Amanda Platell

Watching brief - Amanda Platell enjoys a great Fleet Street scoop

• 03 November 2003

The Mirror's serialisation of the Paul Burrell book is right up there with the biggest Fleet Street scoops of all time. And it was good old-fashioned journalism that secured it

Watching brief - Amanda Platell on lost sheep and royals Down Under

• 27 October 2003

On Australia's main news bulletin, Tony Blair's health is slightly less important than the story of some lost sheep. But Diana's letter to her butler hits the headlines

Watching brief - Amanda Platell watches IDS get a good kicking

• 20 October 2003

Charles Moore wonders whether it's possible to find anybody better to serve as Tory leader. That's as good as it gets for IDS in the right-wing broadsheets

Watching brief - Amanda Platell changes her mind on Cherie's guru

• 13 October 2003

I had always attributed great survival skills to Carole Caplin, the woman who rubbed mud into Cherie's butt, but since she attacked Lynda Lee-Potter I doubt my judgement

Watching brief - Amanda Platell faintly praises the laploid Indy

• 06 October 2003

As I write on my little laptop, it occurs to me that the new, miniature Independent is not a tabloid but a laploid - convenient at times, but never your first choice

Watching brief - Amanda Platell fears for the Independent

• 29 September 2003

Most Independent readers wouldn't be caught dead reading a tabloid: the snobbery of the British is never more evident than in their choice of newspaper

Watching brief - Amanda Platell compares Portillo to Cary Grant

• 22 September 2003

Most parliamentary sketch-writers aim their work at the aficionados, of whom there are few; the Times's new writer has a homespun wit that appeals to the common person

UK Politics

Watching brief - Amanda Platell likes new Labour's new man

• 15 September 2003

Sky's Adam Boulton was wise not to work for Blair. He would have been branded new Labour for ever. All political careers end in failure, but not necessarily journalistic ones

Watching brief - Amanda Platell tells Blair to take his hands off Today

• 08 September 2003

If Blair really means what he says about ending spin and creating a new openness, he should start by taking his grubby hands off the Today programme

UK Politics

Watching brief - Amanda Platell advises Cherie to shower with Tony

• 21 July 2003

My spin-doctor advice to Cherie: stop the "I'm no Supermum" speeches. To women who raise families on less than you pay to have mud rubbed into your butt, that's obvious