LibDems work ceaselessly and tirelessly for good causes with no expectation of any return and because of their commitment to human rights blah blah blah holier than thou etc.

Here is a fine example of how the ruling political class literally get their snouts in the trough courtesy of suppliers:

First minister Jack McConnell and Danuta Hubner, European commissioner for regional policy, are among the speakers at a two-day Microsoft ‘government leaders forum’ which takes place in the Scottish parliament.

Microsoft, quasi-monopolistic purveyors of over-priced, buggy, sub-standard software have high level sales teams embedded in government, literally using government offices to sell to the government. To make sure that the bosses keep buying Microsoft they schmooze them like mad. They also fund think-tanks to produce reports protecting their monopoly and rubbishing superior open source software. You can be sure that the wine at this “government leaders forum” will have an excellent bouquet discernable to a politician’s snout.

Shrewd observers believe that all those press stories about “Downing Street angry with police” and that they plan to have their revenge are guff written up by journalists still willing to ingratiate themselves with the lame ducks in the bunker. There is increasing panic and disarray in the Downing Street bunker since McTernan was interviewed under caution, (his second interview) with Ruth Turner being arrested a few days later.

They have separate legal representation, are they now pointing the finger at each other?

The Labour campaign in Scotland is becoming mired in Downing Street sleaze with the SNP gaining strength from capitalising on their anti-corruption stance. The ineptitude of Blair in appointing McTernan, one of the key figures in Loans for Lordships, to run the Scottish campaign has become manifestly clear. The Scottish press is focused on the scandal, which has developed a Scottish sub-plot with the interviewing of Jack McConnell, the First Minister.

Jonathan Powell might be wise to keep a toothbrush in his top-pocket and not expect to always have a lie-in.