I'm less-than-amused to see the latest estimation for ID cards ramp up another 71 million. Anyone might think that the Government had absolutely no clue how much this was finally going to cost, and be a rampant opportunity for contractors to fill their boots at public expense?

I remember when an independent think-tank predicted the cost would be about 6 billion, and Labour were unanimous in their scorn and ridicule of the figure. Their own accounted costs now run at 5.1 billion. So far.

Blair is busy hoovering up the jollies by trotting out his boring speeches in China. Mr After-Dinner is telling the Chinese how we should all co-operate and be nice to eachother, like some demented puppet from Sesame Street. Unlike the puppet show, Cookie Monster probably never got 200 grand for lecturing kids on basic elements of morality, and at least there was the comfort that despite the drugs, at least the team behind Seasame Street actually had a grasp of morality in the first place.

Same not entirely true of Blair and Chinese business, I fear . . . yet another product recall recently of kid's toys filled with industrial toxins from our new trading partners . . . who are still busy imprisoning people and stealing their land to build the Olympic stadium.

Blair himself must be revelling in all this wondeful democracy a genocidal war has created - just look at Pakistan, for example. Arrest the protestors, arrest the opposition, and claim it's all for the war on terror! Why didn't he think of that?

Laura Moffat (MP for Crawley) has admitted requesting £20,000 for London accomodation, despite being only 40 minutes away by train. She claims that having been flashed at numerous tiomes, she "doesn't feel safe" using public transport.

A shame then that other women, who may share her misgivings about travelling on the network at night, can't help themselves to 20K out of the public purse. I recall another MP - Geraint Davies, formerly of Croydon, who also claimed a similar amount of cash despite living virtually next to London.

Turns out he was using London hotels as he was banging one of his staff, whom he duly left his wife for. Anything we should know, Laura?

I notice too that Lord Drayson has been given a pat on the back and allowed to go racing, seeing as he's done such an inept job of supplying troops with proper kit. "I have a passion for motor racing" he claims, with parents of dead troops lamenting that it was a shame he didn't share that passion for doing his job properly.

Still, when you've bought yourself a peerage and a lucractive comapny contract with party donations, why let a few squaddies spoil your lunch schedule? Here's hoping for a really nasty racing accident.

Still, could be worse. Could be a sparrow hawk. Despite Harry and some chinless wonder taking a time-out from chain-wanking to blast the crap out of defenceless wildlife,it appears it wasn't them who shot two endangered birds.

Just someone else wandering around the Royal grounds with loaded shotguns, apparently. no cause for alarm or further investigation.