Thursday morning more expensesgate...

And there's also more Bercow. With mixed opinions on how well, or how badly, he did on his first day on the job.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/06/25/mr-and-mrs-exes-could-lose-home-115875-21469421/

“Mr and Mrs exes could lose home”

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23487667-details/MPs+want+23,000+grant+to+pay+for+second+homes/article.do

“MPs want £23,000 grant to pay for second homes”

(EDITOR: How the story was reported at the end of May)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/06/25/brown-stops-800k-mps-pension-aid-115875-21469422/

“MPs will have to pay more for their pensions after Gordon Brown scrapped a taxpayer top-up bail-out last night.The Prime Minister bowed to public outrage and dropped an £800,000-a-year rise in workers' contributions to Westminster's payouts”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/5625034/Road-pricing-killed-off-by-Transport-Secretary-Lord-Adonis.html

“Plans to impose pay as you drive charges on every motorist in the country have been killed off by Lord Adonis, the new Transport Secretary”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/25/simon-hoggart-john-bercow

“New Speaker brings crisp order to clash of titans”

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6572044.ece

“New Speaker John Bercow makes his presence felt for all of 3 seconds”

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/cameron-attacks-pms-public-spending-lies-1718033.html

“Cameron attacks PM's public spending 'lies'”

http://www.theherald.co.uk/politics/westminster/display.var.2516320.0.Speakers_calm_plea_ignored_as_terrier_goes_bear_baiting.php

“Speaker’s ‘calm’ plea ignored as terrier goes bear baiting MICHAEL SETTLE: With the new man in the Speaker's Chair, albeit without the silk stockings, it was nonetheless business as usual in the Westminster bearpit.The Tory terrier tasted blood last week over public spending and returned for more as he ripped into the Brown bear”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jun/25/editorial-public-spending-labour

“Gordon Brown dug himself deep into his favourite political dividing line at prime minister's questions yesterday, defending Labour investment against the threat of Tory cuts”

(EDITOR: Guardianspeak codswallop...)

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/simon-carr/the-sketch-theres-capital-to-be-made-out-of-browns-financial-confusion-1718034.html

“The Sketch: There's capital to be made out of Brown's financial confusion”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1195217/Spending-row-deepens-Cameron-says-Brown-big-admit-Labour-cut-back.html

“Brown accused of tricking voters after he admits public spending will FALL after the 2012 Olympics”

http://news.scotsman.com/uk/New-39super39-police-body-.5399752.jp

“A NEW nationwide policing body designed to tackle terrorism and human trafficking has been dismissed as a "wasteful expensive luxury" that will not serve the public interest”

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1195052/Why-I-British-Muslim-woman-want-burkha-banned-streets.html

“Why I, as a British Muslim woman, want the burkha banned from our streets”

(EDITOR: Oh, dear! A different message from a Muslim woman! This will confuse the hand-wringers out there...)

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2009/06/24/national-library-of-scotland-boss-bans-saltire-over-racist-fears-86908-21466993/

“THE National Library of Scotland banned workers from displaying Saltires in the office - claiming they could be racist.

Bosses said the flags could "intimidate non-Scottish colleagues" - and also banned the Lion Rampant and tartan seat covers. The move - believed to have been prompted by one worker bedecking his desk in flags -sparked fury last night. SNP Msp Christine Grahame accused library chiefs of an "unforgivable slur on the reputation of Scotland's national flag".”

(EDITOR: PC lunatics at work north of the border, too, in Brown's Britain)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/5623255/1m-asylum-seeker-project-helped-only-one-family-leave-Britain.html

“A £1 million government scheme to help failed asylum seekers was "mismanaged from start to finish" and resulted in just one family leaving Britain, a report has found”

And on that note, let's finish this item and see what happens throughout the rest of the day.)