Chewing the fat with the PM

It doesn't look quite as good in the photo as it tasted. But let me assure you that this bacon sandwich was a very welcome sight after an early start to catch the 7am train up to the Labour Party's London HQ in Victoria Street.

What on earth persuaded Henley to get up at such an ungodly hour?

The Prime Minister asked me to come.

Yup. An invitation from Gordon Brown to meet with him for an hour's off camera briefing is not something to be passed up. So yesterday I found myself along with fifteen or so regional journalists on what was also a test run for the facilities to be used for the morning election press conferences.

More on that at the end. But first let me tell you about the question I asked the PM.
It became clear early in the hour that we'd only get one each, so I was thinking carefully.

I'd be interested to hear your comments, below, on what you would like to ask, but I plumped for some clarification on the budget announcement that a third of civil servants were to be moved out of London and the South East.

The PM thought this unlikely to include Ministers' offices as suggested in some newspapers, though he's still keen on the cabinet meeting in the regions. The PM told me:

"I think you're more likely to see regional cabinet meetings outside London. That's the best way forward. But in this new digital economy there are much easier ways for ministers and officials to work than simply having to meet each day. "

And It seems the heat is off government departments in places like Fareham, where the Office for National Statistics employ 900 people, Gordon Brown suggested that in the current climate it wouldn't make sense to uproot existing departments. In fact successful "campuses" of civil servants in the South East could be expanded, if it led to a reduction in costs.

"There are huge opportunities with the revolutions in technology that we're seeing. We have new ways of making policy using things like virtual forums."

That's a refreshing change from the time when the presumption was against any new public jobs in the South-East of England, even the many places with competitive office and staff costs and a need for redevelopment.

Of course this could all be turned on its head in a new government, and there's still a strong case for investing in the North of England and the nations, but it's a valuable insight into changing government thinking.

So quickly back to the bacon sarnies. They were accompanied by a fine mug of coffee, and a rather too New-Labour fruit on a stick thing (I'd eaten it by the time I thought of taking a picture!).

Some of the hacks with me reckoned they could get a competition going with the Conservatives and Lib Dems as the election campaign unfolded.

But my next stop was unlikely to be part of any bidding war.

This was a launch of The Taxpayers Alliance's new book, pictured left, How to Cut Public Spending, and Still Win The Election. And lavish is not their style - a nice plate of choccie biccies was a reasonable, but not extravagant touch.

But they are big believers in the competitive market. Perhaps we could get this refreshment bidding war going, after all.

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