Baby and the Bathwater
While Gordon Brown rails against the past activities of certain newspapers - in relation to his private life - the Sunday Times at the weekend provided the perfect reason to avoid throwing out the baby with the bathwater - when it comes to the press.
The Sunday Times - part of the News International stable of course - reported that five MPs have earned more that £200,000 since last year's general election - from outside interests and on top of their Westminster salaries.
Which means of course that they are all effectively part-time Members of Parliament - whose outside interests are effectively being subsidised by the public purse.
And since senior civil servants are not allowed to hold second or third jobs - why should the same rules not apply to MPs - because this kind of behaviour simply would not be tolerated in the Scottish Parliament?
Gordon Brown actually tops the list having been paid £588,560 for giving speeeches, writing a book and serving as a 'global leader in residence' at New York University.
Good luck to him, I say - but why doesn't he resign as an MP and pursue these other business interests on a full-time basis?
Now Gordon Brown says that he doesn't benefit personally from these earnings - that they all go towards the 'Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown'.
But that's missing the point - deliberately perhaps - because no MP, not Gordon Brown or anyone else, can possibly be in two places at one time.
Other high earners include Stephen Phillips - the Tory MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham who became a QC two years ago - and earned £331,190 for his legal work over the past year.
Other notable Tories include Malcolm Rifkind (£212,939), Nicholas Soames (£208,769), Tony Baldry (£203,664) and John Redwood (£181,627).
Not far behind from the Labour party were former ministers David Blunkett (£180,480) and David Miliband (£158,980).
So well done the Sunday Times - for showing that not all journalists are hackers, liars and criminals.
Many of them do a great job in exposing hypocrisy and bad behaviour - amongst the 'great and the good'.
The Sunday Times - part of the News International stable of course - reported that five MPs have earned more that £200,000 since last year's general election - from outside interests and on top of their Westminster salaries.
Which means of course that they are all effectively part-time Members of Parliament - whose outside interests are effectively being subsidised by the public purse.
And since senior civil servants are not allowed to hold second or third jobs - why should the same rules not apply to MPs - because this kind of behaviour simply would not be tolerated in the Scottish Parliament?
Gordon Brown actually tops the list having been paid £588,560 for giving speeeches, writing a book and serving as a 'global leader in residence' at New York University.
Good luck to him, I say - but why doesn't he resign as an MP and pursue these other business interests on a full-time basis?
Now Gordon Brown says that he doesn't benefit personally from these earnings - that they all go towards the 'Office of Gordon and Sarah Brown'.
But that's missing the point - deliberately perhaps - because no MP, not Gordon Brown or anyone else, can possibly be in two places at one time.
Other high earners include Stephen Phillips - the Tory MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham who became a QC two years ago - and earned £331,190 for his legal work over the past year.
Other notable Tories include Malcolm Rifkind (£212,939), Nicholas Soames (£208,769), Tony Baldry (£203,664) and John Redwood (£181,627).
Not far behind from the Labour party were former ministers David Blunkett (£180,480) and David Miliband (£158,980).
So well done the Sunday Times - for showing that not all journalists are hackers, liars and criminals.
Many of them do a great job in exposing hypocrisy and bad behaviour - amongst the 'great and the good'.
