Sarah Vine's battle of the Notting Hill diaries

Times

2 days ago

As Sarah Vine, the ex-wife of the ex-minister Michael Gove, publishes her memoir, it seems clear that the phrase 'With friends like these, who needs enemies?' was made for the Notting Hill set. The book is throwing fresh paraffin on the ashes of Vine's friendship with former-PM David Cameron and his wife Samantha, and things can only get bitter. So, is it coincidence that the former Evening Standard editor and sister of Sam Cam, Emily Sheffield, has now scheduled a big party to clash with Vine's book launch on June 19? Other groups might settle things physically, but this lot believe the only appropriate way to clash is in the diary.
Johnson's busy night
'I feel very popular,' says the columnist Rachel Johnson, who is one of the many who will try to keep both sides of Notting Hill happy on this forthcoming night. She even has a third clash: June 19 is also her brother Boris's birthday. At least we can be sure that neither the Camerons nor Michael Gove will be having to decline an invitation for that one.
Turquoise blues
Reform UK are so good at winning elections that they're keen to rerun them. A number of their new councillors have already resigned and triggered by-elections, at the cost of thousands of pounds — something Reform's Doge squad could perhaps turn their attention to. Even the party's election campaigns are proving chaotic. In Higham Ferrers, North Northamptonshire, they have nominated three candidates for a two-member ward, splitting their own vote and ensuring that at least one of their people goes home disgruntled. Or maybe this is a valiant attempt to avoid yet another by-election. According to Election Maps UK, one of Reform's three nominees will not take their seat if elected, because they have moved to China. All this from the party of common sense.
History mystery
Academics can never be too careful with their words. The historian Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads, told London's Institut Français that his book was sailing high in the bestsellers list when a historian he respected called him about a 'problem' with the book. 'Is it too popular?' Frankopan whispered, aware that this could be a cardinal sin in academia. 'No,' said the elder. 'You should have called it 'A New World History', not 'A New History of the World'.' Frankopan (not unreasonably) asked: 'Are they so different?'. The don huffed 'It's like night and day!' and hung up. Frankopan still wonders about the difference.
Chip out of the blocks
Perhaps we do live in an era of gentler politics. After Saturday's TMS mentioned how Will Self and Mark Francois narrowly avoided an on-air fight, my attention was directed to an incident from 20 years ago where the Labour MP Steve Pound and the Tory MP Philip Davies debated the death penalty on Talksport (you read that correctly). The two resorted to fisticuffs, were broken apart and then resumed when out of the studio. A source says that the pair were finally separated by someone who 'displayed more intelligence than either of the respected legislators'. This was Chip, a guide dog who belonged to a producer, who could see that the two MPs were barking.