Articles tagged Guardian Diary:
Guardian Diary: The End of British Bookselling is Nigh
- 31 May 2006
Waterstone's is about to take over Ottakars in a deal which is bound to see the closure of a number of 'doubled up' stores in market towns throughout Britain. Despite the fact that the deal puts Waterstone's in a highly dominant market position the competition authorities have...
New Statesman Diary: Mo Mowlam Calls Me a Wanker
- 1 Jun 2002
A year ago I was co-presenting the Radio 5 Live Sunday Service programme which – completely flummoxed the Sports Minister Richard Caborn. This week, I was at it again with Peter Mandelson, who I was interviewing for my new Planet Politics programme on Oneword Digital Radio. ...
Guardian Diary: Mo Mowlam Answered my Phone
- 13 May 2002
Blair-faced cheek There was more than met the eye to the Blair family trip to Cornwall last summer, writes Iain Dale I wonder where Tony Blair and his family will be heading for their summer holidays this year? Last year they were forced to spend a few days in Cornwall a...
Guardian Diary: Influencing David Blunkett & Cross Party Friendships
- 20 Feb 2002
* Shock, horror! I can reveal that Home Secretary David Blunkett was dining with two top lobbyists from the lobbying consultancy Weber Shandwick at the Gay Hussar one evening a couple of weeks ago. Another lobbygate scandal in the making? I doubt it. One of them was former Lab...
Guardian Diary: Lamenting the Lot of Parliamentary Sketchwriters
- 12 Dec 2001
I can think of only one reason for Robin Cook’s ridiculous reforms of the hours the House of Commons sits – to curry favour with the Parliamentary sketchwriters. After all, they are the ones who stand to gain most from a Parliamentary sitting which starts at 10am and finishes ...
Guardian Diary: Election Night Prep
- 1 Jun 2001
I’ve had a curious existence in the last few months. I have had to transform myself into ITN’s political editor John Serjeant. Not a pretty sight. But it has all been in the interests of making ITN’s election night coverage run as smoothly as possible. Few people reali...