So I have just finished David Laws’ ’22 Days in May’, his account of the coalition negotiations between the libdems, the torys and labour. Interesting to read how keen the conservatives were to get a deal done, while Ed Balls, Harriet Harman and Ed Miliband were sabotaging the negotiations on Labour’s side, leaving Peter Mandelson and Andrew Adonis to struggle manly to negotiate in earnest. It just reaffirms what the best girlfriend ever has said for a long time: a labour party that has governed for so long had to be kicked out of government to renew itself on the opposition benches. Unfortunately it looks like there’s not much renewal going on, with the same characters still in charge and the infighting still going on. Fortunately Charlie Wheelan is now gone, but as long as the old Brownite stallwarts are still around there will be no sensibsle opposition. It is quite likely that with Ed leaving (and trust me, it’s not going to take long) the next labour leader will finally get rid of Ed Balls and his band of rabblerousers.

Anyway, it’s a good read and Laws doesn’t display himself as superhuman and omnicogniscient as Peter Mandelson has done in his memoirs. For anybody interested in British politics it’s definitely recommended.