It’s not a topic I wanted to write about. I have studiously ignored the rumours and stories circulating on other websites and at a fairly empty Westminster. Today I cannot ignore it, as Mr Hague himself has issued an unusual statement and has invited all to comment on it. His statement confirms that he has

And Westminster's Idle Question of the Day is: will Ed Balls be made shadow chancellor under a Miliband leadership? There are good arguments both for and against the proposition – and most of them are made in this blog post by the Guardian's Nicholas Watt. Even Blairites, he says, are warming to the idea of Balls running Labour's economic policy. But if it's to happen und...

Six more Westminster City Council staff have been given the sack following the Council's decision to save money by moving its post room from City Hall in Victoria Street to the Council House in Marylebone Road. The six staff are: a Manager, a Post Driver, 3 Post staff; and a Porter. These latest cuts are the result of the Council's financial bungling which led to a £20 million hole...

Labour Councillors have welcomed the opening of the new Halfpenny Steps Health Centre on the Harrow Road which has opened today and will serve residents in Queen's Park and Harrow Road wards. The Halfpenny Steps Health Centre provides health services for registered and walk-in patients. It is staffed with a team of GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals to deliver a high quality, cont...

The latest edition of Total Politics includes a feature piece about Sharon Bowles, Liberal Democrat MEP and chair of the European Parliament’s Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee: The Lib Dem MEP is a hugely powerful and yet virtually unknown British politician. She has had far more impact on our legislation than your average Westminster politician…

The Telegraph reports on its front-page that "a Cabinet minister is ready to take legal action to halt a series of increasingly lurid but baseless rumours sweeping Westminster over his sexuality ... Friends of the minister have warned that he will not hesitate to take “action” should unfounded allegations that he is homosexual, which are circulating on the internet, appear in mainstrea...

A Cabinet minister is ready to take legal action to halt a series of increasingly lurid but baseless rumours sweeping Westminster over his sexuality, The Daily Telegraph has learnt.

Why Ed Miliband should be the next Labour leader  Labour needs a bold, charismatic, compassionate and visionary leader to renew the party. Ed Miliband has shown us he could be that leader. The Labour leadership contest began in earnest with the New Statesman debate at Church House in Westminster on 9 June. In retrospect, all the

The new parliament has drawn its teeth but the MPs’ expenses scandal continues. Throughout June and July, Westminster rumbled with aggravation about IPSA. There were whispers of MPs flying off the handle at IPSA staff; yesterday brought concrete reports of outright threats and intimidation. The accounts in this morning’s press are shaming, even by the standards of this saga of pornos a...

Eric Pickles walks through the corridors of Westminster with "the stately waddle of an out of condition sumo wrestler". So writes Conservative Home's Paul Goodman in the Daily Telegraph today, but despite that glorious description, Goodman's piece is actually a paean of praise to the blunt speaking Communities Secretary. Goodman claims he has delivered more obvious change than other, more 'star qu...