The Brown Snouts of Discovery

Nick Brown, who suspended David Chaytor MP over his memory lapse about when his mortgage was paid up, claimed £18,800 over four years in unreceipted expenses for food consumed at his designated second home in Newcastle. Anything to do with why he has consistently voted against a transparent parliament? Then again Mr Brown, as a former Minister of Agriculture, knows a thing or two about snouts in the trough. . .

UPDATE
Mr Brown has since said that his claims were "not unreasonable" and reflected real costs that he had incurred. He claimed £87,708 under the second homes allowance between 2004 and 2008 that included £18,800 for food – he regularly got £400 a month during recess without receipts. According to Mr Brown, "This has to be seen in the context of my working life. I am working flat out for the people that I represent and the politics that I believe in."

Let's hope for the sake of his political career that his voters believe him. On the other hand he will from here on in have to look in the mirror every morning and tell himself that he's good, and moral and what he did was completely right.

One of his colleagues in the Labour whip's office, Ms Butler has issued a statement denying she had claimed for a whirlpool bath. She said all the claims were for "legitimate expenditure". She went on to say, "I totally refute the allegation that I claimed for a whirlpool. I am taking advice on legal action,"

Like some other MPs she has threatened legal action. Just how many have taken any?