Saturday 7 June 2008

Another example of the nanny state?

I couldn't believe what Peter Spencer, Sky's political correspondent, said on an earlier bulletin about Caroline Spelman. I paraphrase, but only slightly - he said that while what Spelman is alleged to have done was 'a bit worse than leaving the house without plumping the cushions', it wasn't 'as if she had actually trashed the house'. Let's get this clear - it's alleged she used public funds to pay her nanny's wages. The nanny herself, on Newsnight, said that she had answered one or two phone calls from MPs, but basically, she did 'nannying'. (Spelman says the 'nanny' did secretarial work during the day.) If the allegations are upheld, then it's very serious - and not in any way comparable with plumping or not plumping cushions. Someone else on Sky was obviously equally unimpressed by the acuity of Spencer's political analysis, as they've stopped running that segment now.

P.S. Come on James! Leap to your Party Chairman's defence!

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