Freemasonry in the lobby

Posted by Martin Stabe on 23 February 2006 at 16:40
Tags: Express, Mirror, New Statesman, Press Association, Times

Writing in the New Statesman, associate editor Kevin Maguire of the Daily Mirror notes the Masonic goings-on in the Parliamentary press gallery:

I read in the minutes of the parliamentary press pinny boys the names of an old Times hand, a couple of ex-Express scribes and my former boss at the Press Association news wire, yet disappointingly none of the Gallery galacticos. Word was that the masons operated two lobby lodges, so perhaps chapter 1928 is the retirees. Anyone who’d like to peruse what this funny-handshake brigade got up to at their 366th convocation should get in touch.

Surely Maguire refers to the minutes of lobby hacks’ Masonic lodge, which, as our very own Axegrinder recently reported, were accidentally e-mailed to MPs by former Daily Express political editor Rob Gibson.

Maguire should get in touch with Paul Linford, who noted that the Westminster hacks’ Masonic lodge was a major topic of gossip during his time as a lobby correspondent.

Tags: Express, Mirror, New Statesman, Press Association, Times