Day Dreaming about the Snow Storm

So it seems Straw is set to wimp out but still Mandy, Miliband and Darling are nowhere to be seen. Mandy is due on Newsnight tonight yet he could easily come out in support before that if he wanted to. Where is everyone? The silence grows...Last time Mandy was straight out of the blocks defending Brown across TV and radio. As  more time passes more and more backbenchers ask for the ballot. Darling goes in time for the 10 0'Clock News and Mandy puts the final nail in the coffin on Newsnight. The final revenge from an old enemy?

Ah a bear can but dream.. go on Labour, get some spine or do you want to go down in history as more cowardly than Gordon-always-dodge-elections-Brown?

Is it Harman?

Still singing from the same hymnsheet?

Someone is pulling the strings on this one. There is no way H and H would put their necks so far out on the line without being vaguely confident of some degree of success. ITV are speculating that Hewitt might well be doing Harman's dirty work. It would make sense, she's threatened to walk before and can't have her dirty paws anywhere near this. If Gordon goes she is the Labour Deputy and would be the caretaker for the duration of any leadership contest - giving her a very string platform to launch her candidacy from.

TB was working from home this morning but is praying there are trains, he wouldn't want to miss out on the fun and games.

What Would Malcolm Tucker Do?

Why have two different CCHQ/Tory sources sent TB pretty much identical texts in the last five minutes:

Leadership criss gets out of hand.

PM goes to the country early.

Just like the Thick of It!

We can but hope! Go on Gordon... do it.

Pickles Puts the Boot In re Hewitt and Hoon

CCHQ quick off the mark:

“We have a situation now where everyday a Labour MP is turning on the Prime Minister. It’s irresponsible to have such a dysfunctional, faction ridden Labour party running the country.
Ministers are more concerned about saving their own political skin than actually getting Britain out of the monumental mess we are in. We cannot go on like this. The only responsible thing the Government can do is call a general election.”

Bet they are praying this goes tits up and Brown stamps it out.

Hacks Caught of Guard - Another Macintyre Blunder

My my what an afternoon. A bloody and comedy draw at PMQs but then Hoon and Hewitt go and stab Brown in the back. Loving the fact that the resurgance of tgeh leadership speculation came just fifteen minutes after BBS's Nick Robinson live on TV said there was no plot and nothing was happening. The plotters have learnt their lessons this time - all about the surprise!

Also another spectacular scoop for The New Statesman's political wizard James Macintyre. Just last night he

outed

, completely incorrectly, that Tessa Jowell was behind the plotting. Something she flatly denied in a statement. Well done James, TB recommends you look through your blackberry contact list and delete everyone who called you yesterday. They are making you look like a fool.

Old fuddy duddy Sir Michael White had no idea about it either, at least he had the good grace to admit the fact live on Sky News moments ago.

"We'll deal with the government, you've got enough to do."

With all this snow it's hard to really remember what all the Copenhagen fuss was all about. Lucky the snow came because it distracted from the fact the summit to save the world was labelled a "good start." This advert

via Prodicus

is brilliant though:



Another classic from the good lads at the

CEI

.

Newsround

Ok so TB has been rather busy for the last few days with err this and that. He ended up speaking to every national newspaper at some point yesterday, except the Guardian who stood their ground and refused right of reply after diving head first into the smears and innuendo from Kerry's hymn sheet.

So what else has been going on? The election campaign is very much underway apparently, though to be fair, if Monday had never happen would the election outcome have been any different? As the dust settled it seemed clear that Labour have little to offer other than poorly conceived attack on Tory policy, but through no merit of their own they managed to land a couple of blows. Darling wasn't exactly enthusiastic about offering up the dodgy dossier and it seems there will be a big role in the campaign for Liam Bryne as chief attack dog. As for Dave and co, well it was going so well until the slight marriage tax hiccup. The poster campaign is great on many fronts - putting the fear of god about finance into Labour HQ for starters. Flaunting the fact they have the cash to run these sort of campaigns again and again. Also it must make for uncomfortable viewing in some red corners that the Tories are so comfortable and proud of their leader, he can be promoted in almost a presidential style and spearhead the entire campaign.

Labour on the other hand are ashamed and embarrassed of the fool, the shamed emperor, who is leading them over the cliff. Still the rumours and gossip about resignations, regicides and plots will not disappear. No10 thought they had nipped this in the bud before Christmas but it has clearly been allowed to boil over, and although there has been no resignation, the very speculation is damaging enough and a most unhelpful distraction.

