Robert's guts and Denham's helmet...

Well the people I know all got onto the 'a-list' (for an unofficial list see www.conservativehome.com) - I better not say who they are as I don't want to cause any trouble for them and the Party are not publishing the names, at least initially. The exception in terms of not getting on being Iain Dale. Iain was on Newsnight last night talking about it although I didn't see it- no doubt his contribution is on-line somewhere. I hope Iain realizes his dream to become an MP- I think he would be rather good but the heavy defeat he suffered in his last seat must be heavily be weighing against his chances of being selected next time

I had to laugh at a couple of pieces that I have seen in The Daily Mail's 'Ephraim Hardcastle' Column today. The first concerns Andrew Roberts, the right-wing journalist and historian and all round great guy. To quote The Mail, "TO the undoubted consternation of London hostesses, soiree-mad historian Andrew Roberts has returned from a Nile cruise with a virulent form of 'gippy tummy'. Roberts has not taken a drink for three weeks, which friends say is a record. 'The doctors claim I am a parasite- I mean that I have a parasite,' he tells me. Fortunately, the 43-year-old is being attended to by his luscious girlfriend Susan Gilchrist, a senior partner in PR firm Brunswick, who is happy to take on malodorous nursing duties."
Andrew is a great guy and an absolute brick. I remember when he came down to speak at a supposedly joint dinner between Itchen and Test Conservative Associations. The evening went off really well and Andrew was great, speaking about the Leadership Secrets of Hitler and Churchill after a recent BBC2 TV series on the same topic. Afterward we retired to the pub and Andrew and I sunk about 8 pints each of real ale. Unfortunately those that were left were so made at being left to do the washing-up that is was a trigger to have me deselected in that year's local elections ha ha !
John Denham had a piece in there today too. I must say I was surprised, "Labour grandee (????-Ed.) John Denham MP allowed Newsnight into his Commons office on Tuesday for an interview. Visible behind Denham, on his desk, was a policeman's helmet. A trophy of the former minister's days as a Left-Wing radical? Nicking rozzers' helmets used to be a mark of every good socialist." Well I'm not sure about that but his own personal media profile has never been higher. No doubt a last ditch attempt to gain ministerial power under GB before old age and maybe even a change of government put paid to his prospects...