Bet she's not smiling tonight.

Well, TR predicted this would all happen. Yeap, the expenses saga well and truly arrived.

Look what happens the minute exam season starts. Only a minor revolution in Parliament. Some will say this is hyperbole. Bull shit.

The speaker has gone.

MPs are positively shitting themselves (just look at that gob-shite Hazel's responses today. She'll be lucky to be merely deselected. I swear she once oversaw prison reform. With any luck she can have a first hand experience).

Dave is having a field day, appearing slightly less doused in the shite than Gordon. Calls for an election seem the order of the day. Expect it to become a mantra.

Labour is in open rebellion. Watch things get even worse as the likes of Field and Co battle it out for the speakers role.

All of this and there's plenty more around the corner as individual MPs realise just how dangerous a popular mood of discontent will be. TR was slightly amazed to hear the predictions of at least 1/3 of the current MPs not returning after the next election.

And, to top things off today, Tory Bear have an excellent scoop - if it's true. Nick Brown, Brown's own enforcer, needs a bit more time with the tinernet. Oops.



All in all, the shit really is hitting the fan.

++All shit has hit the fan++

Edit: The Sunday Times has full details of the emails and a great deal of their contents.

Jesus, the story goes, was nailed to the cross tomorrow and passed over. Tomorrow, I suspect, Damian McBride shall be nailed to the Sundays. He won't pass over quite so easily.

What a holiday story.

In essence, Guido Fawkes has used this slow news weekend to break the story that Mr McBride, and his Downing Street email account, have been rather naughty. It seems the grand scheme was to smear several Conservative MPs (including Cameron and Osbourne) with stories relating to their personal life. Rather graphic stories at that too. One MP is said to be considering legal action.

Expect full details in the News of the World and The Sunday Times.

This email was sent to Derek Drapper, amongst others. This is the same man who denies any involvement with Downing Street's backroom staff. His proposed new site, 'Red Rag' was where the smears were intended for. The site and the smears have not, until now, come to fruition.

ToryBear nicely highlights this story.

However, it is the mere plotting and planning of McBride from the Downing Street bunker, being one of Gordon's closest allies, which shall do so much damage. It already comes on warnings that the coming election shall be the dirtiest to date.

Expect plenty more tomorrow morning and a fair few red faces all round.

'They are all at it'

Image courtesy of the excellent Beau Bo D'or blog

"They are all at it". That was the headline of the Daily Mirror until about three hours ago. This has subsequently been changed.

Must have taken something big to change the lead story, surely?

You'd be right. As predicted last week, it looks as though the proverbial shit is hitting the fan. And all in time for the G20. Gordon must be happy.

Already tonight Hazel Blears has apologised for incorrectly claiming travel expenses. Guido Flawkes has lots more details on this story, but it basically looks as if she's been claiming near £500 per journey.

LabourList feature a quote, although not a direct response to the story yet, regarding the hands in the till syndrome seemingly sweeping through Parliament.

"Sleaze is eating away what's left of Labour's authority. Increasingly, voters feel MPs are only in it for themselves, and every new horror threatens another Labour seat. Of course, the Tories are as bad. But Labour supporters expect better of the people's party, and to be seen as sleazy as the Cons is cold comfort".

Kevin Maguire

Ouch. Has Maguire, basically the cheer-leader of Labour, really come to that conclusion? He is right though.

Newsnight have also ran with rumours circulating Westminster tonight. Could there possibly be a Tory moll within the Parliamentary authorities? I suspect there probably is.

But mole or no mole, this does not detract from the underlying story. Although I suspect many MPs shall be hoping it does. MPs, desperate to avoid being publicly outed, are now heading hands over heals to avoid the situation Smith, Blears, McNaulty and Conway have all found themselves in.

Expect plenty more from across the floor yet. Expect the government to look increasing red-faced and expect Gordon's own standing to drop even further. I'll update this as it develops.

Smith allegations merely the tip of the iceberg

Smiths been caught at it. Well rather, her husband has been caught at it and then invoiced the tax-payer for the pleasure.

The Home Secretary today announced that she would repay an invoice from her husband and parliamentary aid to pay-per-view porn films.It comes only weeks after Smith was challenged over the second home allowance she has drawn from her second home, incidentally her sisters. This wouldn't be so bad if fellow minister Tony McNulty hadn't been found with his hand in the till as well. It comes as a particularly virulent period of 'sleaze' for the Government.

Remember the same thing happening towards the end of the Major government?

It is with all of this in mind that the comments of Diane Abbot seem particularly pertinent. After Easter the initial Freedom of Information Act request for Parliamentary expenses reaches its culmination. This shall see the publication of thousands upon thousands of receipts.

As Abbot intuitively notes, don't expect a few porn films for the Home Secretary's husband to be the worst of it.