After all Labours pledges to have more open government in their manifesto they still are refusing the SNP and Liberal parties access to Scottish Office civil servants and economic information there that would help these parties prepare for the Scottish parliamentary elections next May (1999).

This is very Thatcherite of Blair, he who controls the information flow controls everything....

James Scott, a former senior figure in the Scottish Office, has levelled the criticism at Blair saying it is accepted practice to give more than 4 months of access to civil servants before elections.

Then again, anyone with any sense sees Blair for the Janus he is. Smiles one side and sleaze the other.