Politicians face tough questions

POLITICIANS again faced a stern interrogation from the audience about the expenses scandal during last night’s Question Time on BBC1.

Last week Margaret Beckett and Sir Menzies Campbell faced hostile questioning over their claims and the audience remained on the offensive during last night’s show from Salisbury.

There were suggestions that MPs being allowed to pay money back was a “criminals’ charter” which if used for prisoners could solve jail overcrowding.

One speaker said Gordon Brown’s “time is up” and there were calls for a general election.

Health Minister Ben Bradshaw said: “We are going to have a general election within 12 months anyway. MPs and their voting records will be scrutinised as much then as now.”

Shadow Foreign Secretary William Hague said: “This parliament has lost its moral authority. The government has lost its authority within parliament, the people of the country want to be able to have their say.”

But there was relief for Labour yesterday as the party held on to a council seat in minister Hazel Blears’ constituency. Labour’s Matt Mold won the Irwell Riverside ward of Salford Council with a reduced majority.

Ms Blears, the communities secretary, attended the count and said she was “absolutely delighted”. Last week she apologised for the handling of the sale of her London flat and handed over £13,000 to the taxman to cover capital gains tax.