Family business November 8, 2011

George Papandreou, the embattled Greek prime minister has agreed to stand down and hand power to a government of national unity (to be headed by Lucas Papademos). The Times notes that Mr Papandreou is a member of ‘one of Greece’s leading political clans. His father and grandfather have both been prime minister.’ (The Times, 8.11.11)

The King and M August 13, 2010

Another “How they are related” snippet: Dr Miriam Stoppard is Oona King’s aunt: OONA King, the former “Blair babe”, has a secret weapon up her sleeve in her bid to become Labour’s next London mayoral candidate — the unswerving support of celebrity agony auntie Miriam Stoppard (Miriam’s sister is Oona’s mother). This is London (London [...]

Vulcan pinched December 6, 2009

‘And so ended the political career of one of the Bush ideologues [Scooter Libby], part of the original neoconservative group known as the Vulcans who advocated an aggressive foreign policy, in particular the invasion of Iraq.’ The Guardian, 7 March 2007, ‘The CIA agent, her husband and a leak… how high-flying Bush aide fell to [...]

Big Sleep, small world December 5, 2009

Lauren Bacall, the American actress who played opposite Humphrey Bogart in film noir classics such as The Big Sleep, is a cousin of Israeli politician Shimon Peres. Lauren Bacall was born Betty Joan Perske. Her mother Natalie Weinstein-Bacal legally changed her name to Bacall (adding an extra “l”). Her father was called William Perske. They were [...]

Rip, mix and burn December 5, 2009

Mixed metaphor ‘Mr [Tobias] Ellwood [Tory MP for Bournemouth East] said: ‘For Des Browne [the then Defence Secretary] to hide behind the smokescreen of red tape is totally unacceptable’. London Metro, 14 September 2007,  ”Cover-up’ row over wounded’ Mr Ellwood gloriously mixing his metaphors here.

How they are related (continued) November 27, 2009

‘Elisabeth Murdoch, her husband PR maestro Matthew Freud, and Ruth Rogers, owner of the dining room for everyone important, the River Cafe [and wife of the architect Lord (Richard) Rogers], pooled their impressive address books to organise an inauguration party yesterday afternoon.’ The Guardian, 21 Jan 2009, ‘[Richard] Curtis [screenwriter] leads Notting Hill celebrities in raising [...]

A new P2 November 27, 2009

I just received this message from WordPress.org and initially thought it referred to a supposed reincarnation of the Italian Masonic lodge whose members in the 1980s included at least one of Tony Blair’s close personal friends. The reality is somewhat less cataclysmic: WordPress has a novel group blog theme, which goes by the name of P2.

Myrobella November 27, 2009

‘The constituency home of Mr Blair when he was MP for Sedgefield.’ London Metro, 9 October 2007, ‘Blair security to be stood down’ (The article relates that ’2 sergeants and 23 constables provided round-the-clock security at Myrobella’.)