Put that on yer leaflet...

GEDLING MP Vernon Coaker freewheeled about the Commons jabbing a finger at every Tory and Lib Dem daring to meet his eye.

"Put that on yer leaflet," Labour's shadow police minister repeatedly hollered in a captivating if not slightly maniacal way.

Read the full column at the Post's website here.

Failure is a tough pill to swallow...

When Labour MPs attack Coalition plans for redrawing electoral boundaries, they go in on the point that there are three million odd people not registered to vote – a problem they say must be tackled first.

The response that stops them dead is that Labour “did nothing” to increase voter registration for 13 years.

It stops them dead because it stinks of truth – it’s a very big carpet that three million unregistered voters can be swept underneath.

Labour MPs loathe letting opponents score points, so they tend to just shake their heads in denial. But more need to recognise the public trust to be won from admitting that some of their policies in Government just didn’t work.

A ‘mea culpa’ along the lines of the one Vernon Coaker gave to Lobbydog last night would give the party more credibility and initiative.

Coaker admitted that Labour had “failed” when it came to voter registration – that then gave him the room to attack the Government.

He told me: “We made great attempts to try and increase voter registration. Did it always work? I think we have to say ‘no’ it clearly didn’t.

“In the sense that our efforts to increase voter registration were not as successful as we would have liked, we failed.

“But that can't be justification for the Government to review constituency boundaries while ignoring three million people not registered to vote.”

He added: “To attack us for not being successful is just playing politics with a serious issue – it’s childish and doesn’t serve the interests of democracy.”

Coaker schmoozes the chamber

I couldn’t put my finger on it at first, but there was something familiar about the way Vernon Coaker moseyed on over to the Government front bench and started chatting with his political opponents this week.

The Gedling MP had just been at the opposition despatch box, arguing with coalition ministers over the Government’s proposed Academies Bill.

It realised that the scene reminded me of something that happened at an election hustings back in May when Coaker as a sitting MP was faced with having to fend off a two-pronged attack from the Lib Dem and Tory candidates.

Before the debate Coaker went and sat next to the Lib Dem and started making small talk with her, building a sort of anti-Tory camaraderie.

By the time the debate started they were both all smiles – that was in stark contrast to the Tory candidate who was from the gruff angry-man stable of politicians.

The pair was also sitting on one side of the debate’s chairwoman – leaving the Tory candidate stuck on his own on the other side.

The visual effect of all of this was to make the Tory look isolated and unhappy, while making the Lib Dem look as though she approved of the Labour MP on a personal level. Needless to say Coaker won the hustings.

The Lib Dem later confided that afterwards she had felt “used” by Coaker. I chuckled at the time.

So it was that this came back to me when after the Commons debate this week Coaker wondered over and started chatting with the diminutive Lib Dem Education Minister Sarah Teather.

Coaker, who has positioned himself as one Ed Balls chief lieutenants, has a reputation as a big bouncer type of MP – but he’s got his sneaky side too.

If Balls does win the up and coming Labour leadership contest then Coaker could be in line for a top job.

Even if Balls doesn’t win, Coaker will still make a bid to be a part of the shadow cabinet and with the backing of Balls’ supporters has a half decent chance of getting in.

The issues that will turn the election...

“Will you shut up,” shouted someone from across the school hall last night.

I’ve a feeling there were several other people in the room at last night’s hustings who wanted to say the same to the woman, who’d been ranting about car parking charges.

“Ok, ok – I’ve had my say,” said the woman. Then she started ranting again.

The target of her abuse was the Tory candidate for Gedling Bruce Laughton, who is challenging Schools Minister Vernon Coaker for the seat.

It was a tough deal for Laughton. The Labour support had turned out and he was heckled from early on. But he didn’t help himself.

Gedling needed strong leadership, he said before adding, “like, take for example, myself.”

Wit, targeted aggression and accomplished argument are the way to face down a tough crowd. Laughton substituted all three for bovine stubbornness.

That’s not to say he didn’t raise some potentially good debating weapons, the fact that Coaker was Police Minister and Notts Police are in turmoil.

Or the fact that Coaker is now Schools Minister and some local schools are in trouble.

But he didn’t articulate them like he needed to, and made factual mistakes – including chiding the Labour County Council, when it’s actually Tory controlled.

When the crowd laughed at him after that one I’m pretty sure I heard him think “damn”.

It left it open for Coaker to talk passionately to a friendly crowd and win the night.

Gedling is one of those seats that will decide the election, the Tories need it if they are going to take a majority.

But it won't be economic policy that wins the day.

What was apparent last night is that it will be won on things like council car parking charges, the local school and a planned Tesco supermarket - these are the issues that will decide the fate of the nation.

