Bits and Bobs

Iain Dale reports on his blog (see Links) that according to an article in the Spectator (which is not on Politaholic's subscription list) the permatan Peter Hain may be ready to "betray" Blair. It seems the BBC have picked up the story; probably from Dale (without acknowledgement). Apparently Hain exected to be promoted at the last reshuffle. Blair promised he would get his chance "next time". Hain replied: "There won't be a next time under you".
It looks as if Blair is under pressure to "name a day" at the autumn conference. If he doesn't there will be a challenge. On Thursday's Daily Politics Michael Meacher said that "when the time comes" there should be an election, and there should be a "candidate of the centre-left". He fell just short of announcing his own candidature.
The vile born-again Jonahan Aitken and the fruitcake Freddy Forsyth are on Any Questions on Radio 4. They actually make a good point: both Labour and the Conservatives are having trouble imposing candidates appproved by the London leadership on local constituences (and if, instead of "Three-Jobs-Bob", a "mincing metrosexual" had been imposed on Bromley and Chislehurst, then the Tories would have lost the seat).