No 10's Garden Room Girls

The Garden Room Girls are an elite band of secretaries that work for the prime minster. The BBC have interviewed some of them, Ann Finchett recalls:

Her clearest memories are of working for Winston Churchill, who would often dictate while he lay in bed. "He had a budgerigar which used to fly about his bedroom," remembers Ann. The bird would land in her lap and start nibbling the edges of the paper. "I often wondered what ministers made of the letters they used to get with bits taken out of them."

That's wonderful, I love those sort of details in history, it seems less distant and remote.

For those interested the documentary will be on BBC radio 4.

John Major Interview - Government Machine

John Major made some good points in an interview with Andrew Marr, one point he made was that this is a real opportunity to address the states expansion (4:20). I like the idea of using this political atmosphere to cut the expense and power of the government machine, though obliviously it will take more than just that to address national debt. Quite where the line is drawn I'd like to see start being debated, instead of the rubbish that currently is, it's becoming like a time warp. Brown really doesn't present himself to be the future of Britain with this silly "cuts vs investment" rhetorical, more that he represents the past. Let alone that it really says something when John Major seems more radical than Gordon Brown.

This could be an interesting new narrative, as I doubt there are many people who are content with the current level of "nanny government", the Tories and Lib Dems could really gain from taking this line, as Labour are the cause of it. How do they defend that? It's for our own good because we can't be trusted to make decision for ourselves.....

Brown to Reconnect With Voters

In the wake of Browns new PR man Simon Lewis, he's launched a campaign to reconnect with voters. He started with a personal interview with the Guardian and now will appear on Songs of Praise. The message seems to be; sensitive and honest Gordon with his Presbyterian conscience to guide him, will lead the way against the Tories 10% cuts.

Yet the problem they're up against is with a lack of leadership, a confused message and few ideas. He has 2 years of being PM that people will draw on instead and what has he become the figure head of? Lost jobs, homes, taxes, debt, corruption and so on. Simon Lewis is a talented PR man but, you can put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig.

Iain Dales's Tony Benn Interview

Iain Dale has uploaded a wonderful interview with Tony Benn, which was part of his election coverage. Other politicians interviewed are referenced on his site.

I love Tony Benn he's such a breathe of fresh air. You can always count on him to tell it like it is. With all the lies and spin by the shovelful lately, it's so nice to hear just honest speaking.