he
rather wearily explained to me, appears to have spent much of the
weekend getting briefed on developments and fending off people like
me.
Still, it's all part of the burden of being in government and as
sports minister, there are one or two upsides to the job that the
minister for work and pensions might just look at rather
enviously...
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I spent last week on holiday feeling as though summer had
ended and trying to avoid rain showers, gusts of wind and anything
too political. I didn't manage to keep away from Labour leadership
contest, which is entering the final furlong this week and has had
all the excitement and unpredictability of an X-Factor
audition.
I think the lack of excitement around who will be Brown's
successor has as much to do with the perception that Labour -
rather like the Tories during their wilderness years under the
shadow of Blair - will be rather irrelevant to politics for a
while. I don't necessarily share that view given the potential
fragility of the coalition but you can understand it.
I was amused by the BBC's description of Lord Mandelson's
intervention, in which he warned the party not to ditch New Labour
politics, as a "big blow" to Ed Miliband.
It depends on how you view things I guess. It was interpreted as
an endorsement - albeit indirect - from Lord Mandelson for David
Miliband.
But I imagine that any intervention from Mandy cuts both ways.
As many people will probably find his tacit support for David as
rather unwelcome.
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Back to those KCC credit card bills and the
sometimes interesting - not to say contentious - ways in which
they have sometimes been used.
KCC's credit card expenditure>>>
We are sure there will be an explanation somewhere for why one
officer spent nearly £350 at Thorntons...watch this space.
Tuesday, August 31 2010
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