Has Clegg offered Professor Nutt a peerage?

Just a thought.

Are knives more dangerous than guns? Are knuckledusters more dangerous than knives?

When it comes to the issue of drugs I'll never understand why libertarians are willing to create the next generation of muggers, shoplifters, burglars and street gangs in order to satisfy their libertarian philosophy.

Of course, if you socialise in the sort of middle class circles where smoking a joint, taking an E or tooting a line of coke is seen as purely recreational, the last thing on your mind is being mugged, burgled or carjacked by the junkie desperate for his next fix. Until it happens to you or a member of your family.

Labour must have a death wish

Why else would they allow one of the most reviled politicians of recent times to appear on Question Time. Is Jacqui Smith the new Portillo/Gummer/Mellor/Hamilton? You bet she is. With knobs on.

Pardon the pun.

Cameron facing accusations of Orangutan abuse

Labour's twitter tsar, Kerry McCarthy, is on the Tory leader's case:

"The Guardian's piece on Lord Stern's comments about climate change also raises the current controversy over palm oil production. I am proud to report I purchased orangutan-friendly black pepper oatcakes this morning, which are made with olive oil rather than palm oil like most oatcakes. Now we need David "oatcakes are my favourite biscuits"* Cameron to confirm likewise.

I'm sure it's at the top of his agenda.

Coming soon on the Daily Pundit: Are McCain's oven chips destroying the planet?

Has Cameron got the stamina to cross the finishing line?

After his lacklustre performance at PMQ's today I'm not so sure. Word is some of his backbenchers share my concerns. One Tory backbencher was said to have joked that he had "seen more fizz in a bottle of lemonade."

Admittedly, the blazing row Cameron is reported to have had with William Hague yesterday, following the Tory leader's monthly press conference, won't have helped. According to those in the know Hague was less than impressed when Cameron refused to support his threat to EU diplomats, reportedly made by Hague last week, that the appointment of Tony Blair as EU president would be seen as "an act of hostility".

Whatever the reason for Sham Cam's woeful effort today, if he carries on looking and acting like he can't be arsed he'll struggle to get a 60-seat majority next year let alone a 160-seat majority.

Goodbye Labour. And good riddance

Back in 1996 I was one of the millions who wanted the Tories out at any cost. Fast forward 13 years and I now feel exactly the same about Labour; only this time I don't just want the governing party out at any cost - I want to see them wiped off the electoral map for a generation.

That way the snidey bastards will have plenty of time to reflect on their immigration policy of the last 10 years.

I don't have a problem with bringing in hundreds of thousands of migrant workers to do the jobs our lot of lazy bastards refuse to do. To his credit Liam Byrne has done a good job over the last 18 months arguing the economic case for this. Nor do I have a problem welcoming genuine asylum seekers who are fleeing nutjob regimes on the other side of the world.

But I do have a problem when immigration levels reach nearly three million in order to "rub the Right's nose in diversity and render their arguments out of date." According to the report in the Telegraph, "nervous" ministers made no mention of the policy at the time for fear of alienating Labour voters.'

Cowards.

Exclusive Daily Pundit poll reveals Tory lead of 17 points

An astonishing poll lead I'm sure you'll agree. Even more astonishing is the fact that every other UK pollster including MORI-IPSOS, IPSOS-MORI, RES-COM, COM-RES, ICM, ICBM and YOUGOV have exactly the same figure of seventeen percent.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that opinion polls are an exact science, but when so many of the UK's leading pollsters arrive at the same conclusion you have to admit it's not far off.

PS. I'll be speaking to Stephen Hawking later today when I expect Stephen to reveal more about his findings from the two days he spent in a Milton Keynes shopping centre last week.

Simon Mayo: Raving Tory or just anti-government?

I stopped listening to 5 Live years ago when empty heads like Simon Mayo and Nicky Campbell joined the station. In fact the only decent thing Mayo has ever done is a TV documentary series about allotments which, sadly, was taken off the air after half a dozen episodes. So I was intrigued to read in this week's Radio Times that Mayo is still at the station and still fleecing BBC license payers with his unique brand of mediocre crap chat. But that's not all. In his interview with RT's Benji Wilson the former Radio 1 disc jockey reveals that his favourite internet sites are:

"Coffee House, which is run by the Spectator, and politicalbetting.com, a fantastic site about politics."

Would that be political betting by any chance?

Uppity Generals should be seen and not heard

Richard North, editor of the excellent Defence of the Realm Blog explains why "uppity Generals" should be seen and not heard.

