Mr Timney and Mrs Palm

Complete with her five lovely daughters.

This story will be covered pretty much everywhere; I have little to add. Suffice to say that I have no objection to Jacqui Smith's husband having a quick one off the wrist; what I do absolutely object to is him billing the taxpayer for the cost of his cheeky hand shandy. 

No doubt there will some obtuse, hyperactive and grossly misleading interpretation of the rules that will show that this is A-OK - in terms of the regulations involved, rather than the ethics. But it really, really isn't. And there can be few more resounding condemnations of the attitude of our ruling clique than the realisation that we have paid for the husband of the Home Secretary to have a wank. 

In fact, it could be a great slogan for the Libertarian Party - "Don't want to pay for Jacqui Smith's husband to pleasure himself? Vote LPUK."