Following up on the story Guido reported yesterday – that an EU-funded KCL and LSE research scheme sent MPs over a thousand fake letters mid-pandemic – a point of order was just raised in the Commons. Deputy Speaker Eleanor Laing condemned the fury-inducing time-wasting casework stitch-up:

“At a time like this it is hard to see how any responsible researcher could have thought that sending over 1000 spoof emails adding to this work load was a good idea. Or how any responsible ethics committee could have approved it, or indeed how any responsible body could have decided to fund it. 

“Mr Speaker is extremely concerned about these matters and he will be writing directly to those involved”

A bollocking from the highest commoner in the land will no doubt be an accolade the researchers won’t forget in a hurry…

UPDATE 25/02: Read Mr Speaker’s bollocking in full –