Changing shape of midlands Labour

After seeing that three more Labour MPs announced they were standing down I thought I’d review the situation in my area.

When I say my area, I mean the areas of the newspapers that I write for – Leicestershire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and north Staffordshire.

When I started my job two years ago there were 28 Labour MPs out of a total of 40.

Eight of those have announced they are standing down – Alan Simpson, Paddy Tipping, Bob Laxton, Mark Todd, Tom Levitt, Patricia Hewitt, David Taylor (who passed away recently) and Liz Blackman.

I strongly suspect a further two, Geoff Hoon and Alan Meale, may also stand down soon.

That makes ten, about a third of the original figure, which will be replaced.

Another group of six, which includes two ministers, are in seats that are wobbly to varying degrees.

With the weakest majority first, they are: Andy Reed (1,996), David Kidney (2121), Nick Palmer (2,296), Charlotte Atkins (2,438), Vernon Coaker (3,811) and Judy Mallaber (5,275).

If we say it is probable that those with a majority of less than 3,000 could lose their seat it would mean four more MPs being replaced.

From the original 28 Labour MPs half would be replaced, either by a new Labour candidate or an opposition MP.

Civil liberties drip away

Alan Johnson will finally announce the Government’s proposals for keeping details of innocent people on the DNA database today in a written statement.

Given the contentious nature of the database you’d think they’d give people a chance to debate it in the House.

But on this issue they’ve not been shy about squeezing things through on the quiet where possible.

As expected Johnson will say that the Government wants to retain the details of innocent people on the database for up to six years.

It’s a course of action that goes against the spirit, if not the word, of a European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruling last year.

At the time when the Home Office was formulating its response to the ECHR Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker said the ruling did not strictly forbid the retention of those who had not been convicted of crimes.

Possibly not, it did however say:

“…the retention at issue constitutes a disproportionate interference with the applicants' right to respect for private life and cannot be regarded as necessary in a democratic society.”

Backwards Government decision making

I know this looks like a longy. But read on, it’s interesting.

There was a story in the Daily Mail today to which there are a few hidden details which merit an airing.

I actually thought the tale deserved a better show – it appeared at the bottom of page 19 and stated that a "leaked" e-mail had revealed ministers want to keep the DNA of innocent people on the national database for six years.

A bit of background – the Government has a huge DNA database which holds profiles of many innocent people, including kids.

Some angry people who had their DNA recorded by police despite never being charged with anything, took the Government to the European Court which ruled it was illegitimate for ministers to endlessly retain the DNA of innocents.

This blog revealed in March and showed again in April that then Home Office Minister Vernon Coaker was looking for ways around the European ruling, with the good old statutory instrument – a law which gets passed without a Commons debate – as the weapon of choice.

In other words, ministers have been planning to retain innocent people's DNA for months.

The "leaked" e-mail however, and I have seen the original, shows more than that. It reveals something that is as worrying as the Government’s desire to keep DNA.

The document shows that officials have been tasked, and are working hard, to gather evidence to back the Government’s chosen view point – that innocents’ DNA should be kept for six years.

I know it sounds benign, but actually it is very dangerous. It suggests there has been no investigation to find evidence to indicate whether it is a good idea to keep innocent people’s DNA.

Rather than the results of an investigation informing the Government’s conclusion, they have reached their conclusion and are looking for evidence to back it up.

It’s that kind of backwards decision-making process that leads to fiascos like the Iraq War's dodgy dossier.

On a lighter point the e-mail was not actually leaked, at least not purposefully. It was sent by mistake from a Home Office official to a lobby hack who happens to bear the same name as another Home Office official.

They tried to recall it several times in a panic, but it was too late. A wonderful gaffe.

Coaker makes impact

Minister Vernon Coaker had a grounding moment just now when he went to give evidence to the Children, Schools and Family Committee.

Just as everyone was about to get started chair Barry Sheerman MP commented that it was the first time Coaker had been in front of the committee in his new role as Schools Minister.

“Er, we were here three weeks ago chair. Nice to know we’re having an impact,” the minister replied to chuckles in the room.

Here y'go Vern...

Vernon Coaker is getting shunted across from the Home Office to the Department for Children, Schools and Families.

A position dealing with schools might suit him better given that he's a former teacher.

He'll probably enjoy it more than being Police Minister for two reasons:

1) He won’t find himself talking about unruly youths all the time…er, actually scratch that one.

2)He won’t have to deal with a huge, monolithic group of public servants, who believe they’re overworked, underpaid and working in an impossible system…oh. Scratch that too.

It’s apparently a reward for the Notts MP’s loyalty to Gordon. The ultimate bonus is that he gets to work under Ed Balls now – something we’d all give our right arms to do.

