Ephraim Hardcastle
FOUR of the five former prime ministers criticising Boris Johnson could, by right, be voting against him in the Lords.While theresa May is still an MP, John Major, tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David cameron all declined the traditional offer of a peerage. no PM has gone to the Lords since Margaret thatcher. are this fearsome foursome superior to the legions of failed MPs, donors, cronies, celebrities and assorted boobies they dispatched to the red benches when in power?
SASHA Swire was a teenager when her father John Nott, then defence secretary, famously threw down his microphone and walked out of an interview with the BBC’s Robin Day. Could diarist Sasha’s febrile insecurities stem from Day’s withering dismissal of her dad as a ‘here today gone tomorrow politician’?
MEANWHILE, former constituents of husband Hooray Hugo swire in East Devon wonder if Pepys sasha will refer to his absence during severe flooding, with one adding: ‘Will she mention that he was the most unpopular constituency MP we ever had? We’re not holding our breath.’
AMBER Rudd’s daughter Flora, pictured, mocks Gordon Ramsay’s boast about his ‘amazing’ Full English breakfast at the Savoy Grill, tweeting: ‘This is a Quarter English at best.’ Is she exacting delayed revenge for Ramsay’s eviction of her late father, restaurant critic AA Gill, from his Chelsea nosherie after an unfavourable review?
WILL Ewan McGregor – reprising alec Guinness’s star Wars role of obi-Wan Kenobi – be as canny as sir alec? He coaxed producer George Lucas to part with 2 per cent of the gross profits of the first star Wars, trousering a fortune. Lucas called Guinness to ask if he needed financial advice and was told: ‘no thanks George. i have £5million in my Post office account in Petersfield.’
ANDREW Lloyd Webber concedes failure in his bid to prevent Donald Trump playing his song Memory at rallies. ‘We wrote a cease-and-desist letter, but if a venue has a blanket performance licence, it can play anything,’ he explains. Shouldn’t he encourage Trump to switch to a medley from his musical flop Jeeves? That should clear the stadia of good ole boys.
BROADCASTER Eddie Mair can’t bear to have a pet since the childhood family dog was put to sleep, adding: ‘that’s one life experience i choose not to repeat – along with assembling a chest of drawers and interviewing Robert Peston.’ Woof!
TOM Bradby queries an ITN scheme to set up a ‘buddy network’ to provide a friendly face to help welcome new staff joining the ITV Newsroom amid Covid protocols. ‘It might be a bit weird for people,’ he replies to a request for volunteers. ‘But I am very happy to help if you think I could.’ That’s the spirit Tom.