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Diary: a nice bit on the side for Liam Byrne Diary: a nice bit on the side for Liam Byrne
(5 months later)
• After the scuffing he took from colleagues following his decision to side with Iain Duncan Smith in opposing rebates for "exploited" jobseekers, colleagues ask many questions about the shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne. Here's one. How seriously does he take his shadow cabinet job? According to the latest register of MPs' interests, he is moonlighting as a lecturer at the Said Business School in Oxford, which is funded by one the late Lady Thatcher's close admirers. Byrne declares an income of £2,700 from the Oxford University school, founded by Wafic Said, the controversial billionaire who brokered the massive al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Wafic and his family are recent Conservative donors. Byrne is lecturing on a course, run jointly with Malaysia's Razak School of Government, called "Branding Leaders, Branding the Public Service". Quite a few colleagues would have happily branded Liam after the Poundland ruling fiasco but such behaviour is frowned upon as un-parliamentary these days.• After the scuffing he took from colleagues following his decision to side with Iain Duncan Smith in opposing rebates for "exploited" jobseekers, colleagues ask many questions about the shadow work and pensions secretary, Liam Byrne. Here's one. How seriously does he take his shadow cabinet job? According to the latest register of MPs' interests, he is moonlighting as a lecturer at the Said Business School in Oxford, which is funded by one the late Lady Thatcher's close admirers. Byrne declares an income of £2,700 from the Oxford University school, founded by Wafic Said, the controversial billionaire who brokered the massive al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia. Wafic and his family are recent Conservative donors. Byrne is lecturing on a course, run jointly with Malaysia's Razak School of Government, called "Branding Leaders, Branding the Public Service". Quite a few colleagues would have happily branded Liam after the Poundland ruling fiasco but such behaviour is frowned upon as un-parliamentary these days.
• Yes, those coffers don't fill themselves, but luckily Labour, as it waits to take its place in government, is blessed by people with all sorts of commercially valuable experience. Bradford Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe was sports minister in the last government. Now he'll be able to use his ministerial experience with a second job as parliamentary adviser to the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers. According to his register entry, the bookies will pay Gerry £700 a month. As sports minister, Sutcliffe was alive to all the questions of how bookmakers were regulated, their fees to the Gambling Commission and such like. If anyone can help the bookies jump those legislative hurdles, it's Gerry.• Yes, those coffers don't fill themselves, but luckily Labour, as it waits to take its place in government, is blessed by people with all sorts of commercially valuable experience. Bradford Labour MP Gerry Sutcliffe was sports minister in the last government. Now he'll be able to use his ministerial experience with a second job as parliamentary adviser to the Federation of Racecourse Bookmakers. According to his register entry, the bookies will pay Gerry £700 a month. As sports minister, Sutcliffe was alive to all the questions of how bookmakers were regulated, their fees to the Gambling Commission and such like. If anyone can help the bookies jump those legislative hurdles, it's Gerry.
• And after Tony Blair, who had no truck with email, and Gordon who allegedly came to blows with a photocopier; isn't it nice to have a PM who is at home with modern technology. "Beautiful weather here in Downing Street – perfect for celebrating @StGeorgesDay," he tweeted on Tuesday. Had he posted #StGeorgesDay, it might have been. As it was, with "@StGeorgesDay", Dave found himself celebrating/promoting a film about football hooligans turned violent gangsters. Which the filmmakers much appreciated but no one else did. Pretty quickly the tweet disappeared.• And after Tony Blair, who had no truck with email, and Gordon who allegedly came to blows with a photocopier; isn't it nice to have a PM who is at home with modern technology. "Beautiful weather here in Downing Street – perfect for celebrating @StGeorgesDay," he tweeted on Tuesday. Had he posted #StGeorgesDay, it might have been. As it was, with "@StGeorgesDay", Dave found himself celebrating/promoting a film about football hooligans turned violent gangsters. Which the filmmakers much appreciated but no one else did. Pretty quickly the tweet disappeared.
• As did yesterday's invitation from the BBC for Dr Kailash Chand to appear on the Daily Politics to talk about the Lords debate on the NHS. One minute he was due on screen, the next he learned the item had been pulled. It's the first prime minister's questions after a long gap, he was told by the Beeb in response to a disgruntled tweet, and a "lot more interesting stories have surfaced". They should have a care, for already critics accuse the BBC of bowing to pressure and airbrushing the inequities of the NHS changes. And even the lobby thought yesterday's PMQ's quite boring.• As did yesterday's invitation from the BBC for Dr Kailash Chand to appear on the Daily Politics to talk about the Lords debate on the NHS. One minute he was due on screen, the next he learned the item had been pulled. It's the first prime minister's questions after a long gap, he was told by the Beeb in response to a disgruntled tweet, and a "lot more interesting stories have surfaced". They should have a care, for already critics accuse the BBC of bowing to pressure and airbrushing the inequities of the NHS changes. And even the lobby thought yesterday's PMQ's quite boring.
• Scratchy times, so some people really need to look again at the mailing lists they use to get the right people to the right events. "Dear Ian, You are cordially invited to a 'Best of British' champagne brunch at the iconic Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, Knightsbridge, London," says the invite. "Meet the 2013 MINT Polo in the Park tournament teams and join us in celebrating the start of the British Polo season." The recipient, Ian Bone, founder of the anarchist faction Class War, can't decide if he'll go.• Scratchy times, so some people really need to look again at the mailing lists they use to get the right people to the right events. "Dear Ian, You are cordially invited to a 'Best of British' champagne brunch at the iconic Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, Knightsbridge, London," says the invite. "Meet the 2013 MINT Polo in the Park tournament teams and join us in celebrating the start of the British Polo season." The recipient, Ian Bone, founder of the anarchist faction Class War, can't decide if he'll go.
• A last update on charity runner Joe Derrett, who having run the London Marathon on Sunday, got up the next day and completed the course again, travelling this time from end to beginning. He says that finishing the first one was difficult. By Monday he was on flat batteries. But he prevailed; ignoring the many cries of "it finished yesterday mate!", sprinting over a bridge just as it was about to close and refusing to be distracted by the fact that in Tower Hamlets, with the route signs gone, he ran half a mile in the wrong direction. He raised £2,000; enough for a good chiropodist, but instead the money will go to community work in south London. The foot soak, he'll buy himself.• A last update on charity runner Joe Derrett, who having run the London Marathon on Sunday, got up the next day and completed the course again, travelling this time from end to beginning. He says that finishing the first one was difficult. By Monday he was on flat batteries. But he prevailed; ignoring the many cries of "it finished yesterday mate!", sprinting over a bridge just as it was about to close and refusing to be distracted by the fact that in Tower Hamlets, with the route signs gone, he ran half a mile in the wrong direction. He raised £2,000; enough for a good chiropodist, but instead the money will go to community work in south London. The foot soak, he'll buy himself.
Twitter: @hugh_muirTwitter: @hugh_muir
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