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Wednesday, 20th June 2007

Why I went to the Levy party

8:58pm

Interesting row brewing over at Guido Fawkes. Should I and other hacks have shown our faces at the Lord Levy party last night (see my earlier post)? Yes, of course. That's the point of access. You go along and then you pass on what you find to your readers. Which is why I went and reported back to Coffee House as I did. Which is also why (I happen to know) the bloggers are petitioning for lobby credentials that will give them the same rights as print journalists at Westminster: quite right, too. Guido suggests that my going to the party might compromise my coverage of any trial involving Levy. Er, I don't think so. The Spectator has scarcely done the Government or Lord Cashpoint any favours during the loans-for-honours furore and I was personally ticked off by an ally of Levy for running a piece by Fraser last May which reopened (sensationally, in my view) the question of His Lordship's connections with the Hindujas. And there was me thinking Guido liked a party....

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Disraeli's Ghost

June 20th, 2007 9:08pm Report this comment

I hope you took a long spoon with you

Toby Belch

June 20th, 2007 9:08pm Report this comment

Maybe, you should have taken Guido as your plus one?

Anon

June 20th, 2007 11:41pm Report this comment

Would you accept an honour from Blair, though? And if not that, why hospitality?

Iain Dale

June 21st, 2007 11:50am Report this comment

I;m not sure who these bloggers are who want a lobby pass. I think you are putting two and two together. On behalf of 18 Doughty Street I applied for a lobby pass - not for myself but for a political correspondent. In their wisdom, the Serjeant at Arms turned the application down. More on that anon. Apart from Guido Fawkes I don't know a single blogger who wants a lobby pass. I certainly do not!

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