THIS week Burnley MP Peter Pike was able to play at being his great friend Foreign Secretary Jack Straw as he guided Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf round Westminster.
The busy Labour backbencher was shepherding the West's most important ally in the war against international terrorism round the House of Commons as organiser of his visit to the all-party Pakistan group of MPs.
But as he put it: "I found things did not go to plan. I greeted President Musharraf at the North Door of Westminster Hall surrounded by Special Branch and bodyguards to take him to the Attlee Suite in Portcullis House where we expected a huge gathering to be waiting for us.
"We were swept along by those seeing to our safety - of which there were quite a number!
"The front door of the suite swung open for us. The President and I entered - to an empty room! I don't know whose face looked the most shocked. "They had taken us one door too far. I said to the President that even the best laid plans go wrong and he laughed.
"The meeting was actually a tremendous success with about 160 MPs present plus the media.''
Maybe Mr Pike should have consulted Mr Straw who could have told him after his difficult visits to Iran and Israel that dabbling in Foreign Affairs is a risky business! Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson is obviously taking her campaign to ban the use of hand-held mobile phones by drivers seriously. She has not only this week introduced a Bill on the subject but has even changed the message on her answerphone.
Now callers to her mobile when it is not switched on are told in her dulcet tones:"I'm sorry I can't take your call because I am driving.
"Please leave a message after the tone and I'll ring you back when I am stationary''.
Talk about attention to detail!
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