There’s a dull rumbling coming from just east of here! It’s the local worthies of the Tory party in our neighbouring constituency waking up to the realisation that their new(ish) MP was bought off the shelf from Rentaquotes ‘r’ Us. (Actually, he was one of an emergency short-list imposed on the local association by Tory Central Office because they didn’t have enough candidates in safe seats from “non-traditional backgrounds”.)

Sam Gyimah, for it is he, appeared in a debate on BBC Radio 5 Live earlier in the week. Clicky. He was challenged to go to Salford and live on benefits for a week. If you bother to watch the video you will see him duck the question with a completely amateurish deflection. (Mind you – Salford on 65 quid for a week? I’d have told the guy to fuck off straight away, but then I don’t have to try and convince anyone to vote for me!)

Sam was probably wise to back away from the offer. The precedents are not good.

Remember Edwina Currie? She of the eggs and “chips and telly”? Back in the 80s she took up the benefits challenge and failed miserably after blowing half her budget on courgettes and grissini sticks. Coincidentally, Currie was also on Five Live this week, reducing a young mother struggling with debts and unemployment to tears.

Since they banned fox hunting it seems that mocking the poor is the only fun these privileged, rich Tory bastards get.