Either way CCHQ are praying Brown clings on. As TB highlighted yesterday, Tom Harris made the brilliant point that those in the media who complain that the election campaign is going to be too long, tough. The country is crying out for change and has been waiting long enough. The Tories are impatient, they are ready and if it has to be a long march then so be it. They have a golden opportunity to enliven the public and highlight just how much better things could be.

Cartoon - Ed's Pledge

Another one from

Lazy Hyena

:

Cracking Post from Tom Harris

What he said.

Will Blog About Something Else

After this quick update...

Fall out from Kerry Out campaign has been exactly as predicted. Lots of support and some serious tantrums from the usual lefty crowd. They are in border line hysterics.

TB isn't too surprised by the

reaction of the Bristol Evening News

- a Labour source confidently informed TB yesterday that "Kerry had the local rag..." What is hilarious however is the press release TB put out yesterday suggesting Kerry would resort to moaning about sexism and surprise surprise...

Labour MP Kerry McCarthy has described the Tory bloggers behind an internet campaign to oust her from her Bristol East seat as "bully boys". Ms McCarthy, who is her party's new media campaigns spokeswoman, said the attacks were personal rather than political. She said she had tried to avoid responding via blogs or Twitter but told the Evening Post: "These people are deeply unpleasant and misogynistic.

The deeply unpleasent feeling is mutual. The comments are pretty funny too:

The Evening Standard

went with this

. More media coverage is expected today and local TV when the KerryOut bandwagon rolls into Bristol soon.

In defence McCarthy has set up a super dooper social media campaign in the form of a Facebook group... hilariously she is pictured wearing a life jacket. Waving not drowning eh?

TB had to chuckle at this too:

Hic. Rumbled!

Donate to KerryOut

here.

#KerryOut Website Launch

https://www.kerryout.net/

is now live.

Who is Backing #KerryOut?

A friendly lefty gets in touch:

I’m a member of the Labour Party and I support the #kerryout campaign, there, I said it! Why do I support a campaign that seeks to oust a Labour MP you may ask. For me it’s not that she blocks people on twitter, as don’t I really get the point of twitter. However, I do find the use of blocking slightly ridiculous, what happens when you meets that person in real life and they say the exact same thing to you? Do you stick your fingers in your ears and sing to block out their thought crime? Our MPs shouldn’t fear debate, it’s what gets people engaged in politics, and it gives you a new perspective that you will not find by just talking to party members.

On Kerry McCarthy’s blog she justifies spending £400 a month on food allowance because the other kids told her to: “Until April 2009 there was a £400 per month food allowance. As new MPs in May 2005 we were advised by the old hands to claim this as a matter of course; it was our entitlement. So I did although not over the summer or other periods when I didn't have to be in London. I admit to being uncomfortable with this.” Sure she stopped claiming after she’d claimed the full £400 for Jun 2005,Jul 2005, Jan 2006,Feb 2006, Mar 2006, Apr 2006, May 2006 Jun 2006, Jul 2006, Oct 2006, Nov 2006, Dec 2006, Jan 2007, Feb 2007, Mar 2007, Apr 2007, May 2007 and Feb 2008. Oh and£300 May 2005, £200 Aug 2006, £200 Sep 2006, £300 Jun 2007, £300 Jul 2007, £100 Aug 2007, £300 Oct 2007, £300 Nov 2007, £240 Dec 2007, £250 Jan 2008£200 Mar 2008, £150 Apr 2008, £200 May 2008, £250 Jun 2008, £200 Jul 2008£200 Oct 2008, £240 Nov 2008, £200 Dec 2008, £200 Jan 2009, £200 Mar 2009 This in total is an impressive £11730. The Nuremberg defence just doesn’t cut it with me, it shows that her morals and judgement are dubious to say the least, if you know something is wrong you don’t do it, it’s not hard! Do we really need an MP in Parliament who knows something is completely wrong but goes along with it anyway? I know I’m going to get jumped on by a fair few Labour members, who feel I’m betraying the party, but I don’t see the difference between criticising Kerry McCarthy and this:“BevaniteEllie : I'd like to register my utter contempt for Charles Clarke. The irrelevant little swine that he is. Thanks.”

