Labour rent-a-quote Lisa Nandy MP is fast becoming a blog favourite. The member for Wigan has found herself facing an onslaught of questions from the Tories concerning her staffer, Lisa Johnson, who is a political officer for the militant hard left University and Colleges Union. The problem for Nandy is the fact she is on the Education Select Committee and therefore her staffer is highly likely to be privy to information about legislation that she can pass back to her other employer. Just imagine if it was an oil company and the Energy Select Committee…

Tory MP Gavin Williamson has sent an exhaustive list of questions concerning:

• Whether any parliamentary expenses are being used to pay a union official to carry out union work.
• Whether the UCU is being given special access to confidential information reserved for members of the Education Select Committee.
• Whether parliamentary mechanisms, such as written questions and select committee proceedings, are being used to promote the UCU’s agenda.
• Whether the substantial number of UCU officials who have backed violent and illegal forms of protest now have a direct line to parliament.

Given the UCU are organising riots outside Parliament, how does Nandy feel it’s appropriate to have an organiser inside in such a sensitive position?