Be careful who you invite to dinner

Poor Margaret Hodge - all over the news for a few indiscrete remarks about Iraq at an Islington Fabian Society dinner.

Perhaps it was not that sensible of the Islington Fabians to give a ticket to the man who broke the story - Eric Gordon. Eric edits three of the most lively, intensely political and investigative local free newspapers in the country: the Islington Tribune, Camden New Journal and West End Extra.

But he ain't exactly a fan of the moderate wing of the Labour Party - there's more about his political background here - living in China in the '60s, he was "fundamentally sympathetic and supportive of Mao" (until put under house arrest) and admits he had "taken part in the whole Cultural Revolution" (charming - as it involved the deaths of several million innocent people).

Eric must have thought it was journalistic christmas when Margaret started having a go at Blair's foreign policy.

If the Islington Fabians would like a speaker who actually supports Blair's foreign policy and is in favour of "moral imperialism" (assuming she meant exporting democratic values) I would be happy to oblige - as long as I get to choose the restaurant. Journalists welcome and on the record.