A liar or a cheat?

The truth about the influence that Stephen Byers has had in changing Government policy and whether he has gained financially, we shall probably never know. But why should he have volunteered such information? The Education Minister, Kevin Brennan, in a fine demonstration of the "Queens English" taught in schools today, said that Byers was "bigging himself up". Was Bryers' statement the truth, an exaggeration of his own importance to gain employment as a lobbyist or was he merely trying to impress the female undercover reporter he was talking too. Whichever explanation is correct, and I would put my money on a combination of the last two, he is clearly not the sort of chap you would wish to hang the title of "right honourable" on.

Even suggesting that one would be willing to attempt to influence a Government Minister for money should be enough to result in dismissal and removal of any further right of access to Westminister. If General Gordon (Brown) vows to fight on to the end, is the likes of Stephen Byers the sort of chap he would want to see watching his back?

having watched the "dispatches" programme on TV last night I am even more convinced that Byers was "Bigging himself up" a bigger prat is rarely seen, even amongst MPs. Hoon, came pretty close in the weasel words stakes, a 100% weasel if ever you saw one. I would like Channel 4 to tells us whether there were any MPs that they approached that turned down their approaches. It does seem surprising that all of the MPs approached were willing to sell their souls for a mess of pottage. Is the rush amongst their fellow right honourables to distance themselves from those discovered with their snouts in the trough a genuine revulsion or are they just relieved that their own dodgey dealings, or willingness to partake if asked, has not been disclosed?

Is this the Mother of Parliaments we have been told is the envy of the rest of the world?