Local hero misses out on the power and the glory

Much excitement in the local government community as it gathered at County Hall last week for the first annual LGC 50 Awards. These are the baby of the Local Government Chronicle (not, in fact, a very dull fantasy novel), intended to honour the most influential people in local government. Hazel Blears, the Communities and Local Government Secretary, came third, just behind Simon Milton, the head of the Local Government Association. No shame there. Until, that is, No 1 was announced: John Healey, the Local Government Minister. Her deputy.

Strangely, Mr Healey wasn’t there to celebrate his usurpation. Indeed, many wondered whether he even knew about it. Yet, with ministerial invitations at the DCLG being routinely diverted through the office of the Secretary of State, you’d think somebody might have flagged it up.

Currently touring the country to plug his new book (The Truth That Sticks) Martin Bell was speaking at the University of Wolverhampton this week, and told his audience of witnessing an MP trading his vote for a peerage. Tell us more, Martin.

“If I did,” says Bell, when we call, “you and I would spend the next five years in the courts. It was a senior MP, and I was not alone in noting it. Somebody else saw it happen.”

Nancy Shevella, the US socialite who is thought to be dating Sir Paul McCartney; something which is thought perhaps to shed some light on the recent behaviour of the poor, eye-rolling Heather Mills. According to various reports, McCartney and Shevella met up on Friday night to drink cocktails at a bar in Long Island, New York, and “at one point she moved in close and kissed him on the cheek”. It is all wildly exciting.

A new contender emerges in the running for Most Groovy MP; competition for Geoff Hoon (spotted at Paul McCartney’s recent London gig and the award ceremony celebrating Kylie Minogue’s career) and Alan Johnson (who drones on about liking bands and stuff). Step forward John Whittingdale, chair of the Culture Select Committee, who turned up at the MTV Europe awards in Munich. He was most excited, he told our spy, about seeing the American emo band My Chemical Romance. Later, he was dancing to the ultra-hip indie band New Young Pony Club at the aftershow party, and revealing that he had introduced Mark Thompson (the BBC Director-General), to Thom Yorke (of Radiohead). All research, but research that rocks.

On Monday, James Purnell, the Culture Secretary, appeared in avatar form at a Serious Games Institute conference in the virtual world Second Life. Hmm. Another example of James Purnell appearing to be in a place in which, actually, he was not? “This was a serious event at which he made a serious speech on serious issues,” chides the DCMS press office. “Your question is not serious.”

And to think it used to be dubbed the Ministry of Fun.

Are Canadians finally bored with Lord Black of Crossharbour? Publishers there have decided not to bring out an updated paperback version of Dancing on the Edge, Tom Bower’s controversial expose of the disgraced newspaper tycoon and his wife, Barbara Amiel. And this despite sales of around 27,000 of the hardback. “It was a business decision,” says the publisher. “So much had come out, we felt there was Conrad Black fatigue.”

Surely after “Queensgate”, the BBC has learnt a lesson about providing the press with erroneous trailers. Maybe not. Radio reviewers have been sent a copy of Listen Against, Jon Holmes’s new satirical Radio 4 show, which includes an audio clip of John Humphrys’ famously cantakerous Today interview with his fellow broiler Jeremy Paxman – an interview that ended with Humphrys telling Paxman: “Jeremy, f*** off.” Only, the programme being broadcast on November 14 won’t include the clip.

Did the two BBC heavyweights weigh in and stop the clip being used? “There was no intervention,” says a Radio 4 spokesman. “It is purely editorial. They didn’t think it worked very well.” Uh-huh.

Postscript

“We English men are quite unique,” says Rick Wakeman, legendarily of the rock band Yes. “We all love to have a moan, but then we put up with things,” he tells the Bucks Free Press. “Like with the prices of trains. We moan and moan and moan – and then all get on a train. You have to take your hats off to the French: at least they know how to boycott.”

A bit of People found themselves bemused at the Classic Rock Awards in London on Monday night, as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith launched into praise of Pete Doherty and Amy Winehouse. After hailing the drug-addled pair as “the true spirits of rock ‘n’ roll,” he broke into the chorus of Winehouse’s song, Rehab. Eeek.

As her father slaved over his Nobel prize-winning work to save the planet, Kristin Gore, second daughter of Al, has been busy writing the script for a film called Nailed, about a lobbyist and a sex-crazed congressman. The heroine (Jessica Biel) has a nail shot into her head but, instead of killing her, it gives her bizarre sexual urges. Father should be proud.

“I would like to work with Johnny Depp,” Julia Roberts tells Vanity Fair. “I've known him a long time. I think he's so interesting, and I think we look alike in a funny way. So Johnny Depp. Johnny Depp and I will play brother and sister in something.” Veritable twins, those two.

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