New Articles on The Daily Dust today

Britney’s Demands Cast Shadow Over X-Factor

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 06:33 AM CST

Britney Spear's demands for appearing on X-Factor include not allowing the contestants and judges to take photographs with her and forcing the contestants to watch her performance backstage according to reports today.

Unlike Take That, who were on last weeks show, Spears won't mentor the acts as she didn't arrive in London until yesterday. The diva will surround herself with a 45-strong entourage of stylists and make-up artists and security on the show will be tripled from 15 minders to 45.

Are Britney's demands excessive? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Police give Arsonist Lager

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 05:46 AM CST

An arsonist who went into his local police station was given lager by police officers.

When Wallace went to the police station, he claimed he had just downed 9 litres of cider. After consulting with doctors, the solution was to serve Wallace lager to lessen his withdrawel symptoms.

Judge Gerald Price said: “Wonders will never cease. Does this mean that if you turn up at a police station and ask for alcohol you might get a drink?”

Jason Wallace, 26, confessed to setting fire to an apartment because the occupiers had owed him money. The blaze caused near £10,000 worth of damage, but no one was hurt thanks to the firemen on the scene.

Spiderpig - You’re Nicked!

Credit-Card-Carly is Out of the Jungle

Posted: 29 Nov 2008 04:19 AM CST

Carly Zucker was voted out last night

Carly Zucker, once again in the vote-off went out last night. She was up against gay ex-cop Brian Paddick, 50, in the final two.

After being kicked-out she said: "I really struggled. It isn't like I thought it was going to be. I'm a family person and I really missed my partner."

But she said she really enjoyed meeting fellow WAG Nicola, 25, saying "Meeting her changed me. We're really different but she's opened up my eyes to different things.

"She inspired me. I'd like her to win. She'll be like a dog pining in there but she's strong."

With David and Timmy becoming more annoying to the rest, we think Nicola might just crack soon..

Cockney to make it a pukka Saturday

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 05:01 PM CST

Saturday already – how time flies.

It's been a bad week in the punting office so far with Ballydub the only highlight at Newbury on Friday, but here's hoping the successful run of winning Saturdays can continue following the last three.

Yesterday's aforementioned winner was trained by Philip Hobbs and ridden by Richard Johnson and it's the same combination that throws up the day's best bet back at Newbury in the opener where Cockney Trucker (12.25) holds good claims.

This novice hurdler ran an excellent debut over timber at Cheltenham last month when third in an event that has worked out exceptionally well. This six-year-old was sandwiched between two subsequent winners that went on to score in better class and Cockney Trucker can get off the mark today.

We head to the opening race at Towcester for the second bet – which is actually run five minutes before Newbury – where Charmaine Wood (12.20) will take all the beating.

Trainer Alan King remains in top form having sent out around a dozen winners in the last fortnight and Charmaine Wood can continue the run. This mare scored on her hurdles bow over this course and distance last month when hacking up by six lengths and can repeat the dose today giving weight away to this weak looking field.

It's a long wait until the next bet which comes in the evening at Kempton on the Flat, and those with access to the betting market beforehand should take note if the money arrives for Aphrodisia (5.00) from the shrewd Stuart Williams yard.
This filly won a handicap from a mark of 69 in the summer before losing her way a touch, but returned to action with an eyecatching fourth at Wolverhampton a fortnight ago. She was working her way into the race when blocked before staying on again and should strip fitter here for that outing from a juicy mark of 66.

Half an hour later, another well weighted runner completes the day's portfolio of bets in the shape of Millfield (5.30).
This dual Kempton winner certainly knows his way around here and goes especially well for today's jockey George Baker, who has triumphed four times on him, including in July from a handicap mark of 69. This five-year-old has now dropped back to a similar mark and is reunited with his favourite pilot tonight after having to do without him on five of his last six outings.

While Democracy Dies, Brown Writes To The X-Factor

Posted: 28 Nov 2008 12:39 PM CST

Yesterday was a historic day for the Mother of All Parliaments.

