Any More for Any More?

David Cameron's political judgement has been twice called into question since the release of the tape showing Tory Party Treasurer, Peter Crudas, offering access and policy leverage for £250k a pop.

First, for hosting these dinners for donors at No.10, although such grandstanding to big business is rather in the Conservative DNA. But secondly, to try and fob off the media and the opposition these were entirely "private" affairs and we should all just cut along and mind our own business.

Does he need reminding he is in public office and No.10 is a public building? When he did take advice and shoe-horned a confession into a speech to a dementia charity later, he played it as if they were three dinners for some old friends. Then refused all questions. These old chums are all immensely wealthy and between them have shoved £10m to the party. A very bad stink, by any measure.

He had not the balls to face the House and flicked the ear of (millionaire) Francis Maude to defend the indefensible. It was Maude who seven hours earlier, on R4's Today, had dismissed the issue as "nonsense" despite the implication from Cruddas he was able to break the law and accept foreign donations. This picture does not quite capture how sick Francis looked at the dispatch box. A lamentable performance, where he spent nearly all of the time talking about Labour in spite of gentle reminders from the Speaker the purpose of a Ministerial Statement was to set out Government policy and answer questions on it.

Milliband annoyed him thoroughly following on from his successful attack on Osborne and his inequitous budget. He is building a theme here and an old familiar one at that: Conservatives can't help protecting the privileged and the powerful.