THE recently married John F Kennedy jnr is still the biggest social catch in New York and when that glittering media couple Harold Evans, of publishers Random House, and Tina Browne, editor of Vanity Fair, secured the acceptance of the person who was at the top of their guest list they were more than pleased. The occasion was their recent celebration party for the visit of the new British prime minister, Tony Blair.
Imagine their consternation then when they were instructed by Blair's handlers that Kennedy had to go if their guest of honour was to appear at all. Why? Because the late US president's son attended last month's funeral in Co Laois of Patrick Kelly, who died of cancer shortly after the success of a long campaign to() release him from prison on health grounds. He had been sentenced to 25 years for attempted murder and possession of explosives in England.
Like good socialists everywhere Evans and Browne obeyed the party bosses and disinvited Kennedy. How they managed this is unclear and would certainly be worth knowing.
It is rumoured across the Atlantic that Evans has his eye on becoming British ambassador to Washington, The couple are big Labour fans who have even formed a branch of New Labour in New York, into which they have drafted a number of starry people. A bit ironic really when citizens of the UK cannot join the British Labour party, old or new, in the North.