Once a Tory...

The Times provides further evidence of how tories are seeking to be New Labour with a story about how they have allegedly tried to butter up Blairite Lord Levy, who keeps being rude about Gordon Brown.

Quite why the tories would think someone as discredited as Levy to be asset is beyond me.

A further drop of sense

Meanwhile, Tim Hames in the Times asks if things are really so bad for Labour:

The opinion polls that are noticed are from YouGov, which put the Conservatives 14 or 16 or 18 points in front; while the less fantastic figures from all the other pollsters are considered inconsequential. MPs who once loathed Lord Levy will treat him as an oracle on the subject of the Prime Minister after his revelations at the weekend.

It's going to be very interesting if/when YouGov's national and London Mayor polls turn out to have greatly exaggerated the Tory lead.

Pots, kettles, etc

It's not clear why Patrick Wintour in the Guardian has reheated yesterday's story about Tony Blair saying bad things to Lord Levy about Gordon Brown. Perhaps it's so he can promote Blairite favourite David Miliband to the front of the story.

It has to be said that Tony Blair calling anyone a liar takes some nerve...

In typical BBC style, the state broadcasting service presents the story from the government's point of view:

The prime minister has dismissed suggestions by Labour's former chief fundraiser, Lord Levy, that Tony Blair believes he cannot beat David Cameron.