Follow More Money

The Prime Minister says the buck stops with him. Indeed. That's what we're all worried about. Astonishing that he would admit it so blantantly.

I particularly enjoyed the spin they're putting on this. I think that's because it's doomed to failure. "It's important to recognise that it is the Labour Party who is taking this forward. We are the ones who are driving the reforms of these outdated practices..." That's the sort of thing I've heard on the radio today.

It's almost as if they're trying to pretend that this attempt to reform the patronage system was a spontaneous effort. In reality, we all know that this is Blair's attempt to get himself off the hook after yet more embarrassing revelations about the rewards packages on offer to suppliers of money to the Labour Party . And we all know that it was Blair's flagrant abuse of his powers of patronage which has made this a problem.

Remember what the Labour Party spokesman said when the loans for the Lords story first broke? He said:

The issue here, regarding the loans that they have made, is whether the strict rules set by the Electoral Commission regarding the declaration of loans that have been made at a commercial rate, have been fully observed. They have.

The spokesman proudly proclaimed that the "strict rules... have been fully observed". All totally above board. But what are those "strict rules"? Loans at "commercial rates" do not have to be declared. Full stop. Not very strict then really, is it? More sort of not strict at all. Strictly speaking.

Tony's efforts today are too little too late. We all know that money buys influence under Blair. The first five pages of the BBC's Have Your Say recommended comments contain not one positive note about Blair's government. I particularly liked Alan from Towcester's contribution.

It can't be possible for anyone with a rudementary brain in this country to believe a single word Tony Blair says. Huge loans are directly followed by nominations for peerages and there is no connection. Give me a break. If it's big, grey, stinks, has a trunk and takes dumps that you need to treat like a roundabout then it's an elephant. A New Labour Elephant!

Bravo. Not sure if elephants stink as such but that's neither here nor there really.

There's definitely a bad smell around here somewhere though.

Tags: News, Politics, Money