Minimum Wage

So when it came to the crunch the Tories bottled it and pulled their bill to allow opt outs of the minimum wage.

This campaign was led by Labour with the redoubtable John Prescott in the lead.

It seems quite amazing that this should be still an issue so long after the original battle was fought and won.

I guess it goes to show that the Tories instincts are always the same.

MP's Expenses

Is part of the problem the emergence of more career politicians who have moved from university to the Commons via Political Researcher or some other party apparatchik role.

Therefore their approach is to maximise their income much as employees do by working for benefits such as overtime and expenses.

Historically particularly on the Labour side have been miners and railwaymen who have seen entry to the commons as a privilege and an honour rather than promotion to a better paid job.