Tie-d Vote.

Drumlanrig says, "Des Browne's right-hand man, John McTernan, was stopped from entering the gallery above the House of Commons when he pitched up without a tie. One of the penguin-suited attendants looked despairingly at the veteran adviser, saying: "You should know the form by now." The quaintly old-fashioned rules in the Palace of Westminster say that men must wear a jacket and tie – until the heat of summer when a notice goes up allowing men to remove jackets, but not ties. A spare tie, which by a minor miracle happened to match his polo shirt (yes, a polo shirt), was conjured up and the now suitably dressed McTernan was allowed in to witness the joys of Scottish Questions."

He really should know better. Mr Smith reads speculation in PR Week that Mr McT is looking for another job outside of government because of the poor performance of Mr Brown's Labour Government. Preferably a job that doesn't involve having to wear a tie we guess.