Back to School

Aaaaahhhh. Nothing quite like that first day back at school and this term promises to be one of the more exciting. Just when they thought it was safe to go back in the water it turns out some students had returned early for a rooftop protest and more impressively, Sir Thomas Legg has handed in on time his holiday assignment inquiry, "What to do about the expenses thing".

Sir Stuart Bell's comments on Legg's homework indicate we have much to look forward to. Bell sits on the "Commons Members Estimate Committee" and told the BBC yesterday, "He's not respecting the decisions that were made by the fees office in accordance with the rules at the time." - almost entirely missing the point - the rules at the time (as devised and abided by the right honourables) were bent and in any case, when an MP signed off their expenses, they were confirming they "incurred these costs wholly, exclusively and necessarily to enable me to stay overnight away from my only or main home for the purpose of performing my duties".

Another member of the committee said Sir Thomas had been “overzealous, misdirected and has exacerbated a situation where we were hoping to bring closure”. Of course you were hoping to bring closure, sadly, we never got any so an exacerbated situation is what you've got to look forward to.

106 MPs have announced they won't be standing again in the next election.

Much gnashing of teeth/merriment awaits.