Pandora: Look away now! It's Brown, naked and angry

(REUTERS)

Batten down the hatches! After spin doctor Lance Price's account of Gordon Brown's agitated behaviour at No 10 which was serialised in The Independent, the Prime Minister has been nervously awaiting Andrew Rawnsley's book, The End of the Party, which documents the slow decline of New Labour since 2001.

Now, the Conservative blogger Iain Dale is offering a tasty preview of what – in his words – "may or may not be" in the tome. The incident in question concerns the notorious "snub" delivered by the US President Barack Obama during Brown's visit to the UN in New York last year. At the time the Prime Minister – never noted for his serenity – was said to have taken out his annoyance on his amiable political adviser, Stewart Wood.

Indeed it would appear that those reports may have been understated. Writes Dale: "Brown was furious that his spin doctors had 'allowed' the story to get legs. Sitting naked in his hotel room he allegedly screamed at Wood, 'You're a c***', and proceeded to abuse another member of staff, calling him an 'even bigger c***'." Charming! We rang No 10 for a response though, funnily enough, none came.

Never too good for a bargain, eh?

Good to see Louis Walsh's (presumably) sizeable X Factor salary hasn't stripped the music mogul of his nose for a bargain. He was the last to leave Sony Music's Brits after-party, making the most of the company's hospitality (not to say the dancefloor) for a good hour-and-a-half after his award-winning boy band JLS had headed home for their beauty sleep.

"I hope there are some goody bags left," he quipped as he made his exit. "I only went for the goody bag." Didn't we all?

Liam looks back in anger

Peter Kay took a well deserved pop at Liam Gallagher at Tuesday's Brit Awards (describing the Oasis frontman, with remarkable precision, as "a knobhead").

It's not the first time the pair have exchanged unkind words.

Kay memorably cracked a joke about Liam's choice of a long, white fur coat at the NME awards ("Me mam has been looking for that coat"), prompting Gallagher to issue a string of expletives.

"Liam hasn't got a sense of humour, full stop," explained his exasperated brother Noel at the time. "If you're a northern guy about our age, you can't not like Peter Kay!"

Economy class! Whatever next?

Sir Nicholas Winterton doesn't sound too sorry to be stepping down from the House of Commons at the forthcoming general election. "They want to stop members of Parliament travelling first class!" he splutters in the current issue of Total Politics.

"That puts us below local councillors and officers of local government. It infuriates me!" Naturally. Sir Nick is used to rather better things; until recently he had been having his rent, given to his family trust, paid by the taxpayer. Such a sacrifice!

What's occuring, Geri Halliwell?

"I just wanted to say that Gavin & Stacey is one of my favourite shows, ever," gushed Geri Halliwell on meeting well-upholstered funny man James Corden (she had sent an aide over to request an introduction). "Wow, it's so great to meet you. If you ever make any more, call me and I'll be on it." The admiration wasn't, it seems, entirely mutual. Watching the former Spice Girl return to her posse at EMI's Brits after-party, Corden giggled. "Did that really happen? Geri Halliwell just asked to meet me? She seems a bit bonkers."

pandora@independent.co.uk