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	<title>Westminster Blog</title>
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	<link>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster</link>
	<description>Jim Pickard and Alex Barker share the latest news and gossip from the UK's political scene</description>
	<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:12:25 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Fantasy politics edition II: Mandelson for EU High Rep?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/VNQkxr3Fo5Q/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/fantasy-politics-edition-ii-mandelson-for-eu-high-rep/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:12:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12501</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We&#8217;ve already run some wild speculation on this blog about Mandelson eyeing up David Miliband&#8217;s seat in South Shields. But Westminster is a fast moving place and in the last 24 hours the plot has thickened significantly. Forget South Shields &#8212; does the First Lord have his eye on a more European career path?
On Friday [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Further Reading</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/S2IDCL7-iZs/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/further-reading-32/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:48:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Pickard</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A partial farewell to the spectacular Roger Helmer - at least from the (Brussels) Tory front bench. (Here is a reminder of his insightful contributions to the Conservative conference last month). The NHS-hating Dan Hannan has followed suit.
David Cameron promises to maintain a steel ring for Sun readers
The Standards and Privileges Committee comes under fire [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Gordon’s dodgy jobs claim</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/ydcXFnuxpIs/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/gordons-dodgy-jobs-claim/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:55:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Pickard</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12481</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There was a report a few weeks ago that Alistair Darling was uncomfortable about having to repeat the claim that &#8220;up to 500,000 jobs&#8221; had been saved by government interventions since the credit crunch.
The Mail on Sunday claimed that Darling had argued against Gordon Brown&#8217;s entreaties to repeat the figure more often.
You may remember that [...]]]></description>
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		<feedburner:origLink>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/gordons-dodgy-jobs-claim/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>Fantasy politics edition: Mandelson for South Shields?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/_Ei5E_ginZc/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/fantasy-politics-edition-mandelson-for-south-shields/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:43:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Labour]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Mandelson]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12301</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My colleague Matthew Engel once joked that Peter Mandelson&#8217;s career was &#8220;the greatest political story yet to be told&#8221;. Every improbable twist seems part of a carefully laid plot. Could he really go on to become Labour leader? It is a big stretch to even imagine the scenario. But that shouldn&#8217;t stop us from trying.
Now [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/fantasy-politics-edition-mandelson-for-south-shields/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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		<item>
		<title>Why do relatives receive higher bonuses?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/dey589fji-I/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/why-do-relatives-receive-higher-bonuses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:41:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12411</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[There are convincing arguments for and against the ban on family members. Many spouses do an extraordinary job. But even their supporters are often surprised to hear that almost a third of MPs put a family member on the Commons payroll. As Sir Christopher Kelly said today, it is out of step with most organisations [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Kelly on Harman’s change of mind on spouses</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/gjG1so3YHzc/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/kelly-on-harmans-change-of-mind-on-spouses/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:57:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12391</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Kelly certainly pulled no punches, particularly when it came to his dealings with the political class. He kicked off his press conference by blaming the party leaders for leaking incomplete accounts of his report and causing &#8220;distress&#8221;. He went on to suggest that none of the leaders were able to give him a straight answer [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>MPs still don’t get it?</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/yoL4V9kqFZE/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/mps-still-dont-get-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:46:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Jim Pickard</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12396</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[An excruciating moment after PMQs when the Speaker announced the appointment of Sir Ian Kennedy* as chair of the new IPSA expenses regulation body.
The announcement - and the fact that the professor will be paid up to £100,000 a year - was met by MPs with catcalls, jeering and laughter around the chamber. As Sir [...]]]></description>
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		<item>
		<title>Kelly on ‘wife swapping’</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/b0ra5DEiSWU/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/kelly-on-wife-swapping/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:19:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12381</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was a long, long press conference that was half empty by the end. But for some reason Sir Christopher Kelly never called on me during the Q&#38;A. Perhaps he knew what I was going to ask: has the Committee come to a view on wife swapping?
This is a pressing issue for the 200 odd [...]]]></description>
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		<feedburner:origLink>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/kelly-on-wife-swapping/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>The axe man cometh</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/xDXY49RRwMY/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/the-axe-man-cometh/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:05:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[UK politics]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12366</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So Sir Christopher Kelly has spoken. Here are some of his key recommendations and his response to MPs&#8217; gripes:
&#8211; Bad day for homeowners. MPs will not have to shift into rented accommodation for five years. But any capital gains on homes from today until 2015 should be paid back (apparently HMRC can easily work out [...]]]></description>
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		<feedburner:origLink>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/the-axe-man-cometh/</feedburner:origLink></item>
		<item>
		<title>Cameron and the Zagreb Zigzag</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ft/westminster/~3/n-6f8kPGMXY/</link>
		<comments>http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/2009/11/cameron-and-the-zagreb-zigzag/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:08:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Alex Barker</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Conservatives]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Lisbon treaty]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blogs.ft.com/westminster/?p=12171</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[David Cameron will tomorrow raise the bugle to his lips and sound the retreat on the Lisbon treaty referendum. But he&#8217;ll tell his troops that they will fight another day as he pledges to repatriate powers. One thing to look out for is when he plans to trigger a formal re-negotiation and how. We&#8217;ve had [...]]]></description>
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