Permanently thirsty correspondent Bill Blanko finds lobby lunch guest speaker Peter Mandelson claims to have reinvented himself

The season of drinks and lobby parties is a chance for Whitehall to keep its enemies in the press close – and for the PM's wife to Tweet about it all

I'm starting to feel sorry for the PM's spokesman, who this week tried valiantly – and loyally – to explain what Gordon Brown meant by a '0% rise' in spending

Our thirsty lobby correspondent Bill Blanko enjoys the first drinks party of the summer (thanks to Ben Bradshaw) but is startled by an outburst by Tom Watson

Our thirsty lobby correspondent Bill Blanko muses on the differences between the Tory chairman, Eric Pickles, and the prime minister's new spokesman, Simon Lewis

Bill Blanko: Am I going to lose any sleep over the souring of relations between MPs and lobby journalists because of the expenses scandal? Hardly

Bill Blanko: A Downing Street reception starring Alastair Campbell? Almost, but not quite, just like old times

Bill Blanko looks back fondly on an era when journalists could claim almost as wildly as MPs

Lobby correspondents, sketchwriters and MPs were all guilty of rolling on their backs like puppy dogs to have their tummy tickled by the actor-turned-campaigner this week

Well, Mrs Blanko always did like those No 10 drinks parties, muses Bill Blanko

Bill Blanko: I lost count of the number of times the Sunderland MP uses the word 'loathsome' to describe the press

Bill Blanko sips his pint of Alton's Pride, wondering which other journalists ought to have an ale named after them

Special relationship? Not between the president and the lobby

Bill Blanko: Post office part-privatisation partitions press

If I'd heard this news first, I would have filed it to Red Top Towers as a Bill Blanko exclusive

While snow kept some of Bill Blanko's lobby colleagues away from Westminster this week, nothing was going to keep show-off business journalists from their moment in the spotlight

Their lordships need to put their own house in order before they start meddling in the affairs of the lobby, writes Bill Blanko