Drumlanrig

Published on 04/10/2008 20:01

WHELAN 'N' DEALIN' FOR GLENROTHES

The return of the old New Labour crew (Mandelson, Campbell, et all) also includes Gordon Brown's former spin doctor Charlie Whelan we hear. Now working at the super union Unite, Whelan, below, is set to play a key behind-the-scenes role in the Glenrothes by-election campaign team. It's all hands to the pump in the constituency ahead of the vote, following the warnings that a defeat would spell disaster for Gordon Brown – with new Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy among those on high alert. "You should really call him Secretary of State for Glenrothes," said one Labour MP.

FEW CRUMBS OF CONSOLATION

A cruel jibe is going around Westminster about the new responsibilities of Hillary Benn. The Environment Secretary has seen most of his department removed and handed over to Ed Miliband, leaving him with just Food and Agriculture to deal with. The new department has thus been christened "the department of Sweet FA".

JUST HANGING AROUND TO GLOAT?

Gloating at Nationalist HQ is getting out of all proportion. A press release was issued last week, timed with Gordon Brown's reshuffle, boasting that – as of October 8 – this will be the longest uninterrupted spell a team of Scottish ministers has enjoyed since devolution. SNP managers point out that this shows the resilience and steadiness of the SNP ship. Less loyal SNP insiders simply question why it is that certain ministers – particularly those in the junior ranks – are still hanging around. Has anyone seen Maureen Watt, above, recently?

DEGREE OF DOUBT FOR NEO-CON GOVE

The thinking mans' neo-con, Michael Gove, below, is going all soft. The Tory shadow education secretary, and winner of Britain's politest man award, is the author of Celsius 7/7, an eloquent defence of the virtues of neo-conservatism.

However, at a fringe event at the Conservative conference in Birmingham last week, Gove declared that he could no longer offer his full backing to Republican senator John McCain. The attractions of Barack Obama, he said, left him torn. What's going on with the world when even the neo-cons have doubts?