Tuesday 23 February 2010

oooh, such goings on

a story in the Mail on Sunday this weekend about terrible goings on on MPs' "junkets", drinking contests and so on. What interested me was the sources for the story rather than the people written about. Someone called Lawrie Cunliffe (who?) has been briefing the MoS rather extensively it seems. You'd have to ask why. Who would be served by fellow MPs being dished? Cui bono? Etc etc. Geraldine Smith, Labour MP for Morecambe, featured prominently in the story, but it was not against her. This happens a lot. She is rather close to a member of a senior Labour dynasty, in fact very close indeed, could that have anything to do with it? Geraldine probably has the classiest hair in the Commons, and she refuses to get naked with fellow members of the Council of Europe delegation, to my certain knowledge. There are others who have no such inhibitions. Oh and in case you were wondering who the Lothario of the delegation is, Mike Hancock, LibDem MP for Portsmsouth South, is your man.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Lawrie Cunliffe retired in 2001.
He was a big mate of Roger Stott and Jamie Cann - both sadly deceased. Also, I think he was friendly with Labour MP Lyndsey Hoyle.

Lawrie C had orangeish dyed hair and was (apparently) in the region of seventy or so when he stood down.
Apparently, he had enjoyed a reputation as a bit of a ladies' man in younger days.
No sign of it by 1997-2001.

Interesting to note that the Wikipedia entries of these hardened drinkers and drink contest enthusiasts and participants make no mention of the Mail on Sunday's latest brilliant piece of investigative journalism.

I wonder why not.