"...the generals must be put back in their boxes. The politicians must reclaim their lost ground and take charge of the military. Counter-insurgencies are not "wars" and their direction should not be militarily-led. They are essentially an exercise in practical politics. The political lead must be re-asserted."

Richard's post, Reclaiming the Ground, is a must read.

Update: Chris Grayling told the BBC he "would have liked to give Gen Dannatt a more enthusiastic welcome," after calling the general's appointment a "gimmick".

'The senior Tory had been asked by the BBC about a plan to offer the former head of the Army a defence role. But, apparently thinking it was a Labour appointment, he said: "I hope that this isn't a political gimmick."

Sky's Jon Craig has more:

'Here's what he said in his interview: "I admire the work of General Dannatt and other serioues generals who have done so much in Afghanistan and done so much to lead."

So far, so good.

But then came this howler: "I hope this is not a political gimmick."

Whoops!

"We have seen too many appointments in this Government of external people where it's all been about Gordon Brown's PR," he continued.

Stop, Chris! Stop!

But there was more: "General Dannatt is an experienced figure and should rightly be working alongside government. I'm always suspicious of Government's motives when it does things like this."

A stonking, spectacular 24-carat gaffe!'

Related: 'Tory coup plotting' Generals forced to apologise

Jeremy Hunt: Who he?

Here's Emily Maitlis interviewing shadow culture secretary Jeremy Hunt on the BBC News Channel earlier today:

Maitlis: "When you give your speech will you be outlining the proposed cuts in your departmental budget?"

Hunt: "I've already given my speech."

And he had. About 90 minutes earlier.

John Hutton in the frame to call on Brown to go

He's one of the few Blairites respected by both wings of the Labour Party and to his credit he's remained silent since leaving the cabinet in June. However, there are suggestions that things could be about to change. A good week for the Tories in Manchester will almost certainly lead to renewed calls for Brown to step down. Will it be Hutton wot done it? We'll know soon enough.

Old red eyes is back: Has Cameron been jogging again?

Mike Smithson and many others noticed the Tory leader's below par performance with Andrew Marr this morning. So was it simply a case of one too many the night before or had the Tory leader been out for one of his early morning jogs? According to some reports Cameron nearly passed out last year when he pulled the same stunt. Let's just hope it's nothing more serious than a hangover.

Highlight of the interview was Cameron's comment to Marr that he could "set his answer to music if you like" after Marr insisted on asking the same question several times and each time received the same answer. Priceless.

Has Cameron left it too late for a reshuffle?

Judging by Labour's parlous state in the polls the Tory leader is more likely to be indulging in a hot shoe shuffle than a reshuffle. But I can't help thinking that Cameron has left it way too late to move Osborne to the Foreign Office brief, Hague to the Treasury, Fox to the Home Office, and Willetts to Health.

The writing is on the wall if they join the cabinet in their present roles

Osborne will fail. Nice guy, but completely out of his depth. Fox, a dreadful media performer at the best of times, will also fail as he faces intense scrutiny from the media over proposed Tory defence cuts and his suggestion that an extra 2500 British soldiers should be sent to Afghanistan.

Hague as Foreign Secretary will almost certainly get bored within 6 months, at which point the cracks will start to show in his fragile relationship with Cameron. And if David Willetts remains at Universities and Skills his talents will continue to be wasted.

If there is to be a reshuffle my money is on January.

Cameron set to dodge drugs question

It's no surprise to find the Tory leader expressing his support for Gordon Brown over Andrew Marr's line of questioning last Sunday. Cameron told LBC's Nick Ferrari:

"Look, I think journalists should feel free to ask any question they like and I think politicians should feel free to say, 'Look, do you know what, I'm not going to answer that one'."

I don't blame him. Can you imagine it?

MARR "Have you ever taken Cocaine, Mr Cameron?"

DC "Look, do you know what, I'm not going to answer that one."

MARR "Have you ever taken ecstasy, Mr Cameron?"

DC "Look, do you know what, I'm not going to answer that one."

MARR "Remember that bong you bought in Morocco, is it still in the loft?"

DC "Look, do you know what....."

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Dave needs to come clean with the voters. After all, it didn't harm the electoral chances of the President of the USA. Here's an extract from Bernard Schoenburgan's interview with Barack Obama back in 2003.

"Obama, 42, told me recently he had tried marijuana in high school and hasn't consumed any illegal drugs in 20 years. When I asked if there was anything beyond marijuana in his past, Obama said, "That'll suffice." But the book includes a passage in which Obama discusses how he dealt with questions from his mother when he was 17 and a senior in high school. The context of the book also makes clear that he was trying to deal with the problems his race presented.

