The doorkeepers dressed in white tie and tails have historic rights to enter the Commons chamber and committee rooms bearing

The doorkeepers, dressed in white tie and tails, have historic rights to enter the Commons chamber and committee rooms bearing the messages. Most senior MPs still prefer to receive messages in this way and Mr Benn believes the doorkeepers’ services are “incalculable”.uMEANWHILE, ALAN Duncan, Conservative MP for Rutland and Melton and the junior Tory spokesman for trade and industry, failed in his own attempt to apply the provisions of the Electronic Communications Bill relating to the conduct of MPs during committee sittings on the Bill.Anxious to make his own contribution to modernisation, he was pleased to note that, for the first time, the committee clerk was using a lap- top computer and then asked the chairman, John Maxton (Labour, Glasgow Cathcart), if he could do the same. Over 100 MPs have signed a motion tabled by Mr Benn, who raised the matter in the Commons with Margaret Beckett, the Leader of the House. His motion, meanwhile, “regrets that this contrasts with the wide and imaginative range of reasonably priced, quality products in the House of Lords shop”.uTONY BENN, Labour MP for Chesterfield, is leading the fight to retain the present complement of Commons doorkeepers, whose numbers are under threat from the outgoing Serjeant at Arms. He has used the Commons order paper to criticise the stock of the House of Commons souvenir shop, which he derides as “bland, limited in range and in many cases over-priced”.

But when it comes to Christmas goodies – chocolates, booze and general kitsch – for deserving family, friends and constituents, Mr Mackinlay believes that the Upper House is the winner. Prime ministers love to spring surprises – and don’t forget, the new Blair babe will look so photogenic next October.uDAVID AMESS, Conservative MP for Southend West, has proved that genuine persistence pays. Using the regular recess adjournment debates which take place before Easter, Whitsun, Summer and Christmas recesses, Mr Amess has spoken on every occasion for two years arguing for funding to re-open the Palace Theatre in Southend – to the point of boring ministers and MPs rigid.The saga has taken on soap-opera proportions but Mr Amess has won his battle and declared, in triumph, that the theatre opened last Wednesday. Sadly, Mr Amess, was unable to attend the gala performance of A Christmas Carol because he was delivering the glad tidings to the Commons.uANDREW MACKINLAY, Labour MP for Thurrock, has a long history of opposing the House of Lords, to the point of advocating its complete abolition. Yet in most weeks, Mr Hague and his team have been determined to wipe all these issues from the public consciousness by an orgy of near- suicidal self-inflicted wounding. Two brilliant performances by Mr Hague during the Queen’s Speech and this week’s exchanges with Mr Blair have been utterly squandered. Mr Blair is a truly lucky politician but even his luck must eventually run out.

Normally it is governments which need time to recover from mid-term blues.The last thing Mr Blair wants is to give time for the Tories to recover So next year might well be election year. PARLIAMENT BEGAN winding down for the Christmas break with Tony Blair on the back foot over his failure to deliver his “Year of Delivery”. An opinion poll yesterday saw 49 per cent of respondents opining that Mr Blair has not delivered. William Hague’s spirited attack at question time shows how the Prime Minster skates on thin ice for not keeping his promises.
If there were an effective opposition, Mr Blair’s government would be on the rack: this year was characterised by embarrassments over the London mayoral contest, Europe, beef, taxation, class sizes and hospital waiting lists. It will eventually return to Glasgow, birthplace of Alexander Bain, the inventor of the fax machine.Cardiff will host the Millennium Bug Ball where 25ft tall mechanical creatures will dance beneath a sky filled with light from an illumination and fire show.In Newcastle a parade of giant caricatures of Geordie characters will be accompanied by 150 drummers. Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral will host an all night vigil while an estimated 35,000 people enjoy a tented street party.The most unusual celebration will probably be in Allendale, Northumberland, where villagers will walk the high street with burning barrels of tar on their heads..