It's Seems a Bit Iffy - To Say the Least

Being a friend of Nadine Dorries pays well.

Mrs Dorries, a conservative MP, is currently under investigation by the Commons sleaze watchdog regarding her expenses.

New figures released by the Parliamentary authorities yesterday showed Mrs Dorries claimed £17,825 to pay her close friend's marketing company between July and December last year. The MP for Mid-Bedfordshire also paid £34,000 to her friend between September 2008 and June last year - making a total of more than £51,000 in 15 months.

Her friend, Lynn Elson, runs her company Marketing Management (Midlands) Ltd from her home in a small village in the Cotswolds. Accounts filed in August show it had assets worth £4.427. The house is yards away from a tiny lodge-keeper's cottage that Mrs Dorries tells the Parliamentary authorities is her 'main home' for expenses purposes.

Most MPs have a constituency house and a flat in London. Mrs Dorries's designated 'main home', however, is 90 miles from Parliament and 55 miles from her constituency. MPs are supposed to designate as their second home the property where they stay least often. Neighbours have previously alleged that Mrs Dorries spent most of her time at her constituency house.

I'm not saying her financial claims are iffy, only suggesting there's a definite whiff of the unusual about it all.

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BBC Question Time - Dunfermline

David Dimbleby, Ian Gray, Nadine Dorries

Nicola Sturgeon, David Steel, Bruce Anderson

Purely by chance I happened to watch Question Time tonight and it held my attention for the whole 50 minutes.  Would that be Ian Gray's first appearance on such a programme?  Somehow I think it was.  He really has to stop reading from a script although I admit he improved as the programme continued.  Constantly looking down to read is off-putting to viewers who may well be entitled to think he didn't have a good grip of the subject.

Why was Nadine Dorries shipped up from England and with little or no preparation?  She didn't even know Rosyth existed and admitted that. Not good from the Tories.  What's wrong with an MSP being on the panel; I suggest Derek Brownlie.  Do hope someone in the Scottish tory party reads this because I'm more than sure my tory friends will say the same.

In the past I've criticised David Dimbleby for side-stepping Nicola Sturgeon, but he certainly didn't do so tonight.  She is such a steady performer and never disappoints.  Even the most anti-SNP viewer must agree.

David Steel loosened up and by the end almost looked relaxed.  Last time I saw him was a couple of years ago at Stobo Castle, but he had reserved the posh suite and didn't emerge to mix with the hoi polloi.

Tonight was the first time I've seen Bruce Anderson although I've read his work and heard him on radio.  I like his direct responses and his common sense - that doesn't mean to say I agree with him!

Three questions stood out for me:  Gordon Brown, Faslane and DNA record keeping.  A good balance between the audience and panel was achieved and the panel's contribution was fairly good.  Ian Gray should have quit when he was ahead with regard to his contribution on the DNA question as he sounded as if he was repeating a directive but couldn't explain is reasons. 

The stars were Bruce Anderson and Nicola Sturgeon but credit has to be given to Ian Gray for attending and also doing not too badly for a first time panelist. It's a shame he's not a natural speaker and needs so many notes. I reiterate, the Scottish tories do need to get their act together and use a Scottish MSP for these events because they do the Scottish party no favours using Westminster MPs.

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