Foreign Office seeks to reassure the US: 'We love you lots'

The Foreign Office has tonight hit out at the Wikileaks website, and directed diplomatic efforts to assuring the US that whatever awful things they have said about the Prime Minister, the former Prime Minister, the United Kingdom, or our Government really don't matter. It's all still 'cool'.

An FCO spokesperson said,

"We condemn any unauthorised release of this classified information, just as we condemn leaks of classified material in the UK. They can damage national security, are not in the national interest and, as the US have said, may put lives at risk. We have a very strong relationship with the US Government. That will continue”.

Well at least it's clear who wears the Daddy Pants!

Interview Transcript: John Whittingdale on Mrs Thatcher's Last Day

SD: It’s hard to believe that it’s 20 years ago since Mrs Thatcher left Downing Street for the very last time as PM. A man who had a fly on the wall view throughout that last day is her former Political Secretary John Whittingdale, now an MP and Chairman of the Culture, Media and Sports Select Committee. Can you explain, John, the events leading up to Mrs Thatcher’s resignation, and why she felt she had to go?

JW: Well, of course she was challenged for the leadership of the Conservative Party by Michael Heseltine, and her team was very confident that she would beat off that challenge, that she would win. When it came to the vote, although she did actually get more votes than Heseltine, the rules of the party at that time were that she had to achieve a certain majority and she just fell short, and there would have to be a second ballot. Initially she thought she was going to stand in that second ballot, but when she consulted her colleagues, she found that a lot of members of the Cabnet at that time were no longer willing to support her, and so she reached for the decision that she should resign.

SD These are my earlier memories of politics, and certainly made me realise my interest. To speculate for a moment, had Mrs Thatcher decided to stand in the second round, could she have won?

JW: We’ll never know the answer to that. Of course in the second round, she wouldn’t have to get that majority she needed in the first round.. In the second round it was whoever simply got the most votes. Now I think it is quite possible she could have done it, but I talked to her about it later, and she said, even had she won, it was plain there was such a division in the party , where a large number of Conservative MP’s had voted against her. She didn’t feel she could unite the party, and that would damage the party’s hope of winning the next election, and so, it was really for that reason she felt she should resign.

SD: Now of course, we hear the sentiment again and again that Mrs Thatcher divided opinion amongst the public, but of course she had some support. Would you run over the support she had in 1990.

JW: Well Mrs Thatcher was a divisive figure in that she had very clear vision which some people agreed with, and other people didn’t agree with, but she won three elections in a row. She was the first woman Prime Minister. She won the election in ‘79, and she went on to win the next two, which in that time was unprecedented. There was huge support for her in the Country, and particularly in the Conservative Party. I think almost all Conservative activists were horrified that she was treated the way she was , and of course within the Parliamentary Party, she did get the most votes in the first round, unfortunately it just wasn’t enough under the rules at that time.

SD How do you, and how does Baroness Thatcher feel about Michael Heseltine now?

JW Obviously a lot of water has passed under the bridge since then, but Michael Heseltine had disagreed. He’d left her Cabinet quite a little while earlier. She certainly knew that he didn’t agree with a lot of what she was representing and doing, so I don’t think it was a great surprise. I think she was much more disappointed about some of the people who were sitting alongside her in her Cabinet currently serving, who she expected to be loyal to her, and weren’t willing to do so.

SD Well as long as nobody mentions Ken Clarke, I think we’ll get away with it… Can I ask you John, obviously you were there on November 28th 1990, the day Mrs Thatcher went. Can you explain how the day unveiled, and when you first knew that she was leaving?

JW The last day when she did leave was a very sad day. She inspired tremendous loyalty from the people who worked with her, right from the people who were very close to her,, her Private Secretaries, but all the way through to all the staff who worked in number 10, and a lot of tears were shed that day..

Watch my report: Maggie Left Downing Street 20 Years Ago Today (SUN)

Margaret Thatcher left Downing Street for the last time as Prime Minister on this day, November 28th, 1990, following her resignation six days earlier.

The one time Deputy Prime Minister Michael Hezeltine mounted a Leadership Challenge, and though Mrs Thatcher secured the most votes from her MP's in the first round of the contest , she just missed out on achieving the majority she required under the rules as they were at the time.

Senior Figures in Mrs Thatcher's team tell me they advised the Iron Lady that they were confident of a victory in the second round, but mounting pressure from her husband Dennis, and her own feeling that any victory in the Leadership contest would be at the expense of her party's fortunes at the next election made her decision clear.

The following report was compiled for talkSPORT Radio.

Education White Paper: Angry MP's

There are a number of MP's ranting and raving at Mr Gove's Education Department this evening.

While I'm sure I will get an angry call as a result of this post, I say now what I will say to anyone who calls me, and that is that I believe the concerns I have had raised with me are genuine, and besides, it's been said on record in one case.

