A good sport?

Byline: George Galloway

MY old adversary Ben Bradshaw, who was forced to apologise in the House for smearing me, is the new sports minister. God help athletes all.

He voted for introducing identity cards, foundation hospitals, for the war in Iraq and against any investigation into it, for student top-up fees and the multi-billion pound replacement of Trident.

I can't trace any prior interest in sport, although he lists a principal interest as hiking. But he does have one of the more embarrassing parliamentary expense claims, pounds 3.25 for a gay lifestyle magazine.

I don't suppose wee Douglas Alexander, brother of my former employee Wendy, has a subscription to Playboy - well, he's not claiming for one!

He, too, has a face-reddening charge on the public purse - pounds 9.20 for latex gloves. That's one to get to the bottom of!

Eric Joyce, the odious squirt representing Falkirk, claimed pounds 180 for some paintings, eight grand he had paid to a close pal for consultancy work, but apparently failed to pay the pounds 40K of capital gains he made on the sale of a Croydon home.

He was one of the principal Government lickspittles brought on to Newsnight to justify war and pestilence worldwide, so it was good to see him skewered on Newsnicht midweek by Gordon Brewer.

Taxi for Joyce, but forget the exes chit.

CAPTION(S):

SORRY: Ben Bradshaw