The Wardman Wire

Sport

Bernie Ecclestone and Tessa Jowell MP.

Spotted because they both feature in the Telegraph’s digging into Tony Blair’s shenanigans during the million pound donation to the Labour Party by Bernie Ecclestone that “conincidentally” happened at the same time that Formula One, Mr Ecclestone’s sport, was given an exemption from laws banning tobacco sponsorship on the personal instructions of Mr Blair.

Somehow we have got into the list of “Conservative Blogs” at number 25.

It’s nice to have the links as the list is posted in various places, but Just to be clear: we are not Party aligned, and have contributors from all three sides of the great divide.

It is almost five months since I retired George Gallohasbeen from the role on this blog equivalent to the Fool in a Morris Dancing Troup (OK: “side”), who adds to general mirth by simply making an appearance.

I have been looking for a replacement, and I think I have found one in the person of Paul Flynn, MP for Newport West.

Paul has come out with the following:

J.K Rowling has sprinkled some stardust over the Labour’s campaign and a very useful £1million. For once we have got the presentation right. Here is the authentic voice of a struggling single mother who benefited from Labour’s policies. Her gift also highlights the vindictive spiteful moralising of the Tories.

“The former England batsman, Graeme Hick, has announced that he will retire at the end of the summer to take up a coaching post at Malvern College.”

A Century of Centuries:

(click on the title for more)

The Carpet baggers aiming to turn sporting success into party political advantage have started already, and the ex-Sports Minister Richard Caborn MP is first out of the blocks with an article over at Labour Home.

This is annoying - a commenter on Political Betting had the right attitude with a comment that the best way for the Labour Government to benefit from the Olympic success is to keep quiet and bask in the reflected glory.

Instead, Mr Caborn has stuck his oar in, got a lot of things wrong and ended up looking rather silly - as well as being an opportunist out to exploit Olympic success in the course of grubby politics.

The fact that he is posting at Labour Home is interesting - there’s an interesting debate to be had about how the relationships between official parties and grassroots websites will evolve - across all parties.

But for now, a little light rebuttal over afternoon coffee beckons.

At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, a promise was made that demonstrations would be allowed to go ahead without hindrance.

This has not happened, as shown by this report from Channel 4 News.