Don’t forget to send Guido your nomination for the politician with his or her snout deepest in the taxpayer’s trough. A number of you have nominated Cherie Blair – alas Guido has decided she is in a different category since she claims her hairdressing and travel expenses from charities and Labour party members. Strictly the nominees should be MPs, MEPs or Peers.

Email nominations to : Pork Busting, giving the name of the politician and the reason. Guido will compile from the emails a list of politicians with their snouts deep in the public trough and then organise a readers poll. There will be a prize of a copy of bestselling The Bumper Book of Government Waste to the person who makes the best nomination.

Ann and Nick Winterton, the husband and wife couple who are both Tory MPs have been nominated for their sterling work in double claiming their mortgage allowances to a total of £33,351 last year – just to show it is a bi-partisan thing they were beaten by Labour MPs Ann and Alan Keen who were nominated for scrounging a tax-free £35,338 off the taxpayers to allow them to enjoy their Covent Garden pied a terre conveniently close to the Opera House – equivalent to over £1,000 a week in subsidy if it were taxed.

More than enough to pay the interest on a £1 million mortgage, no wonder they are laughing…