For a party that likes to think it is just a heartbeat away from power, the Tories, with their inept intervention into the fast unravelling “Bullygate” non-scandal, are in danger of causing cardiac arrest among their most loyal and optimistic supporters.

On Sunday we heard the ’shock horror’ allegations that the Prime Minister occasionally loses his rag with his civil servants prompting the Tory spin doctors to call for yet another inquiry in order to maximise perceived political embarrassment for the Government. It appears that Conservative high command lack any sense of irony as chief spinner for David Cameron is the former News of the World editor Andy Coulson, who an industrial tribunal has just found guilty of bullying himself!

Reading West MP Martin Salter used a debate in the House of Commons to call on MPs to support reforms to make Parliament more accountable to the public.

They say that travel broadens the mind; I’m sure it does - but not in all cases. Listen to the xenophobic rantings against immigrants, foreigners, and the EU by some of those Brits who left these shores to settle in the sunshine of southern Spain.

Cast your minds back to May 2009 and the height of the furore over MPs’ allowances (I refuse to call what I pay my hard-working staff “expenses”). The talk was of wisteria, duck houses, moats and wide-screen TVs paid for by the taxpayer and exposed by the Telegraph

I don’t always see eye to eye with Justice Secretary Jack Straw, but one area where I am in complete agreement with him is on the issue of the burqa.

As the general election draws nearer, there is even more to do than usual as the Government attempts to rush through the final bits of legislation before Parliament is dissolved, and the electoral fun and games begins.

Two people active in the community in Reading West were last week rewarded for their endeavours when they attended a reception given by Prime Minister, Gordon Brown at No. 10 Downing Street. Labour MPs were invited to nominate two community representatives to attend the reception on Thursday evening.

Last week I was invited on to the Daily Politics to debate with Tory MP for Mid-Bedfordshire Nadine Dorries on the subject of Speaker John Bercow.

There comes a point when all Cabinet big beasts begin to diminish in size and influence. Either as a result of the advance of other rivals or more usually, due to their own actions or posturing. I’m afraid that much as I like Jack Straw and Clare Short, yet another attempt by them to re-write history at the Chilcot Inquiry has not helped their standing amongst colleagues.