"I had learned not to care," he wrote. "I blew a few smoke rings, remembering those years. Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though...." "Blow" is a street name for cocaine. "Smack" is slang for heroin.

Boulton scuppers Sky's chances of hosting leaders debate

The good news is Adam's reflux problem appears to be diminishing. The bad news is the portly presenter has blown Sky's chances of hosting the leaders debates after his ill-mannered and unprofessional exchange with Gordon Brown this morning. Senior Labour figures are now said to be in discussion with the BBC over the format and timings for the debates.

James Landale, the BBC's Old-Etonian Deputy Political Editor is being tipped as his replacement when Boulton is given the chop after the next election.

Murdoch gambles to halt falling sales

If the Sun had any real clout it would have declared its support for the Tories a few weeks before the election. Their declaration today is nothing more than a marketing gimmick designed to halt falling sales. It could have the opposite effect bearing in mind the recent MPs expenses scandal and the plague on all your houses atmosphere. This time round they should have remained neutral.

BBC could host Brown and Cameron election debates

Which would leave Sky out in the cold and Adam Boulton looking forward to his new role as political editor of the Sunday Mercury. Only question is, who should chair the debate - Paxman, Dimbleby, Marr, or Lord Ashcroft?

Tory grassroots set to launch rival to Conservative Home?

It could happen. Probably will happen. But is it necessary? Will the takeover of Conservative Home by Lord Ashcroft stifle Tory debate or strengthen it?

I can't see Lord Mikey taking kindly to Tory defence cuts when they're announced. He takes defence issues rather more seriously than career politicians like Cameron and Liam Fox will ever do. Nor will the founder of Crimestoppers take kindly to what I suspect will be Cameron's touchy feely approach to yobbery and thuggery. And where does he stand on the environment?

My guess is, Lord Mikey's takeover of Conservative Home will strengthen the site. It will also pose a real dilemma for Cameron and his inner circle. Do they ditch Ashcroft the day after they've won the election or wait until the following Monday?

As for the many Tory supporting journalists, speechwriters and policy wonks who could quite easily duplicate Conservative Home's success on the back of what to some will appear to be a watering down of the site's independence, I suspect they've only got one thing on their minds - a share of £1.3 million.

The game's up for Brown

Even his staunchest supporters are turning against him. The Guardian's Michael White sticks the boot in.

Tom Harris tops poll of Labour MPs most likely to defect

With an impressive 57 percent of the vote 'Tory Tom' has topped the Daily Pundit poll of Labour MPs most likely to defect to the Tories before the next election. The disgruntled former minister even managed to beat the disgruntled former cabinet minister, James Purnell, who came second with 22 percent. Astonishingly, Frank Field scored just 8 percent. Also rans included Kate Hoey, Eric Joyce, Meg Munn and Andrew Mackinlay.

A big thank you to all those who voted.

Will the Tories pile them high and sell them cheap?

Schools? Hospitals? Everything must go?

Top Tory Twats pledge to carry on tweeting

"I'm proud to be a twat," said one senior Tory backbencher after being told of David Cameron's vulgar outburst during an informal radio interview yesterday. But it seems that Cameron's backbenchers aren't the problem. A White House source is reported to have said that Barack Obama was shocked by the Tory leader's remarks.

One question remains: Was it the copious amounts of fine wine drunk the night before that resulted in Cameron dropping his guard during the interview? Or was it something more sinister?

Cameron set to appoint minister for UFOs and Asteroids

Say what you like about the Tory leader, he isn't as daft as he looks. With 72 percent of the population believing in the existence of aliens, and 59 percent of the population believing that a giant asteroid will hit and destroy Earth within the next 50 years - an event that experts say is only likely to happen once every 1.5 billion years - a minister for UFOs and Asteroids is a definite vote winner.

My money is on Michael Gove. Only SuperTwerp can save the planet!

Calls for Nick Clegg to stand down after "dire" by-election result

Pond life. The man's a gonner. And a waster. Get this, UKIP were a mere 745 votes from knocking the Libs into 4th place. UKIP! Bye bye Clogg. You won't be missed.

PS. Word reaches me that the Tories could face an investigation over campaign spending.

Is Red Bull to blame for Cameron's Red Mist?

(Red Bull the sugary drink, not Labour's new policy announcements).

Dave's alleged habit - 6 cans a day according to one source - could explain his increasing number of angry outbursts. There have also been suggestions that he's back on the nicotine patches. I've blogged about Dave's anger management issues before. This time, however, it's serious. The MSM is on the case.


