Closed circuit

Shadow housing minister Grant Shapps is launching a Christmas Appeal - aimed specifically at you, dear reader.

He wants the housing sector to come up with a snappy title for his upcoming pamphlet, a collection of his recent speeches, which is due out ahead of the winter break (you read it here first).

It shouldn’t be hard to top Shapps’ own suggestion for the work: ‘Stocking fillers for everyone you hate.’ Answers on a postcard please.

Housing minister John Healey was giving a speech at an event on co-operative housing, when a mysterious voice spoke from on high.

It turned out to be a ghostly announcement coming over the loudspeaker system from another room, thanking people for attending the ‘universal peace federation session’. Mr Healey wisely didn’t try to fight the vibe and promptly sat down. Peace indeed.

Staff at the Homes and Communities Agency had to prepare from home last week for their press conference on the quango’s annual achievements, after their London offices were hit by a power cut.

We felt a twinge of pity for the handful of staff left to answer the phones in the dark, as the agency’s plans were thrown into chaos by the glitch.

Still, good to know that if public sector funding really gets tight, the HCA can carry on in difficult circumstances.

We can’t let a Closed Circuit go by without a plug for our favourite new campaign, ‘Operation Pink’. Peter Marsh, chief executive of the endangered Tenant Services Authority, has been seen flashing his socks at various events around the capital.

Closed Circuit was treated to a playful raising of his trouser leg, to reveal a shocking pink-clad ankle. Another perfect find for the Christmas stocking, we think.

Continuing with the early Christmas shopping, we received some welcome advice from HM Treasury this week, which seems to be getting into the right frame of mind for the pre-Budget report.

This week’s lecture by a distinguished visiting academic is called Scroogenomics: why you shouldn’t buy presents for Christmas. Pink socks and Shapps pamphlets all round then.

Send your juicy gossip to closed.circuit@insidehousing.co.uk