Scotland wins independence…

Apparently Number 10 now recognises that Scotland has a Government, rather than just an executive. At least for a short while this morning it did.

Simon Lewis was doing his first tentative Lobby briefing as the PM’s official spokesman – he has just taken over from Michael Ellam who left recently.

The session was dominated by the controversy over the release of Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset Ali Al-Megrahi.

Lewis referred to the Scottish “Government” (it was all their decision to release a bad man) until halfway through when one hack pointed out that previously it had been taboo to refer to anything but the Scottish “executive”.

A Government, of course, has much more power than an executive.

Looking nervous Lewis said he thought he’d been told to use the word “Government” instead of “executive” and then asked his assistant, who laughed sheepishly and said she didn’t know which was the right term either.

To be fair to Lewis it was his first outing – no doubt it’ll be a sharp learning curve.

Tessa Jowell's face is a picture

Immediately after PMQs 25 to 30 hacks surrounded Michael Ellam, Brown’s spokesman, and harangued him over what – in the name of jumping jehosifa – a 0% rise is.

The likes of the Spectator’s Fraser Nelson, the FT’s George Parker and the Sun’s George Pasco Watson – who were leading the interrogation – looked astonished as Ellam attempted to explain that a 0% rise was indeed a rise.

The weird claim, along with Brown’s equally bizarre statement that Tory policy was to increase unemployment, made this a particularly desperate performance for the PM.

Hat tip to Crown Blog, speedy as ever.

Brown: I'll support whoever....

All questions at Lobby briefing this morning related to Michael Martin’s standing.

When asked if the PM still thought Martin was doing a good job spokesman Michael Ellam gave this laboured response.

"The speaker is not appointed by the Prime Minister.

"It’s right that it is independent of Government and it’s right that the Prime Minister should support the individual selected to be speaker by the House of Commons."

Hazel "Diddy" Blears looking shakey

Embattled Hazel Blears - or "Diddy", as she's known in my office - won less than resounding support from the Prime Minister at this morning’s Lobby briefing.

A bit of sweet revenge for Gordon Brown, perhaps, after Blears’ criticism of his bizarre Youtube appearance and of Labour’s “lamentable failure” last week.

PM’s spokesman Michael Ellam said: “It’s really for the individual members of Parliament themselves to answer questions about their own particular arrangements.

“Hazel Blears has responded to the specific allegations against her. The PM’s view is that the system needs to change.”

He added that the PM had heard the explanations of all ministers in question and was “satisfied” with them.

One has come to expect very little to be said at the Lobby briefings anyway, but Ellam’s reluctance to float anything more supportive for the cabinet minister highlights the distance between her and Brown.

McBride won’t get severance pay-off…

…said the PM’s spokesman Michael Ellam earlier. It would’ve been more surprising if he had considering McBride threw in the towel himself.

Apart from two questions this morning’s entire lobby briefing was consumed with the detail of “e-mailgate”.

Ellam said the PM was furious about the whole affair, but wouldn’t expand on how Brown viewed accusations that he’d personally encouraged a conniving culture in Downing Street.

He also wouldn’t commit an answer on whether the PM felt the activity was “out of character” for McBride.

Many of the questions focused on the role of Tom Watson, who Ellam said the PM still had full confidence in.

The official position is that Watson had no involvement in any proposed smear campaign – but hacks this morning were asking if he had any knowledge. To which Ellam replied that Watson had no involvement.

When challenged that having “no involvement” was different from having “no knowledge”, Ellam said he refused to get into a conversation over “sematics”.

It seems Watson is safe, for now. But who knows what other e-mails are lurking in shadows?

Brown: Expenses are a matter for Parliament

The PM's spokesman was quick to side-step the mine that is Tony McNulty's expense claim at a briefing just now.

He said the PM had confidence in McNulty's ability as a minister.

But he added that expenses were not an issue that relates to Tony McNulty's Government roles.

They were a matter for Parliament, he said, and needed to be dealt with by the House.

When pressed on whether he had "an opinion" the same response came.

I didn't expect anything less, but it's enough to make your blood boil.

Brown's puss-filled zit

Harriet Harman is becoming like a big, puss-filled zit on the PM's face.

She's distracting the public from what Brown wants them to look at.

But he can't squeeze her to get rid of her because it'll only make things worse.

I just got back from the morning's lobby briefing where PM spokesman Michael Ellam was bombarded with questions about Fred the Shred's pension.

They included:

- Whether the Government would change the law to get back his pension (see below).
- Whether any law change would be retrospective.
- Whether they were ruling out a law change.
- What the PM thought of Harman's comments.
- What Harman might have meant when she said the Government would "step in".

Pretty much every hack who asked was simply told the Government had "asked lawyers" to explore every legal option to address the issue.

It totally overshadowed Brown's visit to see Obama. No doubt Harriet will be smirking.

She's taking PMQs on Wednesday in Brown's absence. Expect Hague to have fun with it all.

BROWN: Bankers need to ask themselves soul-searching questions

That was the PM’s tough line that came out of this morning’s lobby briefing - it should work I reckon.

I mean, when a school-boy won’t own up after sticking a “teachers smell” sign to the staff-room door, he’d be told to ask himself “soul-searching” questions in detention.

So obviously it should also work for people who made millions out of bringing the British economy to its knees and now want to take home taxpayers’ cash in bonuses.

The comment, during a briefing in which 99% of questions focused on banks, was aimed at those who have bonuses bound into contracts.

Michael Ellam’s answers, like Yvette Cooper’s on the Today show and Darling’s on Marr, were peppered with the word “should” where the word “will” might have been.

Bankers should/will not get bonuses, are two very different sentences. But there is a general lack of will all round at the moment.

That might be because, as the FT’s George Parker highlighted during the briefing, that these are people who’ve made a lot money for banks over the years.

Now they’ll be expected to do it for the Government, i.e. ministers don’t want to cheese them off.

As Parker said, If that is the case they should just be up front about it.

Blow open the lobby

A Lords Committee has come up with a sure-fire way to get people really p*ssed off with the Government.

They want to televise the daily lobby briefings, where favoured hacks supposedly get slipped exclusive stories and off-the-record tips.

Perhaps that was the case 15 years ago, but sitting through the meetings now is like trying to walk through a brick wall.

Downing Street spokesman Michael Ellam sits at the front speaking – in a voice you can hardly hear – but not answering any questions.

A hack has to use his initiative to get stories these days.

I say let them televise it – if there's one thing that gets on people's wick it’s hearing people dodge questions.

Rhetorical questions

Brown's spokesman Michael Ellam gave an answer to Lobbydog's question this morning that characterises Lobby briefings of recent times.

He was asked if the PM recognised that Supplementary Business Rates might increase the tax burden on firms just when the recession was kicking in.

The answer was that the question should be directed to the Treasury for detail.

But he added that Crossrail, for which SBR was concocted, is supported by business.

Translated: I'm not going to answer your question, but I'll tell you how the Government is right.

More and more the briefings are held for comms people to work out new ways of not answering questions rather than providing info to hacks.

There should at least be a little give and take.