It's 21:28, and as of an hour ago, neither the Shadow Secretary of State for Education, Mr Andy Burnahm, nor an Education Select Committee Member had seen a copy of tomorrow's White Paper, let alone a draft.

Surely the Shadow Secretary of State, a Privy Councillor can be trusted not to blab? SURELY the Education Select Committee can be trusted not to blab?

MP's are VERY put out, and on this, they have a point.

A couple of things to watch

Influencial senior Tories are warning that the Chancellor's decision to go ahead with a bilateral bail out of the Republic of Ireland is "unwise" and "if he's wrong, the coalition will fall faster than Mark Reckless on a late night".

One told me, "This is the worst decision since Dave turned to Nick and said, I do".

... But none of this is to say that there's any danger of the coalition falling - it just means that Tory High Command need to be careful not to lose the support of their grass-routes.

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Make sure you check out William Green's Blog later @politicaleditor , he has a good on record quote that might upset 'the boss class' (to borrow that expression from Niall Paterson). Check it out just after midnight. It's a goody!

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I was alarmed to learn today that the Commons authorities are looking seriously at closing down the Press Bar and Cafe as part of a 17% cut in costs.

The final decision will be made soon, but there are a lot of unhappy journalists AND MP's who (understandably) see the move as revenge for the expenses revilations last year. In reality, I am sure that the House Authorities will act entirely correctly in investigating the move, which they say could save £155,000 per year, but any decision to close these facilities will give rise to suspicion that the Fourth Estate are being punished for exposing serious wrongdoing.

Fingers crossed eh!

David Cameron makes a 'new' Lisbon Treaty

David Cameron has repeated his pledge in Lisbon today that there will be no British Combat Troops in Afghanistan after 2015. He said, "This is a firm deadline we will meet".

The Liberal Democrats have (understandably) been putting major pressure on the Prime Minister to be so unequivocal, but MoD sources tell me they have "realistic concerns" that "circumstances could change" and "The Prime Minister's myopic approach may merely encourage terrorists to sit in wait" until forces are "weakened in Afghanistan for domestic political advantage".

Now if unforeseen matters arise that require the ongoing or returning presence of UK Combat Troops, the Prime Minister and his Government will look very weak, and words like, "circumstances have changed" and "we're where we are now" will be mantras that will be wearing jolly thin.

The PM's pledge has undoubtedly been made in part as a result of pressure from senior Lib Dem's, and I suggest because he thinks it's the right pledge to make, but it seems very odd that with so many unknowns that the Prime Minister would make such a HUGE rod for his own back.

There's a slight irony that the PM has made "a cast iron promise" whilst in Lisbon don’t you think?

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PS - for the inside track on NATO, and all matters defence, add @niallpaterson (Sky’s Defence Correspondent) to your timeline.

Contracting out Commons Catering

The Mail on Sunday takes a look at suggestions that a new Commons food taster could be paid around £500 a day.

It was decided before the election that the House was charging too little for food, and since the election, some MP's have been squealing like stuffed pigs... mind you, they have a point... the quality of nosh has most definitely declined, but it's ok, help is at hand... the local Tesco Express, right outside Portcullis House has a £2 meal deal where hungry Parliamentary Passholders, and non Passholders alike can bag themselves a moderately nice sandwich, a bottle of water or fruit juice AND a packet of crisps. If I'm not entertaining, that's exactly what I do, and it has to be said, the food is of a better quality outside the Palace than it is inside these days.

The aim of the Administration Committee was to save £500m on the catering budget, but according to some MP's, the way things are going, the eateries just aren't getting used and economies of scale just won't be made unless prices start to drop.

Frankly, you probably care about the cost of a cuppa in the Commons slightly less than I do, which is not much at all, but how about contracting ALL catering in the Commons to outside, independent companies? Commercial outfits are simply going to make sure they sell decent food and drink at reasonable prices, otherwise they sink. So how's about it? Why's this a bad idea?

Thank you Katie Marley

talkSPORT guest Katie Marley, who appeared on my colleague Ian Collins (@collinslateshow twitter tag) show last night has said some very nice words about me here

I have never met Katie, but the cheque's in the post.

I haven't been tweeting nearly enough lately - not for any reason of laziness but because I'm getting used to my new Apple Keyboard.

Anyway - today has been an excellent day in many ways, and Katie's comments top it off nicely.

Oldham East and Saddleworth

“This verdict is a historic victory for the people of Oldham East and Saddleworth, a victory for fair play and a victory for clean politics.

“Anyone who knowingly lies to the voters or looks to set constituent against constituent has no place in a democracy.

“I hope this judgment makes it very clear that if you deceive your constituents you should be kicked out of Parliament.”