The Political Week on Twitter May 28th – June 1st
Leveson was the main event this week, with shambolic government U-turns constituting the sub-plot.
Leveson
There was much to comment on as Tony Blair, Michael Gove Jeremy Hunt appeared at the Leveson inquiry, in descending order of impressiveness.
@jameskirkup – And we're done. It's taken him barely 30m, but Blair now has the#leveson courtroom eating out of the palm of his hand. Masterclass.
@laurenlaverne – Sound is down in the studio so can't hear #Leveson, but we have all been hypnotised by Blair's "honesty hands". It should be a dance.
@iainmartin1 – At #leveson a brilliant Blair phrase: You have to distinguish between what is right & what is inevitable.
@MASieghart – "As a political leader you start at your least capable and most popular. You end at your most capable and least popular." Nice line
@MatthewdAncona – If 'war crimes' means fighting Serb fascism, deposing the Taliban and ending Saddam's horrific regime – give us excess of it
@Kevin_Maguire – I think I've narrowed down the anti-Iraq War protester at #leveson to one of 40m people
@MichaelWhite – #Leveson As Blair says, Iraq protester in court may grab headlines, as pie protest did for Rupe. Gets folk off hooks. Slow learners, eh?
@GeorgeMonbiot – That so nearly qualified for a reward under the http://ArrestBlair.orgrules. I wish the guy at #leveson had read them.
@postculturist – Oh look, Blair's managed to shoehorn in the concept that social media is out of control & irresponsible. What a massive surprise.
@fleetstreetfox – I love the way men at #Leveson admitting meeting each other "with my wife" as though you can't talk business with a lady at the table.
@jameskirkup – What does it tell us that Gove's strong defence of press freedom seems to earn him a reprimand from #leveson?
@toadmeister – It's disturbing that #leveson should find Michael Gove's trenchant defence of free speech infuriating
@ShippersUnbound – Senior government figure on Michael Gove's performance atLeveson: 'That's the leadership bid launched, then…'
@arusbridger – Hunt to J Murdoch on day Cable loses responsibility for Sky bid: "Great. Congrats on Brussels. Just OfCom to go" #leveson
@Queen_UK – Got a full half hour into Jeremy Hunt's #leveson enquiry evidence before realising one was watching Jeremy Kyle. Awkward.
@LouiseMensch – very confident today on #Hunt at Leveson. Clearly he didn't authorise Adam Smith and did have a proper quasi-judicial process. cf Perm Sec.
@DavidAllenGreen – By an inverse but useful law, I can see from @LouiseMensch's tweets that Hunt has had a bad morning at #Leveson.
@TomHarrisMP – No 10's statement clearing Hunt was issued yesterday with "Embargoed until after JH's appearance at Leveson" written at the top.
@tobyhelm – On Leveson: "Truly the damage this saga has inflicted upon the integrity of Cameron administration is enormous." Daily Mail leader today.
@SimonNRicketts – The government announcing a charity tax U-turn while Hunt is at#leveson is the equivalent of saying "Look, a squirrel!" to a sobbing child.
U-turns omni-shamble
If you like U-turns and disappearing Budgets this was the week for you with leisurely retreats on the pasty tax, static caravans and charitable giving.
@GraemeDemianyk – A victory for Western Morning News' Axe the Pasty Tax campaign as the Government prepares to U-turn on #pastytax
@krishgm – Charities tax u-turn was inevitable – but the timing is interesting/shameless/coincidental (delete as appropriate to your disposition)
@tobyhelm – why they cld not have done charity tax u turn two months ago i have no idea. they left room in budget but let story run. mad and stubborn.
@frasernelson – It's tempting to laugh at Osborne's 35th U-turn but makes you wonder: what else hasn't he thought through properly?
@jamesrbuk – So according to @edcaesar, that means there's been a u-turn on u-turns. Blimey. #metauturn.
