THE former Lord Speaker has hit back at Michael Gove’s suggestion that the upper chamber be moved to Stoke-on-Trent during upcoming parliamentary repairs. Lord Fowler accused housing minister Gove of making a “cheap political point”, which risks delaying the works on the “dangerous” Westminster estate. “I think he should get on with building houses, which is his job,” he told us.
Fowler suggested both houses move to Birmingham. Yesterday there was a lively Lords debate on the move, which may be to the nearby Queen Elizabeth II Centre, run by Gove’s department. In a letter, current Lord Speaker Lord McFall said it was “highly questionable” that the Lords and Commons be in different places, given they work together.
Regrets? Fergie has had a few
THE Duchess of York hinted at regrets while promoting the paperback of her Mills & Boon novel. “It’s been an extraordinary journey. I’ve lived every girl’s dream. I became a princess. And with it comes some things you have to learn to navigate better perhaps — which I could have done many times,” she said. Ferguson, still close to disgraced Prince Andrew, wouldn’t reveal if the Queen has read the tome: “I’m not at liberty to say.”
Fashion crew boxing clever
FASHIONISTAS Philip Sallon and Tatyana Kodzayeva got their gloves on to cheer on Ukrainian designer Lilia Litkovskaya’s show at Kornit Fashion Week yesterday. A tearful Litkovskaya told us she would like to thank the British audience for “what they do for my country”. Designer Joshua Scacheri welcomed Jordon Wi-Fi to his show at Freemasons’ Hall. Later, Gemma Collins launched her New Look collection in Belgravia alongside partner Rami Hawash and Love Island’s Kaz Kamwi.
LABOUR’S Lisa Nandy voiced her frustrations at the Keir Starmer beergate row last night. The shadow foreign secretary told a Political Party podcast audience that the debate over whether Starmer had broken rules while having a curry last year was “nonsense”, and sighed: “The future of this country is at stake and we have to fight through that wall of noise that everything is the same.”
PETER ANDRE reacted gracefully when Rebekah Vardy’s harsh comments on his anatomy resurfaced at her Wagatha Christie libel trial last week. Now it seems the Mysterious Girl singer is turning away from meat altogether: he’s helping to host an invitation-only vegetarian BBQ lesson in Stoke Newington next Wednesday. No chipolatas here.
