The 1832 Blog
From the Palace
of Westminster
News and gossip from our staff inside the Houses of Parliament
Two men scale Commons scaffolding
Wednesday 8th September 2010 at 17:06 - Tony GrewTwo protesters have scrambled up the scaffolding around the clock tower of the Palace of Westminster.
The men, who have some large banners, some reading Troops Home and Peace, appeared at around 5pm.
This security breach will be a deep embarassment to the police, after a series of similar incidents in the last parliament.
Here is the view from ePolitix.com's parliamentary office:
MPs will debate phone hacking
Wednesday 8th September 2010 at 14:02 - Tony GrewMr Speaker has announced that an opposition MP will be allowed to table a motion for debate on the phone hacking scandal.
In a statement to MPs just after PMQs this afternoon, Mr Speaker said that Chris Bryant (Lab, Rhondda), whose phone was targeted by hackers, had written to him.
The Speaker said he decided "it is a matter of precendence under the rules" and the debate will be on the order paper for tomorrow.
Opposition MPs were hoping to grill the prime minister over the hacking - his head of communications Andy Coulson has been implicated but denies wrongdoing.
However, David Cameron was absent from PMQs after his father suffered a stroke.
Widdecombe to take to the Strictly floor
Wednesday 8th September 2010 at 10:28 - Philippa SilvermanThe news we've all been waiting for has finally arrived: It has been confirmed that Ann Widdecombe will compete in the new series of Strictly Come Dancing.
The announcement follows months of speculation since the Daily Mail reported the story in June, when the Tory diehard turned down the role of UK ambassador to the Vatican due to a detached retina.
Fortunately this has not stopped her from taking to the dancefloor.
Ann, 62, had previously turned down the programme maker's offer last year while she was a Member of Parliament.
The former Maidstone and the Weald MP's rivals will include soap and sports stars. However she won't be the oldest – TV magician Paul Daniels has 10 years on her.
Other political types that have appeared in reality shows include George Galloway on Celebrity Big Brother and Brian Paddick who appears on I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!.
The eighth series of Strictly Come Dancing launches this weekend.
Don't forget to skank
Wednesday 8th September 2010 at 08:00 - Tony GrewPortcullis House is home to a new exhibit by art and design students that encourages young people to vote.
It runs all of September - our favourite is this eye-catching t-shirt that instructs people to vote ... and skank.
We assume the skank in question is a form of dancing practiced in the ska, ska punk, hardcore punk, reggae, grime, dub, dubstep and other music scenes, performed by bending forward and extending the hands while bending the knees.
Sounds like something young people do.
It could be one of these definitions:
# skanky - disgusting: highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust; "a disgusting smell"; "distasteful language"; "a loathsome disease"; "the idea of eating meat is repellent to me"; "revolting food"; "a wicked stench"
wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn
# skanky - in the manner of a skank (disreputable woman)
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/skanky
# skanky - is a sixteen-foot monster who punishes contestants that fail to complete the Wallbangers game.
www.nationmaster.com/encyclopedia/MXC
Cameron returns to the Commons
Wednesday 8th September 2010 at 07:58David Cameron is likely to be grilled on the phone hacking row at prime minister's questions this afternoon.
The prime minister makes his first appearance at the despatch box following his summer break as pressure mounts on his communications director Andy Coulson over whether he authorised journalists to hack into people's phones while editor of the News of the World.
Accepting an award for 'politician of the year' from GQ magazine last night, Cameron joked about Coulson, telling the audience: "yes, we are still speaking."
It got worse for Cameron's communications chief yesterday when the home affairs committee launched a fresh inquiry into the allegations.
Another of Cameron's beleaguered inner circle will be in the spotlight today, as foreign secretary William Hague appears before the foreign affairs committee.
Fortunately for Hague he is unlikely to face questions on the rumours about his private life that he believes to have “nailed” by releasing an extraordinary statement denying he is gay.
There are also a couple of key announcements today from the home secretary and the business secretary.
Theresa May will launch an independent review of the UK's controversial extradition laws while Vince Cable will announce curbs to the government's science spending, arguing that "mediocre" projects could be scrapped in order to save money.
The business secretary's announcement is likely to be met with dismay in the science community as representatives of the UK's space industry appear before the science and technology committee.
