Mandy to the rescue of an old New Labour friend

Bernie Ecclestone's call for government backing for the British Grand Prix has not fallen on deaf ears. The Digger column in yesterday's Guardian sport section suggests Peter Mandelson has offered to meet Bernie and discuss the issue. In particular Mandy has suggested that regional development agency money might be used to support infrastructure improvements that might be to Bernie's liking.

It is hard to contemplate a cash-strapped Government using taxpayers to support a sport run by a billionaire, even indirectly. Ecclestone has always had a special relationship with New Labour though.

Was Brown hiding?

I know Gordon Brown's campaign is supposed to be about stressing the importance of substance over presentation but this morning was ridiculous. Surely even Brown wants people to actually be able to see him when he speaks but most were struggling today because of some badly placed autocues. See here.
At least they distracted from his hideously stilted speech. Now, whatever happened to that bloke Labour had who could give a decent speech? Oh..........

Blair not the only one looking for a legacy

VFTN apologises for his long absence but is back with news of this pamphlet from David Blunkett and Unison trying to encourage people to put a new context on the New Labour record by encouraging people to remember how terrible life was before 1997.
The "analysis" in this pamphlet involves the collation of a bunch of negative headlines about public services before 1997 and then DB's analysis of how New Labour put them right.
It is hard to know what is more nauseating. The fact that Blunkett is still fighting the battles of a decade ago or that, despite its protestations, New Labour is still more interested in newspaper headlines than what real people actually think.