Sisters at War
News reaches me from numerous sources of a great row at the Guardian's women's dinner on Sunday night.
These occasions are strictly women-only, I'm told, which meant that not even Jacqui Smith's two male detectives were allowed into the room, and so had to sit patiently outside whilst the seven Guardian women and their 15 Labour Party guests wined, dined and talked.
At one point Polly Toynbee raised her favourite topic, asking whether Labour should increase taxes for richer people, as she argues passionately.
Jacqui Smith said she thought this was a terrible idea, a great betrayal of everything Labour had promised and stood for since 1997.
She was backed by Ruth Kelly, and I'm told, Tessa Jowell, who warned that if the rich had to pay more tax they would all flee to New York.
Several backbenchers made the case for higher tax, and interestingly they were joined by at least two rising stars form the junior ministerial ranks - the Solicitor General Vera Baird, and Harriet Harman's deputy Helen Goodman.
They both said Labour should pay a lot more attention to its grassroots supporters.
It all got very animated, exposing huge divisions within the government, on what's a big issue at the moment.
Eventually, having led the anti-tax forces at length, Jacqui Smith got up and announced she had to go.
Then, as she was walking out of the room, she turned and pointedly said to Vera Baird, "I hope you don't think I'm leaving because I'm in a strop, because I'm not!"
Update
Another source has since told me she reckons that Jacqui Smith walked out in anger at what her ministerial colleagues were saying.
I'm Michael Crick, and I'm Newsnight's political editor. My guiding rule is that in any story there's usually something the politicians would prefer the world not to know. My job is to find that out. Follow me on
Comment number 1.
At 23rd Sep 2008, JunkkMale wrote:I have been pondering a collective term for our current Government of all the talents...
Maybe it could be a 'Flounce' of Ministers?
Though 'Strop' is also good, unless you happen to be one of those being governed by this 'meritocratic-that's-not' system we now have to call democracy.
I'll have to check with my wife, when she gets back from real work, and we go over the finances and budget. Oh, the empathy....
'Sisters, keeping doing it...'
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Comment number 2.
At 23rd Sep 2008, Steve_London wrote:Interesting , were waiters allowed in to serve the food or were they banned too ?
What does the Minister for Equality (cough) and Minister for Women (both Harriet Harmon) think about her juniors attending such a dinner ?
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Comment number 3.
At 23rd Sep 2008, barriesingleton wrote:DID I MISS-UNDERSTAND?
I'm having a 'What have the Roman's ever done for us' moment.
Government women in a single gender meeting? You will be telling me next there is a Black Policemen's association (do they have a black policemen's ball?) What next - an exclusive London club where women are excluded? Surely that would be challenged by Harriet and her ilk. Are there still ladies only carriages on the tube? I know I keep having to walk in the road to avoid the cyclists on the pavement, but you can take segregation too far. This IS Britain.
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Comment number 4.
At 23rd Sep 2008, busby2 wrote:Ah, the hypocrisy! These are just the sort of people who would condemn male only clubs as sexist but see nothing peculiar about attending functions in which men are strictly excluded! And to think that one of those attending was Mrs Jack Dromey, the Minister of Equality!!! She clearly doesn't believe in equality by attending a women only meeting, does she?
Could it be that the real reason that Jacqui Smith's male detectives were excluded was to ensure that no men saw what complete ti*ts they made of themselves.
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