Hoon and Beckett will survive, says Lobbydog source

Lobbydog has been informed by a usually reliable source that Geoff Hoon, Margaret Beckett and Vernon Coaker will all survive any reshuffle.

If it plays out that way Hoon, Transport Secretary, will be the biggest surprise of the three East Midlands ministers.

His face has been in the Daily Telegraph recently more than most people's.

There have been rumours that Beckett, Housing Minister, may even get promoted back to full cabinet.

Police Minister Vernon Coaker has come out of the expenses scandal relatively unscathed.

Back benchers have told me, however, that only a sweeping change will suffice to get the party through the "next period of time".

If it’s not the cabinet, one said, it'll be Brown. So I’m not sure how wise keeping Hoon around will turn out to be for Brown.

His main plus is that he's been staunchly loyal - he was one of the few members of the cabinet appearing on TV defending the PM today.

PMQs: Too little, too late

I think after 50 seconds even Sir Peter Tapsell forgot the start of his sentence.

Cameron and Osborne were practically cracking up on the front bench while he asked his question.

Apart from such light entertainment PMQs was a bruiser for the PM today.

Brown actually appeared quite confident but the times are simply against him now.

Cameron had a dig about the departure of Blears and Smith, but didn't land the killer punch - as can be his habit.

Nick Clegg said Labour was finished and the real choice now was between the Lib Dems and Tories.

He was laughed into his seat, but that he could say it at all is telling.

Far more interesting was watching the cabinet and other ministers as they sat trying to look nonchalant.

The PM twice declined Cameron's invitation to say Darling would be in position next week.

Ed Balls sat down next to Alan Johnson. The Health Secretary refused to even acknowledge his colleague - he didn't look at him once.

Police Minister Vernon Coaker stood by the door biting his finger-nails and walked out half way through.

Labour's storm is breaking.

Policy from science-fiction

Lobbydog is disappointed but not surprised that the Government found a way round the European Court judgement on the DNA database.

Police Minister Vernon Coaker wants to keep the details of innocents for up to 12 years on the database.

The Notts MP's premise for this is that you will increase detection rates by having more details on the database – the thinking being that even if people have committed no crime they may commit “future-crime”.

Doesn’t that phrase sound like something out of the Minority Report?

Remember this - the Court's ruling said the Government's use of the database "cannot be regarded as necessary in a democratic society."

Ministers try to close stable door after RIPA horse has bolted

Today the Government kicks of a consultation about the use of RIPA surveillance powers - brought in some years ago.

The review is being headed by Notts MP and Police Minister Vernon Coaker and Local Government Minister John Healey.

Healey said: "These powers must be used in a way that commands the public’s confidence and should be used properly and proportionately."

Here's an idea. Why not decide who should have the powers and exactly how they should be used before bringing them in?

If the media hadn't exposed the misuse of RIPA I doubt ministers would have stepped in and voluntarily checked councils.

The ministers will write to council chiefs in a letter...

"use of covert surveillance powers to deal with minor offences such as dog fouling and littering, is not appropriate."

This is as close as we get to an admission that RIPA powers have been badly misused.

No more cash for coppers

The latest politician to ‘fess up’ that there is diddly squat left in the public purse is Police Minister Vernon Coaker.

The Notts MP told Lobbydog that there will be no extra cash-pots for historically under-funded police forces and that looking forward it’s all about being “efficient.”

That’s a blow for forces who reckon they’re not getting enough cash under the current Home Office funding formula.

At the moment officials work out how much cash each force needs to bring it ‘up to standard’ – but they then impose either a ‘floor’ or a ‘ceiling’ on how much funding can fall or rise within a given year.

The idea is that no force’s funding falls too quickly, avoiding instability, but the off-shoot is that no force’s funding rises too quickly either.

For those that have a historic shortage of cash it means it can take years to catch up with others. Such forces, like Derbyshire for example, have been pushing for top-up cash to their settlement.

But Coaker told Lobbydog: “There won’t be additional pots of money made available to bring any police forces up to the funding level they might get if the formula was strictly applied.”

But even after the current funding system expires in 2011 things are not looking bright.

“The funding figures are set for 2010 and 2011 and past that it’s difficult to see what’s going to happen,” Coaker said.

“But what everybody is saying is that you are not going to get to a situation where there are huge amounts of public money available.

“It will be about getting the most out of what has already been spent.”

Did we hear that? It will be about getting the most out of what’s already been spent. Where does that leave new proposals – on things like inheritance tax for example?

Innocents to be kept on DNA database?

The Police Minister gave me a clear sign today that the Government will try and keep collecting the details of innocent people on the UK’s DNA database – despite an EU ruling.

In December the European Court ruled it unlawful that the database held the details of two people who’d never been convicted of a crime.

