Twice at PMQs, Gordon Brown described Andrew "Recession Is A Good Thing - It Keeps The Lower Orders In Check" Lansley (a pity, beacuse Lansley voted against the Iraq War) as "the only person guaranteed a place" in Cameron's Cabinet.
Well, only if you don't count two other people, Gordon. Both of them are in your Government. And one of them is in your Cabinet.
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I think maybe Gordon doesn't know they've already agreed these appointments (although *everyone* in Westminster circles knows this is a done deal). Do you think you should email him and tell him?
pm@no10.x.gsi.gov.uk
Everyone who reads the papers knows that it is a done deal. It is just that no one finds these things remarkable any more.
In the early days, there really was an email address president@whitehouse.gov, as if Clinton was going to answer it personally. Of course, that sort of error seems funny now...
I was being serious - there really is that email address. Look it up on the No10 website.
But if no one finds it remarkable, why didn't the PM mention it? Are you saying he's losing his memory? Wow, that's quite compelling. I'd never thought of that before, but it explains quite a lot...
Oh, I know that the address is real. So was president@whitehouse.gov.
It's not the sort of thing that he can say there and then, though, is it? If Purnell and Adonis ever said publicly and unambigoously that they would not accept positions under Cameron, then the whole story would be different. But they have never done so. So it isn't.
"It's not the sort of thing that he can say there and then, though, is it? If Purnell and Adonis ever said publicly and unambigoously that they would not accept positions under Cameron, then the whole story would be different. But they have never done so. So it isn't."
Well yes - if they said they wouldn't accept them, then of course he couldn't count them. But given that their failure to do so means that they will take up their positions, why didn't he simply confirm this? I agree with Arti - I think he's losing his memory. What a scoop for you david!
Hardly!
What - do other people know the PM is losing his memory? I'd have thought this is big news. After all, what's happening to the nuclear codes? Unless - maybe he'd pledged to give control of that to the EU? Wow! That really would be amazing. What a story!
I was just redirected over here from Guido. Is is true the PM is losing his memory? It's on a couple of blogs now.
I think his memory's fine.
Now, back on topic, please.
Sorry, hang on, I can't leave this one. Is it truwe that the PM has handed over control of the nuclear codes to the EU? I rather think that blows anything about junior Cabinet appointments out of the water!
Does anyone know the number for the BBC news desk?
is what iain dale says true? The PM has handed over nuclear codes to France but then forgotten he did it? And he had to be reminded of such by James Purnell just before he spoke to Obama? That's amazing!
You think his memory's fine? That's what we in the trade call a "non denial denial" David. Say no more.
I fully expect that the British, the Americans and the French have always had each other's nuclear codes. Not the sort of thing that can be admitted publicly. But the sort of thing that undoubtedly goes on.
I notice that the Number 10 press office has been very slow to issue a statement on all this.
Yes, of course the French have the Americans' nuclear codes. That's why Bush was powerless to force them into joining the Iraq war - they knew they could lose Baltimore. It's obvious when you read between the lines.
What a very observant soul you are, Captain Caveman. On what else has "the Number 10 press office been very slow to issue a statement"? Make your own list.
I have no doubt at all that, throughout the Cold War, these things were fully integrated in the West. The French held out against American domination, and not without cause. But they never had any doubt who the real enemy was.
Try and imagine that this sharing of intelligence was NOT the case. I bet you can't. Of course it was.
And in many ways the French maintained a closer relationship with us than the Americans did, based on a sort of mutual respect, even if here was no affection. That did not exist in anything like the same way between either and the US.
Think of the Falklands, for example, when French intelligence support was invaluable, whereas the Reagan Administration was so close to the other side that it nearly refused to let us use our own territory on Ascension Island.
Sky is reporting that James Purnell was overheard saying that the Mumbai (sic) terrorist attacks will provide good cover for strikes against Pakistan and Iran. Makes me wonder whether, in fact, they were instigated by Denis MacShane. I notice he's been remarkably silent on the matter.
He'll doubtless turn up soon enough.
