UK'd Middle East Policy in a "safe pair of hands"

Mrs Margaret Beckett the 63 year old Foreign Secretary, whose office adjoins that of midget Karaoke King, The Lord Levy, Tony Blair's "personal envoy" to the Middle East, is said to have used the single expletive illustrated when handed her red box of office.

Since then she has left it to Tony and My Lord Levy - who let's face it, so far has done a damn fine job for the guys back in Jerusalem. The Guradian has a damning indictment of Mrs Beckett's time since appointment - they don't mention my Lord Levy's part in the affairs of State. Since his kidnapping by the Met. things seem to have gone rather quiet on that front - and will no doubt continue that way.

Questions asked about the performance of Beckett

· Foreign secretary too inexperienced, say critics
· Knowledge of Middle East affairs causes concern

Ewen MacAskill and Will Woodward
Tuesday August 1, 2006
The Guradian

The grumblings within the Foreign Office are getting louder. Officials complain the Israel-Lebanon war has brutally exposed the inexperience and inadequacies of Margaret Beckett as foreign secretary. Read on.

Sounds as if she has a greater grasp of Middle Earth, than the Middle East