Freedom of Information Act: Brown Will Sort It

Tory MP David Maclean rides a £3,300 quad bike through our Liberties, and below waves a red rag and some bull at Brampton, Cumbria."

The Guardian is correct to suggest that Gordon Brown is planning to sort out this unfortunate affair with a smart deal rather than a great clunking fist. Meanwhile as predicted opposition leaders and bloggers try to exploit the vote with a varying level of hypocrisy.

Most of us surely accept that MPs' private correspondence on behalf of constituents to public bodies should be protected? Most of us would surely wish to see more not less information on the detail of parliamentary expenses? Even with chronic scandalised misreporting.

As the Guardian report at the above link: "Mr Brown has come under criticism for appearing to support the measure at the same time as he has called for a more transparent government."

But writing in the Yorkshire Evening Post, Brown's sidekick-in-chief Mr Ed Balls said:

"Like many other MPs, I've been concerned that my correspondence on behalf of my constituents to other public bodies can be made public ... A private member's bill may not be the ideal way to go about settling this issue, but it's important we reach a conclusion whereby constituents are properly protected."

But he added:

"As for the proper public scrutiny of MPs' expenses and allowances ... the Speaker has said they will continue to be published. That's the right thing to do and I would like to see an amendment to that effect included in the bill."

Although only a quarter of Lib Demmers turned out for the vote, and Tories who turned up, including nine front benchers, voted for the unamended private members bill TEN-to-ONE, bothDave-id Cameron and Ming Campbell are competing in the outraged hypocrisy stakes

My information is that Labour MPs piled in on Friday to shut down the debate - the opposite of fillybustering - and that Gordon will sort things out to everyone's satisfaction - except perhaps the quad-biking David Maclean MP - with consenting adults of all parties in the Lords. A second piece of McDonnellism in just a couple of days.

Iain Dale has taken the opportunity to call Ming Campbell a liar for his saying Tory Front Benchers backed the bill. Only nine of them says Dale. But just TWO would have made Mr Campbell a truth-sayer, much as it goes against his party's "convictions". As Tories would have passed this bill by more than TEN-to-ONE on their own if Labour and Libs had all stayed home I think Mr Campbell whose people would have almost stopped them in fact has the slightly higher ground.

This has all been a rather clumsy way to get to a result - courtesy of a former Tory Chief Whip - but what ends well ends well. Full stop.

QUAD BIKE NOTES: Much as Libertarian PJC Blog disputes the legality of Mr MacLean's transport I think it is a completely fair use of public money, unlike his ridiculous Tory private members' bill which has so far cost us an estimated .... £xxxxxx?????