Is he today’s biggest loser from the expenses fracas?

This is David Miliband – third favourite in the betting to succeed Gordon Brown as leader of the Labour party and someone who less than a year ago looked as though he might succeed.

How the party must be relieved today that his half-hearted bid for the top last July/August fell flat? For otherwise party spinners would have to be explaining such things as why he’d sought to reclaim from us tax-payers the cost of a pram and other baby essentials.

The fact that even these claims were too much for the commons authorities shows what a complete political dumbo he is. For an ambitious politician has to assume that everything linked to his political activities, and beyond, are fair game and could be open to scrutiny. A basic requirement is to have the acumen to know what will look bad. David Miliband failed big-time and his hopes of even higher office must now be over.

Just ask how could someone who occupies one of the great offices of state. Foreign Secretary, did not think for just a few seconds how appalling his expenses would look if ever they got to be published? It just beggars belief that he thought he could get away with it.

Also what does it say about his approach to public spending when even his gardener was questioning whether he all the work that tax-payers were funding was required?

Let’s salute those MPs of all parties who have played fair and let’s hope that they get their rewards.

Mike Smithson