Breaking the rules.

Mr Smith is amazed at how little coverage the conclusion of a Sunday Herald investigation into the illegal sublet of office space within Prime Minister Gordon Brown MP's Kirkcaldy office has generated.

The article published in Sunday's Sunday Herald highlighted the apparent admission by staff working for Gordon Brown that a sublet of office space to MSP colleague Marilyn Livingstone, as well as the local Labour Party, breached House of Commons rules with the result that the sublet has been modified to be from Ms Livingstone to the local Labour Party with the PM not involved any longer in the deal.

Given the current political climate, you would have thought the story would have merited further coverage somewhere, but it didn't even make it onto the Sunday Herald's website. Why we wonder?

And given similar difficulties experienced by former Labour First Minister Henry McLeish several years ago which lead to his eventual downfall, why is that it is apparently acceptable for a Member of the Scottish Parliament to sublet space to her local Party, but not apparently OK for a Westminster Member of Parliament to do exactly the same? Strange. Very strange.

Muddle not a fiddle II ?

Mr Smith is reminded that these are the words that lead to the eventual downfall of then Labour Scottish First Minister, Henry McLeish MSP, over an office expenses controversy, but now it appears that PM Gordon Brown may also have fallen into the same trap.

"PRIME MINISTER Gordon Brown is facing accusations he has breached Westminster expenses rules after subletting his constituency office to party colleagues. The Scottish MP signed a £1600 "sub-under-lease", which allows Labour activists to use part of his taxpayer-funded office in Kirkcaldy. But Commons rules state MPs "may not sublet accommodation which you lease and pay for out of the allowances". The prime minister is now "clarifying" his office sublet agreement with the Westminster authorities."

Given all of the advice which MPs get, and can get access to just by asking for it, it makes you wonder how they manage to get it so wrong so often, especially where taxpayers money is indirectly involved. Mr Smith seems to recall that Labour MSP Marilyn Livingstone also has offices in the same building. Could there be more to come on this story?

Congratulations.

Mr Smith has disclosed that Jamie Stone MSP listed “edible funghi” as one of his interests. Well today the public interest disclosures continue with the revelations that:

Fife Labour MSP Marilyn Livingstone, who also happens to be PM Gordon Brown’s babysitter, lists one of her interests as “yoga”;

Conservative MSP Alex Johnstone lists his only leisure interest as “information technology”;

Clydesdale Labour MSP Karen Gillon includes “an inexplicable obsession with Cliff Richard” and “flower arranging.”

What an interesting bunch of people our MSPs are. You would never guess it from listening to them in the Scottish Parliament’s chamber. Karen Gillon’s musical tastes have clearly gone beyond an interest in singing The Sash. Just for you Karen.