Ephraim Hardcastle
TERRIER-like Channel 4 political correspondent (and Jeffrey Archer biographer) Michael Crick, 60, considering Boris Johnson’s decision to serve tea to the journalists currently staking him out, points out – somewhat gratuitously, you may feel – ‘Mary Archer first did this, when the News of the World exposed her husband paying [late prostitute] Monica Coghlan £2,000-plus on Victoria Station.’
‘HOLLANDE 2022’ flyers have been sent to thousands of French homes as a ‘test’ to see how the public might react to the idea of a comeback by Francois, 64, their frisky but ineffectual ex-president. This follows the unexpected success of his memoirs – 100,000 copies sold – and disenchantment with his weird-seeming successor, Emmanuel Macron, 40. Actress Julie Gayet, 46, Hollande’s perky partner, pictured, senses a public ‘desire’ to see the old goat back in the political ring – ‘and out from under her feet, chez eux’, suggests my local source.
NOW described by an ex-aide as ‘unhinged’, President Donald Trump has made over 4,000 ‘false or misleading’ statements since his election, says Glenn Kessler, who writes the Fact Checker column for the Washington Post. He rates them from mild to outrageous, using one to four ‘Pinocchios’, after the fictional boy whose nose grew when he lied. While running for the presidency, ‘nearly 65 per cent of the claims we looked at resulted in four Pinocchios’, sighs Kessler.
BORIS Johnson’s successor as Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, a Muslim, is also opposed to the niqab and burka, and has said: ‘I do think that in public service we should be able to see each other’s faces. Eye contact matters. You should be able to see the face.’ Many agree. So enemies of Boris disingenuously focus indignation on his schoolboy jokes about the garments.
FORMER Labour MP and minister Denis MacShane, 70, discussing anti-Semitism, points out in Jewish News: ‘Clement Attlee [Labour PM from 1945 to 1951] was once asked why he didn’t make the very able young Labour MP Ian Mikardo a minister after the 1945 election. “Oh, I think we have got quite enough of the chosen race as ministers,” was his reply.’
EDDIE Mair, 52, of Radio 4’s PM arrives at rival LBC from next month. Their political pundit Iain Dale, 56, enthuses: ‘To me he’s one of the biggest – if not the biggest – names in speech radio. It’s a real coup.’ My broadcasting source says: ‘Very generous, considering that Dale’s earlyevening slot might be nabbed by Mair.’
THE Duchess of Sussex evidently feels she must quit her showbiz career. Why so? A royal source says: ‘Many of Meghan’s new family are would-be luvvies. Those who have taken part in radio, TV and film productions include Prince Edward, Camilla, Sarah Ferguson, Princes William and Harry, Princess Beatrice and even the Queen, who played a Bond girl who appeared to jump out of a helicopter.’