This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23166053
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Ed Miliband PMQs briefing notes left in Commons toilets | Ed Miliband PMQs briefing notes left in Commons toilets |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ed Miliband's briefing notes for Prime Minister's Questions - revealing his planned lines of attack against David Cameron - have been revealed. | Ed Miliband's briefing notes for Prime Minister's Questions - revealing his planned lines of attack against David Cameron - have been revealed. |
| The notes are understood to have been accidentally left in a House of Commons toilet by a junior aide. | The notes are understood to have been accidentally left in a House of Commons toilet by a junior aide. |
| They suggest the Labour leader was braced for attacks on Labour's relationship with the unions. | They suggest the Labour leader was braced for attacks on Labour's relationship with the unions. |
| A row about the alleged influence of the Unite union on candidate selection dominated this week's session. | A row about the alleged influence of the Unite union on candidate selection dominated this week's session. |
| Labour sources have accepted the notes - left near the division lobby in the House of Commons - are genuine. It is understood they were left in the toilet by Jonathan Reynolds, who is Mr Miliband's parliamentary private secretary. | |
| 'Working for me' | 'Working for me' |
| The notes include pre-prepared lines on Tom Watson, campaign organiser for the Labour party, one of whose assistants was a candidate in a controversial candidate selection process in Falkirk. | The notes include pre-prepared lines on Tom Watson, campaign organiser for the Labour party, one of whose assistants was a candidate in a controversial candidate selection process in Falkirk. |
| The notes, which cover two and half sides of A4 paper, are divided into different headings. | The notes, which cover two and half sides of A4 paper, are divided into different headings. |
| They include the lines: "I'll take Tom Watson over Andy Coulson any day and I'd far rather have Tom Watson working for me who led the campaign on the phone hacking scandal than have brought Andy Coulson into the heart of Downing Street." | They include the lines: "I'll take Tom Watson over Andy Coulson any day and I'd far rather have Tom Watson working for me who led the campaign on the phone hacking scandal than have brought Andy Coulson into the heart of Downing Street." |
| Mr Miliband went on to raise Mr Coulson, the PM's former director of communications who is facing charges of phone hacking and bribing public officials during his former career as a journalist, in Wednesday's clash. | Mr Miliband went on to raise Mr Coulson, the PM's former director of communications who is facing charges of phone hacking and bribing public officials during his former career as a journalist, in Wednesday's clash. |
| But he did not mention Mr Watson - a former close ally of Gordon Brown who is Labour's deputy chairman - and also omitted the line in the notes saying the party was "taking action" over the Falkirk affair. | But he did not mention Mr Watson - a former close ally of Gordon Brown who is Labour's deputy chairman - and also omitted the line in the notes saying the party was "taking action" over the Falkirk affair. |
| Unite, the UK's largest union, is at the centre of a row over the selection of a new Labour candidate to fight the next election in the Scottish constituency. | Unite, the UK's largest union, is at the centre of a row over the selection of a new Labour candidate to fight the next election in the Scottish constituency. |
| Labour's National Executive Committee has taken control of the process from the local party after allegations of interference by Unite and as yet unpublished Labour report has found evidence of unions packing local membership lists. | Labour's National Executive Committee has taken control of the process from the local party after allegations of interference by Unite and as yet unpublished Labour report has found evidence of unions packing local membership lists. |
| Labour insist Mr Miliband has moved swiftly and decisively to order an inquiry into Falkirk within hours of allegations being raised, but senior figures have called for the report into the affair to be published and warned it risks damaging the party. | Labour insist Mr Miliband has moved swiftly and decisively to order an inquiry into Falkirk within hours of allegations being raised, but senior figures have called for the report into the affair to be published and warned it risks damaging the party. |
| 'Union script' | 'Union script' |
| Mr Cameron seized on the issue at the weekly session of PM's questions, challenging Mr Miliband on his links with the trade unions and claiming "we have a situation in this country where we have got one of our political parties where it has become apparent votes are being bought, people are being signed up without consent". | Mr Cameron seized on the issue at the weekly session of PM's questions, challenging Mr Miliband on his links with the trade unions and claiming "we have a situation in this country where we have got one of our political parties where it has become apparent votes are being bought, people are being signed up without consent". |
| Mr Cameron said Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey, who backed Ed Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership contest, "wrote the questions" for the opposition leader and dictated policy on issues like education and health. | Mr Cameron said Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey, who backed Ed Miliband in the 2010 Labour leadership contest, "wrote the questions" for the opposition leader and dictated policy on issues like education and health. |
| "He is taking his script from the trade unions, who don't like choice, don't like new schools, don't like free schools," he said. | "He is taking his script from the trade unions, who don't like choice, don't like new schools, don't like free schools," he said. |
| "They want to control everything. What we know is that one organisation they have got control of. We see it in black and white - they have taken control of the Labour Party." | "They want to control everything. What we know is that one organisation they have got control of. We see it in black and white - they have taken control of the Labour Party." |
| In response, Mr Miliband said he was happy to debate the issue of ethics, claiming Mr Cameron had had "dinners for donors in Downing Street, given a tax cut to his Christmas card list and brought Andy Coulson into the heart of Downing Street". | In response, Mr Miliband said he was happy to debate the issue of ethics, claiming Mr Cameron had had "dinners for donors in Downing Street, given a tax cut to his Christmas card list and brought Andy Coulson into the heart of Downing Street". |
| "The idea that he is lecturing us on ethics takes double standards to a whole new level." | "The idea that he is lecturing us on ethics takes double standards to a whole new level." |
| 'In contempt' | 'In contempt' |
| Unite has threatened legal action against Labour, saying it has been a victim of a "smear campaign" and an attempt by the party to impose a candidate from Westminster. | Unite has threatened legal action against Labour, saying it has been a victim of a "smear campaign" and an attempt by the party to impose a candidate from Westminster. |
| Mr McCluskey, who was elected to a second term as Unite leader earlier this year, said Mr Cameron appeared to have an "obsession" with him but had "nothing to say" on the real issues facing people. | Mr McCluskey, who was elected to a second term as Unite leader earlier this year, said Mr Cameron appeared to have an "obsession" with him but had "nothing to say" on the real issues facing people. |
| "He also reminded the millions of trade unionists in this country that they are not welcome in the Conservative party, and indeed that they hold trade union members in contempt." | "He also reminded the millions of trade unionists in this country that they are not welcome in the Conservative party, and indeed that they hold trade union members in contempt." |
| He added: "There can be absolutely no question about who runs the Labour Party. It is Ed Miliband and he has my full support. | He added: "There can be absolutely no question about who runs the Labour Party. It is Ed Miliband and he has my full support. |
| "Yes, there may be issues we disagree on -that is allowed in a democratic party - but Unite is fully behind Ed Miliband." | "Yes, there may be issues we disagree on -that is allowed in a democratic party - but Unite is fully behind Ed Miliband." |
| Labour sources have said the party intends to go ahead with the selection of a candidate before the end of the summer and a wider review of membership procedures is expected to report within a matter of weeks. | Labour sources have said the party intends to go ahead with the selection of a candidate before the end of the summer and a wider review of membership procedures is expected to report within a matter of weeks. |