Midnight ToryDiary: Scottish Tories campaign against plans to criminalise under 21s who use off licences
8pm ToryDiary: CCHQ thwarts Channel 4 attempts to infiltrate Tory donors club
7pm CentreRight:
- Matthew Sinclair on the creation of the new Department of Energy and Climate Change
- Tim Montgomerie on the loss of one of the most free-trade EU Commissioners: Mandelson
6.15pm ToryDiary: ICM poll in 192 marginals predicts Conservative majority of 78
10.45am ToryDiary: Welsh Tory leader faces speculation about his future
ToryDiary: Narrow majorities of Tory members support returns for our own Big Beasts
Pyers Simon on Platform: Should the scientific philosophy and method be taught in schools?
Local government: State pub in Derby
Suli Shah on CentreRight: "By not winning Sarah Palin lost"
WATCH: Focus group judges Sarah Palin the winner of VP debate
Today's must-read: Britons dependent on the state may be returning to Labour
"Trust in the Tory team is collapsing: a nine-point Tory lead among DEs in March has become a six-point deficit. The shift among voters over 65 is greater: in March the Tories led by 28 points. Now Labour leads by three. The people in society most likely to need state help in a downturn are shifting to Labour. Richer groups are sticking to the Tories. Class politics may be back." - Julian Glover in The Guardian
Boris may want temporary replacement for Sir Ian Blair
"Boris Johnson told Sir Ian Blair he would wait until the Tories were in power before a fulltime replacement for him as Met chief was made, it was claimed last night. Friends of Sir Ian alleged that the mayor told him he would put in a temporary replacement until a Conservative Home Secretary was in office." - Daily Mail
Cameron was NOT involved in 'ousting' of Sir Ian Blair - Daily Mail
> Yesterday's ToryDiary: Boris is really beginning to deliver
The National Secular Society review their time at Tory Conference - NSS blog.
Labour reshuffle/ reconstruction
"Gordon Brown is expected to complete his ministerial reshuffle later, as Peter Mandelson's return to the cabinet dominates the political debate. More ministerial changes are due to be revealed, including filling the policing and immigration posts." - BBC | Telegraph list of new Cabinet
Lord Drayson back (in science post) - BBC
"Gordon Brown yesterday created a new 19-strong national economic council as he effectively put the government on an economic war footing. He has added muscle to his team with the appointment of Paul Myners, chairman of the Guardian Media Group and a former chairman of Marks & Spencer, as City spokesman." - Guardian
Businessleaders delighted at Mandelson's return - Times
"Peter Mandelson, who has twice been in the Cabinet and has twice had to resign in varying degrees of disgrace, is to return as Business Secretary. This is beyond an April Fool moment. When Caligula wished to show his contempt for the Roman political establishment, he tried to make his horse consul. Mr Brown's administration has now, it is clear, entered its Caligula's horse phase." - Simon Heffer's verdict in The Telegraph
"If Mr Brown is able to harness Mr Mandelson’s better qualities, he will have achieved a political masterstroke. But the Prime Minister, whose reshuffle was otherwise remarkable only for the survival of those Blairites blamed for much of the recent plotting against him, should be under no illusion of what is at stake. Mr Mandelson’s enemies are many, and will be watching closely. Any slip, or hint that he is spreading poison, doing favours for friends or greedily pursuing personal advancement will be swiftly punished." - Mail leader
More demands on charities (but fewer donations) in credit crunch - Sky
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