OK, Britain hasn’t entered the Euro - but it has entered Eurovision. Yesterday in the Members Dining Room, singer James Fox gave a moving rendition of his song, “Hold on to our love” at the invitation of Caerphilly MP Wayne David.

The photos below were taken by a Recess Monkey Mole at the event - If you zoom in on Lembit Opik’s face, you can just see what seems to be a tear of emotion rolling down his cheek.

Recess Monkey

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/04/18/nnazi18.xml

Hmmm - take another look at the Telegraph URL to that article.

Recess Monkey

LibDem blogger http://www.quaequam.blogspot.com/ has rightfully pointed out that Labour also has a Dogging site http://labour.meetup.com/ With only 35 members, it is not even half as popular as the LibDem Dogging site http://libdem.meetup.com/ which was very kindly referred to by LibDemwatch http://www.libdemwatch.co.uk/archives/000141.html and Mark Ramsden http://www.markramsden.blogspot.com/

Evidently, Tories don’t go in for that sort of thing.

Recess Monkey

UPDATE

Apologies from Recess Monkey, there is a Tory Dogging site after all and it is the most popular of the three sites mentioned - with an enormous 520 members. http://conservative.meetup.com/

Recess Monkey

There are people who engage in certain practices that have limited attraction outside their small circle. Sometimes such secretive and furtive activities take place in carparks, public conveniences or even telephone boxes - and I’m not talking about Dogging.

Recess Monkey says to participants - “No longer do you have to go about your lives in fear of being found out. Be proud of who you are. This is the 21st Century after all and society is more open minded than it once was”.

http://libdem.meetup.com is a worldwide networking group for LibDems. However, according to this site, it seems there are only 89 LibDems worldwide. When you search for events in London, the site returns the message, “Not enough Liberal Democrats near London, England can make it, so this month’s Meetup is cancelled. In the meantime, why not try and have an unofficial Meetup? Visit your message boards and make arrangements to meet other Liberal Democrats at your convenience”. Erm, that sounds like it might be Dogging after all.

Recess Monkey

RAPID REBUTTAL

LibDem Blogger Mark Ramsden http://www.markramsden.blogspot.com/ assures Recess Monkey that the LibDem Dogging site http://libdem.meetup.com has only been set up in the last few days, which is why it only has 89 members worldwide. Recess Monkey encourages all LibDems to join immediately so you can meet like-minded people and make friends.

Recess Monkey

The Berkeley Night is a new networking group for gay politicos. Enterprising Staffer, Adrian has set up the group because, “Working as a Researcher in the House of Commons for two years now, I have always regretted that there isn’t some kind of Parliament based gay social event. My gaydar has regularly pinged walking the corridors, but there has been no real way of meeting what you know are other gay guys working in Parliament”.

The first Berkeley Night Event is on 28th April and anyone interested should get in touch with Adrian adrian@theberkeleynight.com or go to the website http://www.theberkeleynight.com for details.

Much like the event, the the site itself looks stylish and exclusive and has earned a link from Recess Monkey. The Monkey asked Adrian, “Is there a sort of gay test just to make sure heteros aren’t coming to accrue gay-chic?”

Adrian said, “I’m going to have my David Beckham look-alike friend on the door- anyone who doesn’t have the prerequisite reaction to him must be straight”. Presumably the reaction test also works on Lesbians.

Recess Monkey is so frustrated at having not been invited to this event that he is seriously considering becoming gay for a night. Do you think the Revd Jeffrey John “Gay but celibate” line will be sufficient?

Recess Monkey

The Serjeant @ Arms Department is today hosting an event where Staffers will be able to check out the shortlist of photocopiers for the next bulk buy.

The event is in Room U, Portcullis House ad runs from 9am to 5pm.

Recess Monkey said, “I’m not sure if I’ll have time to check out the machines but I’m not bothered which one they choose as long as it doesn’t break down all the time. The ones they have now are so bad, I feel the Palace should provide staff with Photocopier Engineering training”

It is not unusual to see Staffers poking around inside copiers with coathangers and other such implements.

Recess Monkey

This afternoon James Fox, the United Kingdom’s entry for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, will be performing in the House of Commons.

James, who finished in the last five of last year’s Fame Academy, is from Bargoed near Caerphilly and he will be performing his entry for the Contest in Istanbul, Hold Onto Our Love, in the Members’ Dining Room from 4:30pm today.

If you are able to attend, feel free to pop in.

I hope to see you this afternoon.

Chris Bradley
Parliamentary Researcher to Wayne David
MP for Caerphilly
House of Commons
London
SW1A 0AA
T 020 7219 5867
F 020 7219 1751
E bradleyc@parliament.uk

Did anyone see the Rebecca Loos interview on Sky? Recess Monkey isn’t well known for his interest in Pop Culture but Ms Loos’ insistence that she had “nothing to gain” from lying did catch his attention, particularly when Sky was paying her a good proportion of a million pounds for her interview.

There are those who have expressed the view that MPs’ Staff have notably loose morals - not least in the Sunday Times - and Recess Monkey wonders how much Sky would pay for revelations involving an MP? The Monkey has made a few guesses below but please feel free to come up with some more estimates if it takes your fancy.

Ann Widdecombe - £50,000?
Caroline Flint - £30,000?
Rev Ian Paisley - £150,000?
Paul Marsden - £25?

Recess Monkey is in no way encouraging such activities as in many cases it would be unprofessional - and in some cases it would be wrong on a much more profound level.

Recess Monkey

Young Fabians vs The Bow Group / Fastrack
19th April, 6.30pm, Grand Committee Room, House of Commons, Westminster
Eric Joyce and three brave Young Fabians will be going head to head with David Willetts MP and a team of Young Conservatives to debate the motion:
“This House Believes that New Labour’s Welfare Policies are an Unfair Burden on the British Taxpayer”
This is an event not to be missed - sparks will fly!
The debate will be followed by a reception hosted by Bell Pottinger Public Affairs in the Atrium, 4 Millbank.
Please rsvp to Neill Harvey-Smith at nhs@debatechamber.com to reserve your place.

Recess Monkey

Monday will see a highly unusual event in the Palace. Evidently, security officers will be subject to a uniform inspection. Tie pins will be banned and officers who wish to grow a beard will be told to take a week off and grow it in their own time.

Of course all this is unconfirmed rumour and Recess Monkey doesn’t know how the uniform inspection will take place. Nevertheless he will be hovering around Speaker’s Court with a camera in case they are forced to do a parade and march in step.

Rumour has it this has been triggered by complaints from MP or MPs unknown, who have commented on the slipping standards of dress. The unattributed and unconfirmed quote from the complainant that is doing the rounds goes along the lines of, “They’re hiring a lot of phucquing scheidt in security these days”.

Recess Monkey is rather fond of our uniformed and often well-armed friends and would therefore beg to differ.

Recess Monkey