Is Blair ready for some DIY?

When Tony Blair finally steps down, he is expected to move into the family’s Georgian home in Connaught Square, Central London. So, we are interested to have been told that Michael Caton-Jones, the witty Scottish director renting the £4 million property, has been asked to move out by the end of March.

Most pundits believe Blair will leave office after the local elections in May, giving him a full decade in power. The question is, however, how long does it take to redecorate a five-bedroom house?

Caton-Jones, who has been in the house since 2005, was the director of Rob Roy, a film about a very ambitious Scotsman with serious political ambitions.

— The Conservative Society at UCL has just posted the society song on its website. Sung to the tune of John Brown’s Body, the lyrics begin: “Maggie Thatcher walks on water, Maggie Thatcher walks on water, Maggie Thatcher walks on water, When the blue revolution comes.” The chorus centres on the words “Tory Tory Alleluia”, and the second verse rhymes “Winston Churchill beat the Nazis” with, um, “Winston Churchill beat the Nazis”. “Many of you have asked for the lyrics,” the website says. Bright bunch, Conservative students.

— Why were a group of Tory MPs hiding in the Westminster branch of Boots on Wednesday night? It seems they were lying low before trying to ambush a contentious Commons vote. “They had to either own up or pretend to need to buy something for the weekend,” said the Labour whip who found them. They owned up.

— Congratulations to Jude Law, who received the prestigious insignia of the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres at the French Embassy in London yesterday. The award recognises people who have made a special contribution to promoting the arts. “I am speechless,” Law said. Maybe he just can’t speak French.

— Kudos to Matt Peacock, of Radio Gloucestershire, for interviewing Liz Hurley just two days before the star’s wedding. Shame his Hurley turned out to be a 82-year-old woman who goes by the name of Betty. “Bet you wish you were the other Liz Hurley?” he said. Bet he did, too.

Charlotte Church is expecting a child with her boyfriend, Gavin Henson. “In an ideal world, we would not have made this announcement so early,” said a spokesman. Tabloids have recently noted her quitting smoking.

Postscript

Gordon Brown is planning to address the Hay Festival this summer on the subject of “leadership”. Isn’t that a bit risky?

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