Related: Has David Cameron looked into Paul McKenna's eyes?

Tory backbenchers will have Prime Minister Cameron for breakfast

They're running rings around him already. Laughing at him behind his back. The number of influential Tory backbenchers who have effectively told Cameron to shove it when it comes to paying back expenses is growing by the day. And they're not alone. The majority of Cameron's shadow cabinet have now told the Tory leader where to go on the issue of outside interests.

Dave ordered his top team to give up their numerous highly paid jobs outside Westminster in November of last year. One or two were happy to oblige. The rest told Cameron to swivel. His authority was further undermined yesterday when the shadow cabinet rebels informed him that they intend to retain their outside interests until "just before the general election."

They didn't say which general election.

The Tory leader has got one-term wonder written all over him. If the electorate don't give Prime Minister Cameron the boot after one term you can be damn sure the ill-disciplined rabble behind and alongside him will. They sense weakness. They smell fear.

It can only be a matter of time before they go in for the kill.

Expenses investigations: Is Mervyn King next?

Just a thought.

MPs expenses: Cameron accused of establishment stitch-up over star chamber

It's official. According to ConHome, a letter complaining about Team Cameron's power has been circulated to all Tory MPs. But if you don't believe the authenticity of the letter here's a few examples of how Cameron's establishment star chamber works.

The shadow Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, a close personal friend of the Tory leader has been found not to have told the truth about letting his agent stay rent-free in his taxpayer-funded country home. Action taken by Cameron and his secretive star chamber: None.

The shadow Cabinet Office minister, Francis Maude, a close personal friend of the Tory leader claimed almost £35,000 over two years for a mortgage on a London flat a few minutes walk from a house he already owned and then rented out. Action taken by Cameron and his secretive star chamber: None.

The shadow Education Secretary, Michael Gove, a close personal friend of the Tory leader spent more than £7,000 in five months furnishing a London property in 2006 before "flipping" his second home designation to a new property he bought in Surrey. He then apparently claimed more than £13,000 in stamp duty and other fees from his Parliamentary expenses for this property. Action taken by Cameron and his secretive star chamber: None.

The shadow environment secretary, Nick Herbert, a close personal friend of the Tory leader, claimed back £10,000 of the £14,700 stamp duty when he bought a home with his partner in his constituency. He also charged for fees and a survey of the property in Arundel, West Sussex, and claimed for the entire monthly mortgage interest even though his partner's name was on the deeds. Action taken by Cameron and his secretive star chamber: None.

The shadow health secretary, Andrew Lansley, a former close personal friend of the Tory leader, spent thousands of pounds renovating a thatched Tudor country cottage - and sold it shortly afterwards. He redecorated with premium paint in some rooms at a cost of £2,000 and spent more than £500 having the driveway re-shingled. He is then said to have 'flipped' his expenses to a Georgian flat in London, and claimed for thousands of pounds in furnishings, including a Laura Ashley sofa. Action taken by Cameron and his secretive star chamber: None.

However, following Lansley's recent gaffe over Tory cuts, a member of Cameron's inner circle has reportedly warned Lansley that his expenses claims could be re-investigated at any moment between now and the general election.

Prescott tells Miliband to wind his neck in

If David Miliband is the future of the Labour Party the Labour Party doesn't have a future. Think William Hague in a baseball cap. Then double it. Here's what John Prescott has to say about the ongoing plot against Brown:

"We've had the most disastrous results affected by the recession, allowances scandals and minsiterial resignations, including Cabinet members walking out the day before the election and as soon as the polls closed. All for maximum publicity. Then came the PLP debate where Charles Clarke's demand for GB to go were overwhelmingly rejected. Instead we all backed calls for unity and getting on with Government.

So imagine my surprise when I was walking through Portcullis House in the House of Commons on Thursday and stumbled upon a meeting held by Charles Clarke, John Reid, Alan Milburn and a few others, huddled together in intense discussion. I went over and offered to be the secretary for their little club. With nervous laughter, my offer was turned down. I later saw David Miliband and Milburn in a similar intense discussion. My suspicions were now heightened."

And so they should be. The plotters won't rest until Brown has gone. Which is likely to be towards the end of the year as predicted by Paul Linford.

And after Brown has gone? That's when the real fun starts - the plot to destroy Miliband, Purnell, Clarke, Milburn, Byers and Burnham.

Labour deserves 19 years in opposition if this sentence is allowed to stand

A minimum of 19 years. I'm speechless. What's it going to take until life means life?

