David Ottewell's Politics

Friends forever: Cabinet ministers (and grown men) Ed Balls and Andy Burnham
I’ve just been talking to culture secretary Andy Burnham about today’s announcement that £225m will be spent on thousands of new playgrounds, including in Greater Manchester. He had some interesting stuff to say about modern society tends to “wrap children up in cotton wool”. More on that in the paper tomorrow.
During the conversation, we got chatting about how, in recent years, it seemed like children had stopped going out to play and instead sat inside playing video games, using computers, or just watching TV.
“When I was eight or nine or ten we used to have five-day test matches,” he said. “We would disappear at 9 o’clock and then we did not come back.”
Now I’m a professional – really I am – but I was this close to saying: “That sounds brilliant! We should do that now!”

The anti-congestion charge coalition has been making waves. But it seems its influence hasn’t yet spread to Facebook:

One member? That’s right. Step forward, Stephen Morris, of the English Democrats:

Surely Facebook isn’t an entirely pro-toll zone?
Anyway, for comparison, here’s another group with just one member:

And here’s one with a mighty six:

Still waiting for the pieces to settle after the elections in Zimbabwe. Amid all the sound and fury, I’ve asked my old friend Petina Gappah to provide some much needed insight. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, you should read her blog here. Immediately.

Lord Davies: a steadying influence in the middle
The House of Lords has been discussing the fact footballers employed by foreign teams who play games in the UK face paying British taxes.
Lord Davies of Oldham confirmed this was the case, but said it had never previously prevented high-profile matches being granted to British stadiums:
“The Government do not withhold tax from payments made by non-UK football clubs to their employees when they play for their club in team competitions in the United Kingdom. Non-resident footballers may be liable to UK tax on payments relating to games played in the UK and would have to complete a tax return for any UK tax liabilities arising. The legislation and its implementation have remained unchanged for many years.”
A number of peers who spoke in the debate declared interests.
Lord Falkner of Worcester informed the chamber he was vice-chairman of the Cardiff Millennium Stadium. Lord Triesman declared an interest as the chairman of the Football Association.
Baroness Noakes, the Conservative’s shadow treasury minister in the Lords, then got to her feet.
“My Lords,” she said, “I declare no interest at all in football…”
Lord Lawson of Blaby – formerly Tory Chancellor Nigel Lawson – argued that the real problem was “not that taxes in this country are too high for professional footballers but that they are too high for everyone”.
Lord Davies responded: “I knew that the noble Lord would express sympathy for professional footballers on £180,000 a week or more…”