Blackout

In his leader's acceptance speech in May 2007, Gordon Brown promised "a different type of politics – a more open and honest dialogue". I thought it might be interesting to put this to the test, so I've uncovered one of Gordon Brown's own expenses receipts, officially published yesterday:

Stupendous, readers, eh! :-)

And he's not the worst offender. The most blacked-out MP is Shahid Malik, who resigned a few weeks ago as Justice Minister but who has now popped up again as Communities Minister (whatever on Earth that is), despite claiming the most expenses of any MP in Parliament and being under investigation for incredibly dodgy accounting. Still, I suppose it'll be less embarrassing to Jonah Brown when Malik is frog-marched away by the police, as Communities Minister, without him being the horribly Orwellian titled "Justice Minister". Now that would have been funny.

Still, I wonder why he re-appointed Malik at all? Couldn't Jonah have just ennobled another one of his mates? But seeing as Malik is the first ever Muslim minister, who can deliver hundreds of thousands of Asian votes in the next election, the new bedrock of Labour support, I'm sure some other important reason of talent and probity must have emerged.

Not that Gordon Brown is a rancid lying hypocritical Stalinist crook, of course, whose fingers turn everything he touches into dust.

It wouldn't be that at all.