Snapped outside Portcullis House this afternoon…

See also: In The Thick Of It Loop

Pic via @AL1CEPERRY

Via: Guardian Datablog

On the day that Sacha Baron Cohen’s The Dictator comes out, Raheem Kassam has given the Stagger’s Mehdi Hasan the trailer treatment:

A Friday afternoon treat…

Still a long way to go yet, but a sliver of good Pilgrim news in today’s Times Education Supplement:

“Despite widespread austerity cuts, local authorities still spend millions of pounds subsidising the education unions – but some cash-strapped councils are reducing their funding by as much as 50 per cent, it can be revealed. New research by TES has revealed that local authorities spent more than £8.5 million on facility time for the education unions in 2011-12. But many of the 90 local authorities who responded, out of a total of 152, revealed significant cuts to their facility time budgets.

Rotherham has, for example, cut its funding by almost half, from £112,000 in 2010-11 to £57,000 the following year. Oldham Council cut its facility time budget by £23,000 in the same period, amounting to a 29 per cent reduction. Other authorities reporting considerable cuts included Buckinghamshire (15 per cent), Hertfordshire (14 per cent) and Bolton (13 per cent).”

Where is our promised consultation please Mr Maude?

City Hall have confirmed that Sam Lyons has taken over from Guto Harri as interim chief-of-spin for Boris. Speculation that Guto Harri was off to spin for News International looks set to be proven correct at any moment.  Unofficial News International sources say he has signed and is starting on Monday. Guido has spoke to NI officially, who did not handle it too brilliantly:

GF: Can you confirm that Guto is joining you on Monday?
NI: I can’t really say anything about that. But can I put you on the list for it?
GF: What list? So there is an announcement coming?
NI: Errr, I don’t really know to be honest.

You snooze you lose Dave…

Dave’s nanny-statism reaches another high today with his plans to turn the government into an actual nanny:

“…we’re also focussed on making life easier for parents day-to-day, from extending childcare to increasing the number of health visitors. The parenting classes and films we’re launching this week are an important part of that, providing clear, professionally-led advice on everything from teething to tantrums.”

Presumably we can add Dave’s 2008 promise to end “the era of big, bossy, state interference, top-down lever pulling” to the list of u-turns?

Clearly not content with the royalties from his best selling book about the exploitation of the working classes, higher rate taxpayer Owen Jones wants more:

MP-in-waiting @OwenJones84 in the Independent canteen trying to extract more money out of Indy managing editor Sean O'Grady for his column.—
Eye Spy MP (@eyespymp) May 17, 2012

Don’t tell Laurie!

Former FCO Perm Sec Lord Jay, Lords foreign pol debate: it was a mistake for Cameron to refuse to meet Hollande in run-up to French election—
Stewart Wood (@StewartWood) May 17, 2012

Guido is still perplexed to why Labour have got it into their heads that this Cameron not meeting Hollande line is so effective. Sarkozy was the head of state and Hollande was visiting the UK as a mere candidate out field of many others.

Dripping wet Hollande is not politically aligned to Cameron either. Should the PM have met Marine Le Pen, Stewart?

Ian “it undermined what it means to be British” Austin has, thus far, declined to comment…