Lib Dem diary: Philpott and Osborne’s parking make for an unappetising week
Everyone seems to have gone a bit mad this week. Perhaps they're all still on a sugar rush after eating one too many Easter eggs last week or the cold is starting to affect them, I'm not sure. All I know is a lot of this week has made for some grim reading.
Much of the news has been taken up with the terrible story of Mick Philpott, his wife, and his friend, who killed his six children after setting their house on fire and have subsequently been convicted of manslaughter.
The story touched a nerve in the week that changes to the benefit system came into force. Indeed the reaction from some was so extreme that I've found myself agreeing with the Indy's lefty firebrand in residence Owen Jones, which was most disorientating.
Jones has spent much of the week in front of a TV camera explaining that the welfare system didn't make the manipulative Mick burn his own children alive for extra benefit cash, but that it was his twisted and evil mindset instead.
Owen is correct, and for the Daily Mail and others to use such an extreme case to back a political agenda is frankly ridiculous and shameful.
This week was recess in parliament, meaning that MPs up and down the country are tramping through the cold talking to their constituents and trying to look happy while doing so. Many politicians do work very hard in their communities during the parliamentary break, but that doesn't mean they can't wait to return to their palace and subsidised bars.
Recess also means that journalists get bored, and have to find anything, anything at all, to fill up column inches.
The perfect example of this arrived on news stands this morning, courtesy of the Daily Mirror's James Beattie, who has splashed on George Osborne's driver pulling up in a disabled spot while the Chancellor went and got a burger.
No really. This was an actual thing that appeared on the front of a national newspaper, and you just know we can look forward to some terrible gags from Ed about it come the return of PMQs.
As is so often the case, LBC presenter Iain Dale hit the nail on the head on his blog, pointing out the utter disgracefulness of the story.
After this week, it really is no wonder normal people don't get involved politics.