I also think we need to look at the wider picture, sure if Tory Bear is successful with his #kerryout campaign we’ll have lost a Labour seat, but I’d rather lose Labour seats then keep people like this representing us in Parliament. I want to see MPs that not only encourage excellence within their party (whichever that may be), but much more importantly within Parliament. The expenses scandal has shown we need to shake up Parliament, we need to get rid of the expenses troughers, the deadwood and the MPs who lost their moral compass on their much more important quest to become sycophantic career politicians. As such I think all the people with questionable expenses and questionable morals not just Kerry McCarthy should be booted out of Parliament, even if that just leaves us with Rob Marris MP for Labour and Richard Benyon MP for Conservatives in Parliament!

If people want to go all Glen Cullen on me and "start a shit fight." Feel free to at my email address:

Jjfielder@live.co.uk

Cartoon - It's Ironic Like

Embattled MP Resorts to Legal Threats

The pressure of the

#KerryOut

campaign is clearly taking it's toll on

expenses troughing

Kerry McCarthy. She has resorted to throwing around vague legal threats instead of defending herself.

Tory Politico was

absolutely right

to describe Kerry as a "disgraced MP". She is a disgrace to her Party, her ideology and the House of Commons. Go on Kerry, sue, it will do your rep the world of good.

#KerryOut Video

12pm tomorrow.

Be here.

Loose Lips Sink Ships

Everyone's favourite Chief Whip Nick Brown is currently on a train into Kings Cross. A travelling source gets in touch to inform the Bear:

"Although he thinks he's being guarded on the mobile - I know what he is talking about. The essence is that the plot rumours are real and he is holding meetings tomorrow to discuss things.

Greg Pope

was mentioned and the feelings within the PLP and 'worries', two camps, theose who will 'soldier on and those who want him out"

After today's performance on Marr is there any Labour MP who can honestly say Gordon is the best they have?

Bloopers

Just in case you missed this over at Guido's, TB thought he would share the

Guy News

outtakes with y'll:



They don't call him two-takes-Tory Bear for nothing...

Who's the Brief?

The festive cheer is quick to wear off when you are constantly watching your back. It seems someone in CCHQ is a little scared about losing their job come May and is causing mischief. Steve Hilton, despite being chief soothsayer in Team Dave rarely gets a bad splash. It is often said that the less clothes you wear in CCHQ the more powerful you are. A good working example would be that James O’Shaughnessy, policy wonk, can sometimes get away without wearing a tie, while nobody would bat an eyelid if Steve Hilton strutted around in a pair of Speedos. Hence why it is strange that there would be such a bunfight across the pages of the

Times

about him needing to shore up against a suspected junior usurper.

For better or worse Hilton has Dave's ear more than even Coulson. TB would argue that perhaps this one-time green-voter may now have outlived his maximum usefulness. Having been so successful in enabling the party to get to the stage it is at now, perhaps someone else with a little more teeth needs to be allowed to do heavy work. The Obama style vacant nonsense might have sounded good in California but it seems some of the detail got lost via Skype.

The Tories have dominated the media coverage for the entire of 2010 so far, and this small blot is an unwelcome distraction, though it has to be said the briefing is about as subtle as Mandelson would conjures up. This sort of thing needs to be nipped in the bud right now. One of Labour's biggest weaknesses is the fact that they have been acting like ferrets in a sack for as long as anyone can remember. First they wanted to to get rid of Blair and then Brown. While this may be fascinating for avid viewers, it is extremely off putting to the wider public. The Tories need to be seen to be rising above petty internal squabbles and focus on bombarding Labour and the public with idea after idea, policy after policy.

Let the elbow barging wait until the prospect of forming a government is actually in the bag chaps.

Two Days To Go

Monday may be back to work but don't forget to check out

kerryout.net

to find out how you can get involved with the campaign from the streets of Bristol to the comfort of your own home, from the keyboard to the wallet.

Better look up those train timetables...

Things Can Only Get Bitter

TB is back and raring to go. The next few months are going to be full on and full of surprises. TB hopes you all had a wonderful Christmas, have manged to get over yesterday's hangover and are a ready for the fun and games starting on Monday. Not only is it the official launch of the

#KerryOut

website but also, and perhaps more importantly, the first look at the Conservative manifesto. Labour are backed into a corner, the finishing line is in sight and TB is looking forward to causing as much havoc as he possibly can. He fully expects the reds to get very nasty.

Things can only get bitter...

Video -

GOT