' Top down, bottom up or around the back' @ No 10

Once again, Arturo has proved invaluable in spotting a good story in the papers. He has the speedy reactions of a wily alley cat and nothing gets passed him. He showed me the comments made by John Healey today.

John Healey, shadow health secretary did not have a brilliant week last week. Despite valiant efforts from him, Owen Smith and Liz Kendall the Health and Social Care Bill was passed in the House of Commons. This has not, however, dampened Mr Healey's aptitude for using a pithy phrase when it is needed. Thus, it was that on hearing of the closure of vital services in an Enfield hospital he came up with the following statement:

This is a big humiliation for David Cameron and Andrew Lansley. Whether they try to spin it as top down, bottom up or around the back, voters will see this as yet another broken NHS promise from the Tories.

And the phrase 'top down, bottom up or around the back' is so apt for what's been going on with the whole Tory Party recently. They have been so besotted by spin that they have made themselves dizzy. They issue a statement saying one thing; two minutes later they say the complete opposite. Other times, they put on their best bib and tucker, complete with the obligatory blue tie, and declare something to be the fact and nothing but the fact. A day later, a leaked email - a whistleblower - or a vigilant journalist - will reveal that the fact was no more a fact than I am a human-being! Let me give you some examples:

In the context of the NHS and the hospital to which Mr Healey was referring - 'Boy David' Cameron and 'Old Fox' Lansley had shed tears of oozing sincerity when they visited this Enfield hospital in 2007. At that time, there were doubts about the future of the hospital. Eager to curry favour, and being a superb PR man, Boy David Cameron said:

What I would say to Gordon Brown is if you call an election on 1 November we'll stop the closure of services at this hospital on 2 November.

What a man! What a statement! All Enfield residents must have been thrilled when a Tory-led Coalition came to power! The PM would be as good as his 9 words,(we'll stop the closure of services at this hospital). He would, wouldn't he? Well NO, actually, he would not! Today that same hospital has lost its A & E service and its maternity service!

Was that 'top down' or 'bottom up' or 'around the back' from Cameron, our PR of a PM? Knowing Boy David, as I do, seeing him most days - admittedly from under a chair or behind a curtain - I'd say it was 'around the back' with a 'wink wink' thrown in for good measure. Know wha' I mean'!

Another example of this double-talk spin is easy to find. Remember our three foolish monkeys: 'Bagpuss' Pickles, 'Apple Schnapps' Shapps and 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' Clark? They have been so determined to push through the new planning policy that they forgot to ensure that the Tory Party's connections with property developers was well and truly hidden.

We know that these property developers have given the Tories some £3.3 million over the last three years! Nice! Very nice!

We have already been told that these same developers did not influence the drafting of the new planning policy that is so heavily slanted towards 'sustainable development'.

Today, in 'The Daily telegraph' it is revealed that Grant Clark, the planning minister who has always claimed that the new proposals are "driven by economic and social need, not lobbying by builders", has not been completely open about the goings-on around the policy.

'The Daily Telegraph' has published an email from Ghislaine Trehearne, the policy officer of the British Property Federation (BPF) which shows quite cleaarly that Grant 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' Clark is delighted with the efforts of the property developers to counteract the adverse publicity being conjured up by his opponents. Indeed, they are 'delighted' that he is 'delighted'!

The upshot of all this is that minister Greg Clark is delighted with the BPF and hugely grateful for our effort. He is of the opinion that the Chancellor will stand firm in the face of opposition from National Trust members in the shires – but he doesn't believe we can afford to let up and should seize every opportunity to press the case for planning reform.

(http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/hands-off-our-land/8756477/Planning-ministers-in-pact-with-developers-over-reforms.html)

Now is this 'top down' or 'bottom up' or 'around the back'? I venture to suggest - knowing Mr 'Disgusted' - that this is a blatant 'bottom up'!

All Arturo and I can say is that if the people elect a government headed by those gifted with the silver-tongues of the public relations people that they once were - then it should be no surprise that they get spin - spin and more spin! Whether it is top down, bottom up or round the back - it's spin nothing more nor less!

So saying, I'm feeling dizzy - I'm going to have a lie down!

'Bye'