Keir Starmer Will Be a Good Addition to Labour's Ranks
- 14 Dec 2014
The selection of Keir Starmer as Labour’s candidate to succeed Frank Dobson in Holborn & St Pancras is perhaps the least surprising choice since Caligula chose his horse to be a senator (Or is that the other way around?). He pulled through despite being up against some ve...
EXCLUSIVE: Paul Sykes to Cease Funding UKIP
- 12 Dec 2014
I understand that millionaire UKIP donor Paul Sykes has ceased his funding of the party. A source close to the Yorkshire based businessman says that Mr Sykes doesn’t feel it right that the so-called “people’s party” is funded by a couple of millionaires. Mr Sykes paid for UKI...
ConHome Diary: Why is Shagging So Popular In Politics?
- 12 Dec 2014
I’ve never quite worked out why it is that people in politics tend to indulge in inter-political shagging in a way that just doesn’t happen in other sectors. At least, I don’t think it does. Certainly publishing and radio are chaste by comparison. Or maybe it’s just that I’m i...
In Praise of Alistair Griffin
- 10 Dec 2014
Alistair Griffin ought to be a household name if singing and songwriting talented counted for anything in today’s music business. He first came to national attention when he came second to Alex Parks in the second series of ‘Fame Academy’. More recently his song ‘Just Drive’ w...
Goodbye 'Gobby'!
- 7 Dec 2014
As Paul Lambert leaves the BBC to become Nigel Farage’s Director of Communications, here’s why he got the nickname ‘Gobby’. Follow him on Twitter at @westminstergoby.
ConHome Diary: The Extradordinary Vince Cable & Snubbing Russell Brand
- 5 Dec 2014
Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show is always fun, and so it was last Sunday. The previous time I reviewed the papers on it, earlier in the year, my co-reviewer was the actress Sheila Hancock. Suffice it to says that we didn’t get on. Last Sunday, my paper reviewing partner was...
Mango Groove Coming to London!
- 30 Nov 2014
I had some brilliant news yesterday. Mango Groove are coming to London to play a concert at the Hammersmith Apollo on Saturday 7 March 2015. So who are Mango Groove, I hear you asking. Well, they are probably the best band South Africa has ever produced. I first got to know t...
ConHome Diary: Three Days With Valerie Trierweiler
- 28 Nov 2014
I spent most of Sunday to Tuesday with Valerie Trierweiler, former First Lady of France, who was over in London publicising her book, which I have published. Virtually the whole time she was here, she was followed by the French press pack. Most of the time they kept a discreet...
Biteback Publishing - It's Clearly Not Size That Counts
- 23 Nov 2014
It’s been quite a weekend for my company Biteback Publishing. Bearing in mind we are a company of 14 people, with a publicity department of 2, the coverage for our books in the media this weekend has been little short of outstanding, and something I doubt many of the big publ...
VIDEO: Valerie Trierweiler Interviewed by Sophie Raworth
- 23 Nov 2014
Valerie Trierweiler was interviewed by Sophie Raworth this morning on the Andrew Marr Show. Tomorrow night she is on Newsnight. You can order signed copies of Valerie’s book HERE
ConHome Diary: Are Tory MPs About to Commit Knuckle Dragging Acts of Masturbatory Self Indulgence?
- 21 Nov 2014
I’ve lost count of the number of people who have come up to me in the last couple of weeks and in whispered tones asked if I think there will be 46 MPs writing to Graham Brady after the Rochester & Strood by-election. I look at them as if they have lost complete leave of t...
An Astonishing Hour of Radio - Two Police Officers Reveal They Were Told To Shut Down Paedo Sex Ring Inquiries in the 1980s
- 20 Nov 2014
I’ve presented some pretty astonishing hours in my four years on LBC but very few would top our 5 O’Clock hour tonight. We started off with an interview (by Tom Swarbrick) with Vishambar Mehrotra, the father of 11 year old Vishal, who was allegedly murdered as part of a paedop...
Attitude Column: In Praise Of Lynne Featherstone
- 18 Nov 2014
Some time ago I got a phone call from the Liberal Democrat MP & International Development Minister, Lynne Featherstone. Would I be the guest speaker at a fundraising dinner she was organising. ‘What’s it for?’ I asked. ‘My re-election campaign war chest’, she replied. Gulp...
Attitude Column: In Praise (And Criticism) Of Peter Tatchell
- 15 Nov 2014
Seeing as this is Attitude’s Awards issue, let me award my very own Lifetime Achievement Award for service to Gays. And the winner is…. Cue drumroll…. Peter Tatchell. That surprised you, didn’t it? I have a tremendous admiration for Peter and all that he has achieved since he...
ConHome Diary: Andrew Neil Should Have Been Offered 'Newsnight'
- 14 Nov 2014
I used to do a lot of speaking to local Conservative Associations but since the last election I have only done one – and that was in Witney. Well, when the PM asks, it’s a bit difficult to say no, isn’t it? I thought it was worth at least a Knighthood, but hey, I understand I ...
ConHome Diary: Theresa May - Buy! Buy! Buy!
- 7 Nov 2014
I don’t know about you but I find this new trend of MPs reporting each other to the head of the Metropolitan Police absolutely despicable. Labour’s John Mann is the worst offender by far, but this week it was Tory MP Justin Tomlinson who reported Sadiq Khan for allegedly looki...
ConHome Diary: Grappling With Sadiq Khan in a Dark Room (And Other Stories)
- 31 Oct 2014
I don’t know what Ed Miliband thinks he’s playing at but he seems to be subliminally, and probably unintentionally, urging Labour voters in Rochester & Strood to vote UKIP. As a short terms strategy it might well be a jolly jape to give the Tories a bloody nose, but he sho...
Keith Simpson's Parliamentary Away Day Reading List
- 27 Oct 2014
With the prospect of another away day and the chance to catch up on some reading between presentations here are a few recently published books which may stimulate colleagues little grey cells. The political publication of the month is Winston Churchill The Boris Factor How On...
ConHome Column: Happy Birthday Guido!
- 24 Oct 2014
Tuesday night saw the tenth anniversary dinner party to celebrate ten years of the Guido Fawkes blog. There was something rather incongruous about the fact that it was held deep in the heart of clubland and that those attending were a rather good sample of the Westminster esta...