If only Londonist had a political crystal ball. We've done a quick-and-dirty analysis of this weekend's disquiet on the Labour benches with Gordon Brown/the direction of the Labour party/the lack of an open debate about leadership/whatever-you-want-to-call-the-current-media-bun-fight, and it seems to us that the revolt is being led by MPs who are a) from London; and b) women. So, first off, we had Siobhain McDonagh (MP for Mitcham and Morden) lose her government whip's job......

This Week In London’s History Monday – 25th February 1900: The first tube station to be known as ‘Bank’ is opened, effectively replacing the old ‘City’ station and providing a link between the Waterloo & City Railway and the newly extended City & South London Railway (now part of the Northern Line). At the same time, nearby King William Street station is closed. Tuesday – 26th February 1797: The Bank of England issues its......

Tony Blair has obviously been listening to a lot of Huey Lewis lately -- he thinks it’s hip to be square. And what is more squareishly hip than to broadcast your political party on YouTube in the hopes of attracting the Cool Kids? In the 58 second clip, Blair explains that Labour’s goal in broadcasting on their new YouTube channel, Labourvision, is "to enable you to hear unmediated, fresh, first-hand, what it is we are......

Noel Gallagher yesterday did an about face on the reacharound he gave Tony Blair ten years ago and said that the PM hadn't quite lived up to expectations. Isn't it nice when the musical establishment has its finger pressed so hard on the political pulse that they can find the time to point this kind of thing out to us? "Nobody ever mentions Labour, they mention Tony Blair now. Everything is Tony Blair's fault.......

The Electoral Commission have today revealed the findings of their investigations into the cash for honours row, and it makes for an interesting read. The Tories were loaned £2.5m between April and June this year, the Lib Dems £782,780. But it was the Labour Party's figures that were of real interest. They were given £3.4m in donations, but did not take out any more loans. Why? Because they are in debt to the tune......

Any Londonist readers who dream of becoming Conservative Mayor of London, you need to get your skates on. The deadline for 'Tory Mayor Idol' is this Friday. As the Times article says, so far there are only "two worthy but obscure" candidates who Ken would more than likley "eat for breakfast", but there is a shortlist of possiblities: Some of the names floated include Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington, the former Commissioner of the Metropolitan......

The British National Party are the epitome of what is wrong with British politics today. Just watching their skin-headed, xeno/homo/everything-phobic candidates standing at the vote count in their little Union Flag waistcoats makes Londonist's resident Politico, Nick, want to hang up his rosette in disgust. Londonist feels that the BNP deserves to be ignored by the media, thus depriving the party of oxygen to fuel their intolerant fire. However, we just can't resist the......

Met Widens 'Cash for Honours' Inquiry The Met Police have widened their inquiry into the cash for honours scandal across all political parties. The inquiry started with the Labour Party and their now-famous 'secret loans' from wealthy businessmen. But, the Police tell us, other parties are now being investigated, and although they won't divulge which parties these are, it's almost certain the Conservatives feature, as they, like Labour, received loans to fund their 2005......

Party Funding System To Be Reviewed They're all at it! It seems that the £14m received by the Labour Party in secret loans has caught up with them, with the party's National Executive Committee taking back responsibilty for the party's funding, to make it more transparent. Tony Blair met with members of the Labour NEC today, many of whom did not know about the loans, and are understandably annoyed. The creditors in question -......

Secret Loans To Be Banned The Lord Chancellor, Lord Falconer, has outlined plans to ban secret loans to political parties, after the Labour Party has become embroiled in accusations of sleaze, as rich businessmen who have loaned the party money have been offered peerages. The row over how parties should be funded has re-opened, with the Tories saying that the number of M.P.s should be cut to raise funds for state funding of parties,......

Somewhat later than promised, here is the latest Inside Westminster report on the Lib Dems under Ming: The Rt. Hon. Sir Menzies "Ming" Campbell CBE QC M.P. (to use his full title) is the new leader of the Liberal Democrats after one of the funniest and most farcical leadership elections in British politics. But now, "Ming the Merciless" has a real dilemma to face: where to take the party now? The Liberal Party was......

An interesting little story buried away in the pages of the icSouthlondon site would seem to suggest that the borough of Lambeth is about to go seriously broke. The story dates back to the 80s when a Government loan was taken by the Greater London Council. When the authority was wound up in 86, that debt was passed to something called the Inner London Education Authority which only lasted until the end of the......

David Cameron has barely been Leader of the Opposition for a quarter of a year, and already he seems to have abandoned his aversion to the "Punch and Judy politics" of Prime Minister's Questions. He and Blair tossed "flip flop" insults at each other today. Mr. Blair is apparently flip-flopping over his educational reforms. It seems that he has realised how embarrassing it would be if the only reason his reforms passed through the......

Today Londonist introduces it's latest column: Inside Westminster. That's not cryptic or anything, it's a bloke who works in Westminster writing about what goes on... in Westminster. And what a day to start a regular political column? David Cameron has put on his leader's hat and made his way to the despatch box to go toe to toe with Tony for the first time. So let's get the inside view shall we... Question: How......

Something we didn't have the time to comment on yesterday was the interview with Kate Hoey which appeared in Sunday's Observer. Kate's been in the news a lot recently. Back in the summer her and her Lambeth council cohorts deprived London's inhabitants of a riverside beach area because...well, because they couldn't get off their arses and go take a look at it. Since then she's been campaigning on behalf of the Routmaster, becoming chairman......

Like everyone Londonist was shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Robin Cook. In a Westminster of spin and backstabbing Cook always seemed to hold his own not through media manipulation or kicking those that faltered but by relying on fantastic rhetoric and sticking to his guns. Ironically perhaps his most remembered moment will be the resignation speech that he made on the eve of the Iraq war. It remains a damning......

We at the Londonist like nothing better than a political rebel. No, hang on. We at the Londonist like quite a lot of things better than a political rebel, but in the world of politics we love them. And of course there's no better rebel than Oscar winning actress and Labour MP for Hampstead & Highgate Glenda Jackson. She's been on the campaign trail...on an anti-Blair ticket. Yes, that's right; none of this Brian......

It's coming upto New Year and Londonist looks forward to going out in the evening and spending most of it complaining about how it's always an anti-climax, how you can never get to the bar, why does the music have to be so loud; and the rest trying to plan how we're going to get back home. Obviously this isn't a consideration for the large number of homeless people in London but this year......