Cameron's kangaroo court

David Cameron is said to be showing leadership. He is acting decisively in view of the continuing expenses scandal. But is he? I have expressed concern before about his handling of this. I have a lot of admiration for Cameron, but I think he is not showing the fairness that this issue deserves.

Instead of dealing with every MP in the Conservative Party equally and with the same amount of fairness, he is keeping his own chums safely out of harm's way and throwing the old wood and those considered electorally liable out of the window. A kind of partial defenestration.

Let's not forget that Cameron had his own spot of bother with the wisteria. He quickly came running out, puffed himself up and said it was all in error but he understood the problem, blah blah, and would pay the money back. Similar stuff was said by Andrew Lansley (who was asked to stay away from Euro election campaigning for fear of causing a riot!), Alan Duncan, and other shadow cabinet members. No stepping down for them. Others are not so lucky. Sir Peter Viggers goes because he is labelled the "Duck Island MP" and Douglas Hogg goes because he is the "Moat Cleaning MP". Cameron said, in phone calls, that they should go. Why them and not him? Today Andrew MacKay got a similar phone call. Perhaps they can get jobs clearing wisteria?

This smells of favouritism and political manoeuvring. Lord Tebbit has said he thinks that Cameron may be saving the skins of those around him which doesn't look good. Basically, it is helping to massage the reputations of the modernisers whilst the old guard can go hang.

If this goes on much longer, David Cameron will lose the mantle of serious contender for Prime Minister and look like a cheap political dictator, sacking those who get in his way. Politics is not child's play, I realise that, but neither should it retain it's deviousness and deception. The public is crying out for honourable members not toadies and crawlers and the equivalent of teacher's pet. Either Cameron acts fairly and squarely or not at all.