Women working in the palace precincts are beating their breasts at the imminent loss of two of the Village’s most eligible bachelors.

Ian, Manager of the Sports & Social Club has just got engaged to Sallie from Hansard and Claire Ward’s Researcher, Steve Benveniste marries fiancée Gill on 6th November.

Don’t forget to congratulate Steve and Ian when you see them - Oh and don’t mention to Ian anything about the “Turkish Chop” haircut he got on holiday. He’s trying to grow it out quickly.

…meanwhile, Recess Monkey is feeling decidedly on the shelf…

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

Thanks to a Monkey Mole, we now have full details of the Comic Relief event, “Make Poverty History” which Ms Schiffer will be attending. Evidently, other guests include Richard Curtis, Emma Freud, Lenny Henry, Davina McCall, June Sarpong and Kirsty Young and will take place at the Strangers Dining Room, Tuesday 9th, 4 - 5:30.

RSVPs go to Jane j.backlog@comicrelief.org.uk

My mole says, “I think they are being a bit arsey about hangers on turning up - but where there’s a will there’s a way!”

More than ever guys and girls - we want pictures!

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

Yesterday, MP David Taylor asked Charles Clarke the following question.

David Taylor (North-West Leicestershire) (Lab/Co-op): Does the Secretary of State agree with the 1997 quote from a Labour colleague of ours? He said that the grammar school system

“was a response to the needs of a vanished society which required a small educated class and a large number of manual workers. It is no longer the appropriate model for a world where most jobs require educated men and women.”

At this point, Education Minister and former policy wonk David Miliband was overheard saying to another MP, “I think that was me”.

Given that the Member in question was my right hon. Friend the Member for Sedgefield (Mr. Blair), when is the Secretary of State going to do something about this dodo in the educational aviary?

David again turned to his colleague and said, “It was me!”.

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

http://www.thebobs.de/bob.php?site=allsuggestions_log&tsrid=432

Only three days left to nominate Recess Monkey for this unknown award.

Please?!

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

The new automated Parliamentary Spam Manager has generally been received quite well. Not too much proper mail is being classed as spam and not too much spam is getting through to inboxes.

It’s quite interesting though that the software seems to think press releases from the Israeli Embassy aren’t worth reading!

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

Rumour has it that Claudia Schiffer will be in the Palace of Westminster on 5th November for a Comic Relief event. I have no further details, but a deep interest in the work of this worthy organisation - so if you know more, please send me details.

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

Last night MPs voted for a range of measures including the right to refer to members of the public as… members of the public. However, after MPs had modernised their arrangements in the face of much swivel-eyed chin wobbling from the old guard, a Parliamentary Works Directorate employee had to be despatched to Portcullis House to chase out a fox that was drinking from the water features.

There was some debate amongst security staff about which MP had encouraged the fox to stroll into Portcullis House in the first place.

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

It appears that a number of staff are going to the US to help Democrats or Republicans un the Presidential Elections. Please send me your stories and pictures.

And if you’re going to Miami, try not to get car-jacked.
And if you’re in Philly, have a cheese steak.
And remember, they don’t like being called “The Colonies”.

(useful things interns tell me)

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3952149.stm

The BBC is running the story above on how documents relating to the sinking of the Argentinian vessel, the Belgrano during the Falklands War, cannot be made public under the Freedom of Information Act due to provisions within the Health & Safety Act - specifically, that they have been exposed to asbestos.

War crimes campaigners in Argentina will have to wait for the documents to be decontaminated before they are able to use them as evidence for Margaret Thatcher’s extradition. Of course, the Tories have been hinting heavily at repealing the Health & Safety Act as part of their deregulation drive. Perhaps if the Tories win the next General Election, their first act will be to send Maggie to South America to face Argentinian justice.

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com

http://www.ukindependence.org/

Check this out before the lawyers force it off t’interweb. Thanks to Anthony Wells for the tip off. http://anthonywells.typepad.com/anthony_wells/

Recess Monkey
recessmonkey@gmail.com