Snippets and gleanings - "a shower of shit"*

What are the odds on that?
From Partygate to Fluttergate. Yes, shock horror, hold the front page! Tory insiders in Downing Street are seemingly at it again. Not partying while folk die in droves on this occasion but placing bets on the basis of privileged information while their boss, the self-proclaimed champion of standards in public office, is fighting a crucial election campaign. Not a good look I think you'll agree. Specifically, some of his inner circle have (allegedly) been beating a path to William Hill (other gambling outlets are available) to wager on a July election. Sunak says he's "incredibly angry", although whether at the substance of the allegations or their public revelation is unclear. "Integrity, professionalism and accountability"? I wouldn't bet on it.

What he meant to say was...
Much hilarity this morning watching James (not so) Cleverly, trying to brush aside an aide's unguarded comment on the Rwanda deportation scheme. James Sunderland was secretly recorded (who said there's no such thing as friends in politics?) describing it to a private audience as "crap". In the midst of a disaster-prone election campaign for the Tories this has unsurprisingly gained traction. No doubt Labour is having problems of its own but, frankly, no one much cares; it's the ruling party's self-inflicted woes gaining all the attention. First, Drowning Street, then the Retreat from Normandy, then Fluttergate and now Crapgate - Sunak's campaign is not going well. And Cleverly's own take on the Rwanda policy? Well, he previously referred to it as "batshit". Admirably succinct, Home Secretary.

What a tangled web we weave
And hot on the heels of Crapgate comes Webgate. It has just been revealed that more than 120 Conservative MPs, including Jeremy Hunt, Liz Truss, Sajid Javid and Gillian Keegan, paid over £100,000 of public money to the Conservatives’ in-house web design service, Bluetree. This is against the rules and the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) has been alerted. For its part, Ipsa has said if it found any evidence that its rules had been broken it would work with the MP to "make amendments or repay expenses". And there were we thinking MPs' expenses was yesterday's scandal.

Stamp it out
Meanwhile, north of the border, John Swinney, Scotland's First Minister and leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) has been facing questions about the use of parliamentary postage stamps to send out SNP election material. This is not allowed and the defence that it was an innocent error was not helped by a party insider's reference to "the stamp fairy". While it may not rate highly against the SNP's as-yet unresolved £100,000 'Fife camperhome saga' it could still prove a sticky moment.

*Not my words, James Cracknell, standing to be a Conservative MP, posted on Facebook. Who am I to argue?

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