That is a map of Argyll and Bute constituency taken from Wikipedia. It is huge, and as you might imagine communications around it are pretty difficult. It contains at least a dozen different inhabited islands.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argyll_and_Bute_(UK_Parliament_constituency)

In a straight line it is about 150 miles from its northernmost to southernmost point. As is obvious, you can’t actually travel around it in straight lines without a helicopter.

Yet those purblind London oriented fools at the Telegraph think it is a scandal that the MP, Alan Reid, claimed £1500 on bed and breakfast within his own constituency. That would be four days stay for Hazel Belars in the Clerkenwell Hotel, but it was in fact Alan reid putting in the hard miles needed to be a good MP in his wonderful constituency – which makes the best whiskies in the world.

The real scandal here is the purblind stupidity of the English idiots of the Telegraph, who thinks that North means Islington and West means Chelsea.

Michael Martin singlehandedly justifies every prejudice we Edinburgh people have against the narrow, stunted, ugly, ill-educated, self-serving, chancing whingers from the West. He shouldn’t resign. He should be ceremoniously drowned in Douglas Hogg’s moat. We’ve paid for it, so we might as well use it.

New Labour have had two Speakers in a row. That is enough. The Liberals want to foist Ming Campbell on us, but he is already as insufferably pompous as he is dull-witted. He would be a disaster as Speaker. They offer Alan Beith as an alternative, but he’s stupefyingly dull.

I am hereby declaring for Roger Gale for Speaker. He is a former Director of Blue Peter. If you can control John Noakes, Peter Pervert and Shep, then the House of Commons should be a doddle. More seriously, I worked with him on election observation in Ghana and he is dead straight, alarmingly energetic and with a real passion for democracy.

I posted this link this morning, but it strangely vanished. I like this article. The comments are good too.

http://simonhickson.wordpress.com/

From Guido’s comments page:

Clapham Commoner says:

May 14, 2009 at 10:03 am

I walked past Harman’s house last night (Herne Hill) and there was a Range Rover outside and a ferrari in the drive.

She is a “socialist” MP and he is a union official.

Go figure.

http://www.order-order.com/2009/05/mps-crying-into-their-subsidised-beers/#comments

I have had a great sleaze wheeze. The news channels are reporting that Douglas Hogg is defying Cameron over any notion that he should pay back taxpayers’ money used to maintain his country estate, complete with moat, housekeeper etc.

The public have been maintaining this property for decades. Surely that makes it a kind of National Trust property? It is a place I would love to see, as it incorporates parts of the original manor of Margaret Beaufort. She was a fascinating and extremely strong woman who knitted together the alliance that won the throne for the Tudors, whose sole claim to the throne came from her. Indeed, it is arguable she was considered a Queen in her own right.

Anyway, enough of the history. We pay for this place, so let’s go enjoy it. Who is up for a Grand Day Out at the Hogg estate in Lincolnshire? Let’s launch toy yachts on the moat, swim in the pool, picnic on the lawns and look round the house.

If you’re interested, let’s put this out in the blogosphere and see how much interest we can get. We could hire some charabancs. We have been paying for this place for years. Let’s get some use out of it!