'Kinell: someone hold my coat. If I have to see Hazel Bleugh's ratty little face trying to pathetically regain the moral highground, I will deck her, I really will...

[LupusinaLlamasuit]

I have lots of time for the New Labour project, and indeed for Red Gordon. But to see the lot of them fecking slugs crowing on TV about paying the money back is almost more immoral than stealing it from taxpayers in the first place.

Why couldn't she have just gone off quietly and paid it to a charity? Instead she brazenly gives a press conference bleating that 'all she cares about is what people think and what they think about her'.

FFS

Attempting to milk public sympathy for your sudden conversion to morality is a MASSIVE own goal. Sorry Gordon, but you're gonna need to bring back Campbell to add to Mandie to get your PR out of this one.

Massive. Own. Goal. And revolting. IMHO.

I don't care whether they broke the rules or not because they broke the spirit of the rules thus showing themselves to be completely morally bankrupt.

I would like a list of MPs who have stuck to the spirit of hte rules. It won't be a long one methinks.

fuckity fuck: another one I need to punch. Bleating on about how terribly hurt he is by all this, as he coughs up his 41 grand.

What happened to probity and standards?

mmm little rat face is good but Mrs Pepperpot is better

The thing is, as various people have no doubt pointed out (sorry if I'm repeating), that they're now all so busy jumping on the grovel bandwagon and condemning their own outrageous greed....but what if all this HADN'T come out (and don't forget, they made strenuous efforts to keep it all secret)? Would they have voluntarily fessed up, admitted they were a bunch of slimy self-serving twunts, and paid the money back.

Silly question. Of course they damn well wouldn't.

And yes, Hazel Blears. Words fail me. Lucy Mangan in the Guardian memorably called her 'the offspring of a squirrel and Jane Horrocks'. She is unspeakable.

I like Jane Horrocks (despite her adverts).

And yes, paying the money back says you are guilty. The least they could do is show a bit of shame and remorse instead of turning it into yet another photo opportunity. This lot really are the pits.