The glass houses of parliament

The Labour Party is most exercised by the news, broken by the Spectator, that Economist journalist Christopher Lockwood has been appointed to the Downing Street Policy Unit. Poor old Lockwood is charged with being a bit posh, knowing David Cameron personally and attending a good school. This amounts to a crime against humanity in Labour land.

Rent-a-quote Rachel Reeves, who moonlights as shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, took time off her maternity leave to lambast the elitist chumocracy at the heart of Dave’s government. All of which is a bit rich because the Labour Party indulges this particular establishment vogue to a tee.

Rachel Reeves’ sister Ellie is on the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee (NEC), and her boss Ed Balls is married to the shadow home secretary. Had Reeves been indisposed, we may have heard from Harriet Harman (Old Pauline, like Lockwood). Or we might have had to endure the dolorous tones of Harman’s husband Jack Dromey, who became a Labour MP after the NEC secured his selection for the 2010 election campaign.