One of them had his details taken when he was 11 after being arrested – but released without charge – for burglary.

To comply with the ruling the Government must now pass a law laying out how the database will change.

But this blog revealed how a row erupted last month after the Government decided to pass the law through a committee in which they can pack loyal Labour MPs, rather than through the Commons chamber – where it might face a high profile debate.

Opposition MPs told me they feared the Government was trying to “weasel around” the ruling – complying with it in word but not in spirit.

The ruling said:

The Court finds that the blanket and indiscriminate nature of the powers of retention...fails to strike a fair balance…the [UK] has overstepped any acceptable margin…

…the retention at issue constitutes a disproportionate interference with the applicants' right to respect for private life and cannot be regarded as necessary in a democratic society.

This morning Notts MP and Police Minister Vernon Coaker told me details of all those on the database under age ten had been removed. But he added:

"The ruling didn’t say retention - or retention after arrest – was wrong. But that we should have a clear policy of whose DNA was retained and how long we should retain it for.

"[The EU Court is] not against retention, even after arrest. They know that a significant number of cases – including murders and rapes – have been solved due to the retention of details of someone who was arrested and not charged."

The Minister’s words seem diametrically opposed to the European Courts’.

But given the ruling is a complex document it’s not inconceivable that they can somehow comply while keeping the details of innocents on the database.

Even if the database is useful, to deny the House the chance to debate it is scandalous.

Inside story on the DNA row...

There’s been a heated argument between MPs scrutinizing proposals to regulate the national DNA database.

At the centre is Notts MP Vernon Coaker, the Police Minister, who is being accused of trying to sneak through database regulation without giving Parliament a proper say.

Lobbydog first spotted the story in the Daily Mail today, and decided to give some members of the Policing and Crime Bill Committee a call to find out what really happened.

The UK is being forced to reassess its database after EU judges ruled in December it was unlawful to keep the records of innocent citizens.

Innocents make up one in five of those on the database.

Despite having known about the ruling since the end of 2008 the Government suddenly introduced an amendment to its Bill during recess last week.

That meant there would be just two committee meetings left, on Tuesday and yesterday, for opposition MPs to question that amendment.

The technical bit - the change means the Government will formulate its compliance with the EU ruling through statutory instruments (SI), not primary legislation.

Primary legislation goes through all the normal law making processes, being widely debated in the Commons, Lords and in committees.

But SIs are only debated in a special SI committee – in which Government whips are able to pack loyal MPs who won’t rock the boat.

The SI committee can approve the new rules, seeing them pass into law, without the issue being debated in the House.

Opposition MPs now expect the Government to try and stretch the EU ruling as far as possible in an attempt to maintain the size of the DNA database.

That is the kind of thing Ministers would be called out on if the rules had a chance to pass through the Commons.

Cops demand money back from Police Minister

Suffolk Police have apparently written to Police Minister Vernon Coaker asking for £160,000 to cover the cost of policing the PM's summer holiday last year.

The local paper is reporting that the Browns' visit during July and August led to a major security operation that stretched the force's meagre budget.

The trip was meant to boost tourism in the area - next year maybe they should just get the deck chairs out and sit in the back garden.

Sex offender and the Police Minister

Gob-smacking story of the week goes to the American sex offender who ended up working with Vernon Coaker, now Police Minister, in 2005.

Tim Russo (above), who bears an eerie resemblance to celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (below), lived in Gedling for six weeks working with Big Vern.

The Post reported that the Labour Party paid him expenses as a volunteer.

But as he wasn't getting a wage they didn't need to get him a work permit – which would have flagged up his offence.

It was BBC East Midlands that got the scoop, showing Russo had discussed sharing porn with a boy he met online in 2001 and arranged to meet him - only to find out that it was actually an FBI agent.

Police politics ditched

Plans to make police authorities directly elected have been binned.

It's a kick in the balls for the Government and Jacqui Smith who looked like they might ignore everyone's advice and push on blindly.

It'll also be interesting to see what Vernon Coaker has to say about the whole thing.

He was vehemently defending the idea not a week ago.

The question now - if they can turn on this, then on what else?

Last minute reprieve

The Police Minister called Lobbydog last night to point out that the MET's human trafficking team had been saved – for now at least.

The Post's parliamentary correspondent wrote a column about how officers were miffed that the team, which has fought crime very successfully, was going to be closed.

In it he looked at how Vernon Coaker, also Gedling MP, was going to have a tough time whatever he decided to do.

In the end the Government has found half of the funding to keep it going for one more year, the MET will pay the other half.

It's a stay of execution. But the problem will return for the team and Coaker next year.

P.s. Lobbydog took the opportunity to ask Coaker for a pre-Christmas interview about the use of statistics to which he agreed – watch this space.