In the week that the Guardian is giving out free fairy stories, there is no fairy tale at all for MPs. They are back to school all right – and they are arriving there to find a letter from expenses supremo Sir Thomas Legg – together with a demand for repayment for those he thinks have pushed their luck.
Joining myself and Allegra to pour over the parliamentarians' predicament are top columnists Polly Toynbee and Julian Glover. We also hear from Michael White who tells us that only a general election will truly cleanse the Commons stables of the expenses muck.
But both Julian and Polly find it in their hearts to muster a little sympathy for our elected representatives – who are suddenly being asked to repay claims that they were told were all right at the time.
That aside, however, we find our guests have quite a bit to disagree about. Although Polly is under no illusion that Labour will get any credit for it, she thinks Gordon Brown's government deserves the credit for this week's levelling off in unemployment. Julian, meanwhile, says it is far from certain that a Conservative government would have done any worse.
We close by offering top tips. Julian reckons it would be well worth Dave finding out who exactly his new MPs will be; Allegra thinks the Conservative leader should go easy on his talk of slashing the state. Polly urges Gordon to stick to the economy, whereas I suggest he should take an urgent course in learning how to (half) apologise.
Friends, readers and Guardianistas you merely have to lend us your ears, and you will find out what we are all talking about ....
