Two stories that damage politics itself...

Two big stories in today's Sunday papers have the potential to further sully the reputation of our political process in the eyes of the public.

First, revelations about generous freebies and a £1 million paycheck allegedly taken by former Tory Chancellor Ken Clarke from tobacco companies while he was also being paid as MP to represent the people of Rushcliffe.

The Mail on Sunday show Ken Clarke's close links to British American Tobacco chairman going back a quarter of a century to the time when he was a Government Minister.

It is alleged that BAT were offering him freebies as long ago as 1988. The following year, as Health Secretary, Ken Clarke resisted moves to add 'smoking kills' warnings on fag packets.

It's important to add that Ken Clarke denies he or BAT did anything 'improper'.

To many people, the very appeal of Ken Clarke has been his enduring - and rather endearing - hush-puppy image of an ordinary bloke who speaks his mind.

Years ago, I remember being impressed by the stories that at Tory Party Conferences, Mr Clarke and his wife always preferred to stay in a homely little B&B - even when he was Chancellor - rather than in the rather grand Conference hotel with the rest of his collagues.

His no-nonsense image is surely the reason ex Bullingdon-boy David Cameron brought Ken Clarke back to the Tory front-bench earlier this week after 11 years: to try to connect with 'ordinary' people.

If nothing else, today's Mail on Sunday shatters Ken Clarke's frugal image. But it is also another hammer-blow to the business of politics itself.

Today's other big political story is, if true, much more explosive and potentially even more damaging.

The Sunday Times alleges that four Labour peers were prepared to help amend laws if they received cash from business.

The Labour peers in the headlights today deny they broke any rules and a thorough investigation has already been promised by the Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Royall.

I have to say this story has horrible undertones of the disgraceful 'cash for questions' scandal involving Tory MPs some 15 years ago when a Sunday Times 'sting' exposed certain Conservative MPs who were prepared to accept cash to ask questions in Parliament.

Much has been done since then to tighten up the rules and introduce transparency at the Palace of Westminster, particularly in the Commons.

But if the allegations in the Sunday Times story prove true, then it will hopefully serve to speed up root and branch reform of our Upper Chamber to give confidence and trust in those chosen to govern us.

Why the Tories want less regulation in the City ...?

Today's Sunday Times reveals that city 'short sellers' bankroll David Cameron's Conservative Party.

Same old Tories, eh?

UPDATE: True to form, Boris Johnson today attacked Labour's sensible plans to regulate the greedy city slickers who have caused so much misery with their disgraceful practices.

Boris called on the Government to 'go easy' on those he described as 'the Masters of the Universe'.

He says his actions as Mayor of London show what would happen if the Tories were to win the next General Election.

Quite so.

Nannygate: Tories change their story...

Today's Sunday Times reveals discrepancies in the accounts given so far by David Cameron's chief 'sleaze-buster' Caroline Spelman over payments from the public purse to her Nanny...

Nannygate: 'Tory insiders' cast doubt on Spelman's story...

The Sunday Times says Tory insiders claim the registered Nanny paid by Tory Party chairman Caroline Spelman out of the public purse did NOT write letters or do other routine work normally undertaken by an MP's secretary.

If the revelations in the Sunday Times are accurate, then the accusations of sleaze at the very heart of David Cameron's Conservative Party will stick.

While the 'whoopsies' in Europe are one thing, a Tory cover-up involving David Cameron's party chairman and top 'sleaze-buster' Caroline Spelman would be much more damaging for David Cameron.

Certainly, there are too many unanswered questions in today's statements from Caroline Spelman and the Nanny herself which will continue to provide sleazy headlines for days to come.

Ms Spelman, in charge of making sure Tory MPs(and MEPs) don't get caught break rules on expenses, claims she paid Tina Haynes as her constituency secretary between 9am and 3pm every day when she first became an MP and that it was legitimate to pay her from her parliamentary staffing allowance.

Mr Spelman claims the registered nanny only provided childcare out of school hours for which she was unpaid, but in receipt of free board and lodge.

But according to Sunday Times, Tory insiders say

"although she worked five days a week, Haynes is not believed to have fulfilled the key role performed by most MPs constituency secretaries: answering letters and dealing with their queries."

In a statement on Saturday, Ms Spelman said hiring her nanny as her secretary was:

"a practical solution as she could deal with the secretarial side while the children were at school and then after school provide childcare for my kids..."

I note that one of her children was just two at the time. Was he really in school six hours a day at such a tender age? I suppose that would not be impossible, but Ms Spelman needs to explain more.

In the statement on Saturday, the Nanny said she did do "odd secretarial things" for Ms Spelman such as taking phone messages and posting documents.

But she seems to have forgotten whether she actually did secretarial work for 30 hours a week as Ms Spelman has claimed.

Even the Tory's favourite Sunday paper, the Telegraph says the Tory chairman was forced to issue a 'humiliating statement' and faces various calls to pay back the money and resign.

I suspect there's much more to come on this one...

Tories dump the trusty sword of truth to deny jailbird Aitkin is advising them...

Convicted criminal Jonathan Aitkin returning to the Tory fold to advise on prison reform raised eyebrows this week. So I had to laugh at Edward Garnier MP today trying to put blue water between the Tory Party and his former colleague (to be clear, they were colleagues on the Tory benches in the House of Commons in the Thatcher/Major years, not fellow lags in HMP Belmarsh of course!)

Mr Garnier, MP for Harborough, Leicestershire, was on the East Midlands edition of the BBC Politics Show and couldn't help jumping on a comment about former Tory high-flier Jonathan Aitkin now advising the Tory Party.

"Not the Tory Party, the Centre for Social Justice," says Mr Garnier, as if there was no relationship between the two - and not wishing to be reminded that Aitkin served time at Her Majesty's Pleasure for perjury...

Writing in today's Sunday Times, on Aitkin himself trying to make the same distinction, journalist Rosie Millard says:

What humbug: Duncan Smith is a former Conservative leader...the Centre for Social Justice advises David Cameron on social issues, does it not? I’d say that’s rather near the hot spot of Tory influence.

And I'd say you don't need a trusty sword of truth to know that's a fair cop...

Now, what were those famous Aitkin words again...

"If it falls to me to start a fight to cut out the cancer of bent and twisted journalism in our country with the simple sword of truth and the trusty shield of honesty, then so be it..."