Wounded.

It would appear the vultures are starting to circle Labour peer Lord Lewis Moonie. How long can he limp on?

"THE LABOUR peer Lord Moonie has been caught up in a fresh sleaze row after his business associates were arrested in a police probe into alleged fraud in the NHS. The Sunday Herald can reveal that Richard Nawrot and George Henderson, who run Fife-based Americium Developments, were arrested in London last month on "suspicion of conspiracy to commit fraud and misconduct in a public office". Americium currently pays Moonie, a close ally of Gordon Brown, up to £40,000 a year in consultancy fees. The peer's relationship with the company dates back to October 2006."

Peer-Less.

"A LABOUR PEER AT THE centre of the "cash for laws" row is facing fresh controversy over his work for one of the world's biggest defence companies. Half the parliamentary questions tabled by Lord Moonie, a close friend of prime minister Gordon Brown, relate to areas of commercial interest to US-based Northrop Grumman Corporation."

In case people have forgotten the history.

In the last review of the boundaries of Westminster constituencies when the number of seats in the PM's backyard of Fife was reduced from five to four, it was Dr Lewis Moonie who selflessly bowed out the game of political musical chairs in Fife by standing down from the Commons thereby avoiding pulling the current PM Gordon Brown into an embarrassing nomination fight with the other Labour MPs in Fife. His selfless act was of course recognised by his elevation to the House of Lords, but Mr Smith thinks if Lord Moonie is dragged further into a lobbying scandal in the Lords it will unavoidably rub off onto the PM. Unless of course our Gordon can keep Lord Moonie out of it somehow?