According to the Office of National Statistics MPs on £65,738 are paid more than 95% of the people they represent. Yet according to a survey carried out by YouGov for IPSA, they want more, an average of a 32% hike. These are MPs from parties with a policy of keeping other public sector worker’s pay frozen. Andrew Bridgen had the balls to tell the BBC the truth:

Pollsters YouGov were asked to survey MPs by IPSA to find out if they thought £65,738 was enough for their salary.

MPs were asked to anonymously suggest an appropriate salary:

On average Tories wanted £96,740, Lib Dems £78,361 and Labour MPs a mere £77,322. Labour’s policy is to freeze public sector pay for nurses, teachers, policemen and soldiers. The UK average income is £26,500. We’re all in this together, right?

Liam Fox has used the oldest trick in the book – a letter to a concerned constituent – to slam David Cameron’s gay marriage plans:

“I do not believe this is simply an anti-discrimination measure. If it were, it would carry much greater support in a nation whose greatest characteristic is its fairness. This smacks of a form of social engineering of which Conservatives should be instinctively wary. I do not doubt the sincerity of the proponents of this measure and think talk of attempts to purposefully antagonise traditional Conservatives is far-fetched. However, I believe these proposals are divisive, ill thought through and constitutionally wrong. That is why I will vote against them in the House of Commons.”

Here is a copy of the letter:

Just last night Osborne, Shapps and Grayling were chinwagging with the former Defence Secretary at his New Year drinks.

Developing… 

Hugh Grant stars in the new Guardian advert, apparently free of charge as he is a “long term reader and advocate of the Guardian”, but as Times hack Kaya Burgess points out, what is this under his arm? Owned…

The Guidogram round-up of the week is going out shortly.

Thousands of Westminster insiders read the Guidogram, everyone from Downing Street insiders to Fleet Street never miss it. Don’t miss out on Liam Byrne’s shameless hypocrisy, photographic evidence of David Cameron breaking the law and the latest on Chris Huhne.

Join the conspiracy and become a subscriber to the Guidogram, free, to keep in the loop. You’re either in front of Guido, or behind…

Nick Clegg lifts his jokes from Guido:

“My core philosophy is that of the Onesie Nation.”

It was only a matter of time before today’s biggest news – that Nick Clegg owns a onesie – unravelled. Sadly Guido was at lunch when the news came through and he’s been scooped by the Telegraph. It turns out though that “Harry in Sheffield” was in fact the old Etonian acting chairman of the Liberal Democrat youth wing and is a former Clegg staffer. The onesie story un-stitched.

Would any other leaders of the party youth wings like to create a media storm this week? 

It is the London Underground’s 150th Birthday today. Speaking on the Daily Politics the famously yellow London cab driving MP Simon Hughes made a claim which set off Guido’s lie detector:

Simon Hughes tells Daily Politics he uses tube "almost every day". Hmmm [PICTURE] twitpic.com/bu0h3h—
Guido Fawkes (@GuidoFawkes) January 10, 2013

Labour’s Tony McNulty, a mininster up until the election was sceptical as well:

@GuidoFawkes Used to see that awful coloured taxi in the Commons almost every sitting day. Must have been someone else's taxi, clearly.—
Tony McNulty (@Tony_McNulty) January 10, 2013

Is Simon Hughes a Fib Dem?

Over at the Paddy Power Blog, Guido studies the form for a bet on the Next Tory Leader…

The fall out from Nick Clegg’s onesie confession rumbles on with Ed Miliband’s office confirming to Guido that the Labour leader does not own a onesie. So it’s not a one-sie nation…

Downing Street are refusing to say whether the Prime Minister has one. It will probably be accidentally leaked in a couple of days…

Picture via @MirrorMcTague

UPDATE:

BREAKING: Cameron's gunna wish he had a onesie. Here's Churchill in one. http://t.co/BXcTbhCu—
Michael Savage (@michaelsavage) January 10, 2013

UPDATE II: Downing Street sources say “it didn’t come up at the launch of men’s fashion week” when asked whether Dave has a onesie. Guido will take that as a no…

A return to form for Peter Oborne:

“I am sure Mr Barroso is a kind, liberal man. But there is a comparison between the European Commission president and the fascists and communists who turned so much of the history of 20th-century Europe into a story of pure horror. All had been captured by a great enticing idea.”