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Ruddy hell

Britons whose knowledge of Australian dining habits is based largely on the bush tucker trial sections of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! will be appalled to learn that this is yet another deception foisted on the public by ITV.

Australians, if the latest hit video on Youtube is to be believed, are shunning locusts and witchetty grubs in favour of something altogether more familiar: ear wax.

Kevin Rudd, the leader of Australia's Labour Party and prime ministerial hopeful in the forthcoming federal elections, has been caught on camera enjoying a nugget of his own waxy secretions during question time in the House of Representatives.

The blond would-be leader is shown in the background inserting his finger into his ear and having a good rummage as a fellow representative attempts to make political capital out of a scandal involving leaflets. With admirable insouciance, he then slips it into his mouth and, after a pause, smacks his lips.

It is unclear whether Waxgate will affect the outcome of the elections, but it is not the first time a leading Australian politico has impressed with his ability to consume. Bob Hawke, who served as PM from 1983 to 1991, entered the Guinness Book of Records for downing two and a half pints of beer in 11 seconds.

What Sam said afterwards

David Cameron has just finished his speeech, to a enthusiastic reception in the hall.

Afterwards, Mr Cameron could be heard asking his shadow cabinet if he had done all right as the crowd burst into an ovation at the end, according to the Press Association.

“Was that all right?” his microphone picked up. Shadow ministers could be heard saying “brilliant”, "unbelievable” and “very good”.   

He asked his wife, Samantha, the same, adding: “I love you babe”. Moments later, he said: “Ahh, I’m knackered."

Pleasure Palace

Tuesday afternoon, and to the Pleasure Beach. A remarkable number of members of the media decided to do the same, not least Guy Black, the Telegraph spinner in chief. No politicians yet, though...

New Tories, old priorities.

The touchy-feely veneer of the Tory party is wearing thin. The hall is virtually empty for the international development debate going on now

Ming stays home

Another sign of election fever - Ming Campbell was planning to go to the US this week. But he has abandoned his plans, preferring to stay in the UK. "He is very much in Blighty while Brown dithers" says a spokesman.

Labour relishing hack exhaustion

It can only be a matter of days before we find out whether there will be a November election. But one things is sure: the Labour party is relishing the fact that the campaign will come straight after three weeks of party conferences, and the exhausted press corps will be in no mood for charging round the country. "It will mean you will write what we say", one Labour official said, smirking.

Osborne's promise

Every good speech at Tory conferences for last decade have been jokingly seen as a leadership bid. Today's performance by George Osborne certainly qualified after it spectacularly won him the affections of delegates.The loudest cheer of the conference so far went up when he delivered the line: "The next Conservative Government will raise the Inheritance Tax threshold to £1 million."