Gerri Peev: Queen, cops and the constitution

TRUST Dennis Skinner, the Beast of Bolsover, to inject even more colour into the ridiculous spectacle of the Queen's Speech.
As the silent procession piled into the Commons chamber, the known republican shouted out "any Tory moles in the Palace?" Even the most senior stuffed shirts could not help smiling at that one.

On other constitutional matters, earlier this morning, the acting Met Police chief defended the officers who raided the Commons and constituency offices of Damian Green, along with his homes. Acting Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson has denied that any politician sought to inflict "improper influence" on his charges. But one does wonder why the police themselves are carrying out an inquiry into their own operation, particularly given the discrediting of the internal serious case review at Haringey over Baby P. Whatever happened to parliamentary sovereignty?

Peter Mandelson (who looks ever so at home in the Lords today amongst all the pomp and ceremony) makes an astute if inflammatory point: the furore could be a smokescreen for the Tories alleged collusion to breach the law. And just where was all the fuss from the Tory side about a police state when Labour aides and even the then PM, Tony Blair, were being grilled by police over the cash for honours scandal?

Sad news from my colleague David Maddox about culls at the Tory press office. It is by far the slickest of any of the party press offices and its press officers are more often than not helpful. Not so long ago staff at Tory HQ were the envy of other party workers as they were receiving bonuses. Now it's P45s.