Today’s Telegraph goes big on Unite Political Director Steve Hart being given a parliamentary pass by Labour MP Jim Sheridan, a story Guido reported last month. Several Labour MPs employ Unite lobbyists, subsidised with taxpayer money, sponsoring them for parliamentary passes and having them work on party business.

• Jim Sheridan MP employs Steve Hart, Political Director for Unite
• John Cruddas MP employs Nick Parrott, Political Officer for Unite
• Mark Tami MP employs Hannah Blythyn, Political Officer for Unite
• Ronnie Campbell MP employs Stephen Turner, National Officer for Unite

Other unions are up to their neck in it as well. Ian Mearns MP employs Lisa Johnson, Tom Greatrex MP employs Catherine Godsell and Natascha Engel MP employs Heidi Benzing, all Political Officers at the GMB. David Hamilton MP employs James McGowan, a ‘parliamentary consultant’ at the ASLEF trade union. If the Tories took money from a private donor and gave them a parliamentary pass in return, it would be a scandal. That is exactly what Patrick Mercer did. Labour and the unions do the same thing every day and get away with it…