The arrest and subsequent bail of Shadow home Office Minisster Damian Green by the Metropolitan Police has set the UK political blogging scene alight with reaction and commentary. Rather than go over everything here again, we at The Daily Dust are just going to point out some of the issues raised around the UK.

Firstly, what actually happened? The Telegraph was first out with the news in a sensible format last night:

Damian Green, the shadow immigration minister, was arrested at his home in Kent yesterday lunchtime by counter-terrorism police officers. The arrest follows a series of leaks to the Conservatives about Government policy, including a sensitive memorandum from the Home Office’s most senior official on crime figures during the recession earlier this month.

The Times looks at the legal angle:

Today both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats insisted that Mr Green had revealed information in the public interest, arguing that this was a key part of any MP’s job. Professor Gary Slapper, Director of the Centre for Law at the Open University, said the application of this “nebulous” law to such leaks was a “diminishment of our democracy”.

Why would you arrest someone when you could simply ask them to come down to the station for a chat over a cup of tea and a bourbon? well maybe it’s because you want to ransack his office in case he has something else you don’t want published?

Douglas Carswell has been spitting with rage at the suggestion that Michael Martin knew about this and authorised detectives to search Damian Green’s Commons offices. When was the last time heavies came looking for MPs? Expect to hear a lot today about Speaker Lenthall and the Five Members…

Ah yes, William Lethall, the Speaker of the House of Commons in 1642 who stood up to King Charles 1 to protect ‘his’ MPs. Worth reading about him on Wikipedia.

On January 4, 1642, however, when the King entered the House of Commons to seize the five disruptive members, Lenthall behaved with great prudence and dignity. Having taken the speaker’s chair and looked round in vain to discover the offending members, Charles turned to Lenthall standing below, and demanded of him whether any of those persons were in the House, whether he saw any of them and where they were. Lenthall fell on his knees and replied: “May it please your Majesty, I have neither eyes to see nor tongue to speak in this place but as the House is pleased to direct me, whose servant I am here.”

So what exactly has the current Speaker, Michael Martin (ex Labour Party member) done? Because he would have to give permission to the Sergeant at Arms to even allow the police into the Palace of Westminster. Shane Green covers that one as he called the Speakers Office:

Speakers Office: "We have nothing more to add to the statement already given"
Shane Greer: "But what was the process that was followed?"
SO: "You'll have to ask your source to clarify the statement"
SG: "So you can't tell me yourself what the process is?"
SO: "I am not going to tell you what the process is"
SG: "So, to clarify, you followed a process, but aren't prepared to tell me what it is?"
SO: "Yes"

The MP of course has had his computers and all electronic devices (including his Blackberry) seized by the Met. He can’t get into his email, and has effectivley been barred from working till he appears before the Polcie again in February. Dizzy is worried…

Apparently Damien Green’s Westminster computers have been seized by the Police now. I expect they’ll lose them.

And the Prime Minister? The See Nothing Heard Nothing Gordon Brown? What’s he been up to all day? Writing to the X-Factor Contestants!

We knew the Prince of Wales was an inveterate letter-writer. Now Gordon Brown has caught the bug. The PM has been bombarding contestants on The X Factor with missives urging them to rebel against Simon Cowell's strictures.

He might be better off getting a lawyer and hoping he’s not arrested next, as Daniel Finkelstein recounts the number of leaks that Gordon Brown used whilst in opposition, and Guido Fawkes picks out the best example.

In May 1985, a youthful opposition politician got hold of a leaked confidential government review proposing to encourage the unemployed to get jobs by reducing their dole. This, he raged, was ” a raid on the poor”. Gordon was not arrested. Ironically it is also his government’s policy now.

And to cap it all off, Iain Martin picks out the serious questions that will need answered in the next few days at The Telegraph:

This entire episode is quite chilling and the implications of his arrest in connection with information he gathered from a whistleblower (information which was true) are horrendous for parliamentary authority. The encroachment of the Executive and the police on the business of an MP going about his business, who was working to put legitimate information in the public domain, is seriously sinister.