Here's the victim impact statement read to the court by Ben Kinsella's mother, Deborah Kinsella.

"I make this statement and the feelings and emotions are felt by all my family but no amount of words could ever express the daily pain we feel for the loss of Ben. On 29 June 2008 our beautiful son Ben was brutally and savagely stabbed to death. We as his family have been left devastated and in total despair.

Our whole world has been totally turned upside down. Ben went for a good night out and never came home again.

Ben had only just finished school - a straight-A student, he had a job and had got his place in college (he never learnt of the wonderful exam results he had achieved and worked so very hard for).

Ben loved life, he loved living and he had so much to live for. He knew where he was going and where he wanted to be.

Ben loved nothing more than to make people laugh, he was a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky boy with a heart of gold and would do anything for anyone. A testimony of this was his funeral that was attended by so many friends who filled the church and pavements outside.

Ben loved art and wanted to be a graphic designer, he loved his family, cooking, football, music and girls.

The people who murdered him knew nothing about our Ben, not a hair on his head, a bone in his body, not anything about our wonderful son. They had never met him before or spoken to him - they just cruelly took his life away with knives for no apparent reason.

We had brought Ben up to always walk away from trouble. This sadly cost him his life. He walked away to get safely home and they took advantage of that - he was one boy on his own. It seems unfair their intent was to stab someone that night.

'Boy thing'

We were a big, happy, loving family (we are one down, one missing). We are hard-working and just wanted the best for all our children in life. There are now just three of us at home.

We have had to move house because it broke our hearts to not see Ben in his bedroom curled up sleeping and safe in his bed. We so miss Ben's love and laughter and most of all the boy thing in our family.

Ben was our precious son that we cherished and were so immensely proud of, and by the way we had brought him up.

He had values and respected everyone he met. We as a family will never know the man he would have become, the wife he would have met and the children he would have had.
This has all now been taken away from siblings, his grandmothers, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends and us.
No parent or sibling should ever have to go through or see what we have seen with our son. He died in front of us, we then had to visit him in a morgue, the undertakers and finally to bury him.

We can now only visit Ben at a cemetery, our beautiful son who so loved life.

We cry every day for the loss of Ben, we do not sleep like we did before. Nearly a year on our nights are still filled with nightmares, of our son's last moments and what he went through that fatal night.

Our lives will never be the same - we have all been so deeply affected.

We as a family will never get over the loss of our Ben. We are just trying to get through it. Our family now face a lifetime of feeling this way.

Nothing we can say or do will ever bring Ben back. All we can hope and pray for is that justice will prevail, maybe then we can find some form of closure to this awful event that has devastated our family's lives."

From rocking the boat to walking the plank

Now that Labour activists have joined the voters of Salford in calling for Hazel Blears to stand down it seems the former Communities Secretary is left with only one option - GROVEL.

Sadly, it's too little, too late. Salford deserves better.

Brown will deal with 'unfinished business' then step down in October

Or possibly November. But keep it to yourself. It's a secret.

Expenses scandal: Has Cameron shelved his 'Star Chamber'?

It's all gone quiet over there. Oh, it's all gone quiet, all gone quiet, all gone quiet over there.

Shahid Malik's back

...is, I'm led to believe, much better.

Labour rebels fear 4 year expenses audit

They're hoping that by forcing Brown out now, triggering a general election, their thieving ways won't be discovered until after an election. What a shower.

The rise and rise of.... Adam Boulton's lunch

I don't want to keep banging on about this but Sky's world-weary political editor MUST seek medical advice over his ongoing reflux problem. Following consultations with medical professionals and media experts I'm now calling on Adam Boulton to see his GP immediately.

Indigestion threatens Adam Boulton's career

If he can't get through a live broadcast without looking like he's about to spew up a chocolate eclair then I suspect it's curtains for the portly presenter. He's on again this morning and he's making me feel very uncomfortable. I'm expecting a lemon meringue to make an appearance every time he opens his mouth.

Hazel's "outstanding contribution": 13 grand

She jumped before she was pushed. The question is will she jump before her constituents give her the push. Salford deserves better.

Hazel Blears claimed for three properties in a single year at taxpayers' expense

Going up: Liam Byrne. Coming back: John Reid?

Going down: Gordon Brown? Your guess is as good as mine. But Steve Richards is telling his readers to expect 'the most exciting and unpredictable few days in British politics for years.'

Jacqui Smith: A tawdry affair

She should have gone weeks ago. If not months ago.