Iran? What has Iran to do with Salafism or Deobandism, which are not exactly Shia-friendly?
Of course, that question would lose the likes of Purnell as "Salafism". Bring back grammar schools, and rid us of these people.
Of course you're right that Iran has nothing to do with it, but Purnell and his ilk simply rely on people being gullible. It's amazing what nonsense people will swallow if it fits their prejudices.
I don't think they'll get away with it this time.
Emanuel used the word "gullible", when everyone knows it's been removed from the dictionary. Idiot.
I wrote about James Purnell in my blog the other day, making some unflattering comments, and I later had a phone call from an anonymous caller who warned me to cease ifg I knew what was good for me. I asked him how he got my number and he hung up.
I don't know who else to warn. I tried the BBC but they've refused to rpint this - David, I beg of you, help me spread the word. I'm not an easily frighteend man, but...
It would take a lot more than that to intimidate me.
I once told a particularly bad class in a particularly bad school that the word "gullible" had been taken out of the dictionary, and got them to check whether or not it was true.
That's nothing, David - I once told a particularly bad teacher that I was being followed by James Purnell.
Well, then, you can't have left school very long ago, if at all.
I once told Purnell he was being followed by a particularly bad teacher. Didn't listen to me though. His sort just won't take a hint.
No, it was ages ago - I was at school with James Purnell. He really was following me.
Back on topic, please, people.
Oh, come on, David. Don't you want to hear our James Purnell school stories? There's some potentially career-ending stuff there, you know.
From that remark, I now KNOW how very young you must be.
How young?
Young enough to think that anything someone did at school could ruin his career.
And that is very, very, very young indeed.
Now, back on topic.
What was the topic again?
OK - back on topic
I think if Brown's truly suffering from sort of amnesia, he should have the decency to stand down in favour of a tribunal - say, Milliband, Purnell and Adonis
The original post.
Bodger, that wasn't the original post.
My mistake. Who are the other people guaranteed a place in Cameron's cabinet?
James Purnell (same job) and Andrew Adonis (Education).
OK. Gordon Brown clearly has amnesia, because he's forgotten that George Osborne has also been publicly guaranteed by David Cameron the job of Chancellor if the Tories win the next election.
"Young enough to think that anything someone did at school could ruin his career.
And that is very, very, very young indeed."
But you think that something that someone allegedly did at university can ruin their career? Does passing 18 magically make an alleged offence committed years before they enter public life more serious?
I didn't know that. When did Cameron announce that?
Can't find the original guarantee right now, but see ConHome, here:
"As far as ConservativeHome is aware Mr Lansley joins George Osborne as the only other frontbencher who has been given a public guarantee of becoming the Cabinet minister for the job they currently hold."
Bodger, do you read the papers? Do you even read this blog?
Pierre, the age of majority is the age of majority. Anyway, something done while an undergraduate would have to be pretty bad (cocaine use, consorting with prostitutes), and the person in question pretty high up (no need for names here, is there?), for anyone to care.
Sprog, Cameron didn't correct him at PMQs.
A lot has happened since January, Sprog.
As Cameron clearly acknowledged at PMQs.
Bodger, come on, get with the picture. If someone doesn't deny something, then it's true.
Gordon Brown has never denied having amnesia. Ergo, Gordon Brown has amnesia.
David Cameron has never denied being a vampire. Ergo, David Cameron is a vampire.
It's really very simple.
Perhaps Gordon Brown cannot remember whether or not he has amnesia?
Anyway, back on topic.
Yes, I read the papers. Haven't read this blog before today though - should I apologise for that?
And I haven't heard anywhere else that Cameron guaranteed Purnell a job. Where and when?
Timmo, is that true?
Bodger: Yes, to my knowledge David Cameron has never, ever denied being a vampire. There's no excuse for this. He holds a press conference most weeks - he could clear it up once and for all in seconds. But he never has. I think we can all draw our own conclusions.
Ah-ha!
Bodger, good to see that you have identified yourself as Alan Partridge.
No more off-topic comments will be put up.
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