If the Expenses crap has taught us anything, it is that the public take a simple and correct view, Duty comes before Personal Gain. Clearly it has taught some people nothing.
The political world is full of personality and that is by no means always a bad thing. But when it spills over as it has this week, it is the worst thing of all. With politics at it's lowest reputational ebb, with the far right Nazi party pushing for a breakthrough and with so much hope developing over the economic recovery signs, now just wasn't the time.
More importantly on the eve of an election, it is inexcusable. For all her faults (and they aren't as many as some people seem to think) I always believed Hazel Blears would put Labour first no matter what. I feel disappointed, I feel angry and I feel let down. The fact that, no matter what the personal dispute between her and the PM, she wouldn't 'suck it up' for 48 hours disappoints me utterly.
By Friday she could have done this and been supported for it, but by doing it during an election campaign she has kicked the hard-working party activists in the teeth as they pound the streets for Labour.
Though she is Blairite, from the wrong side of the Pennines and a whole foot and half shorter than me, I always quite liked her. Though often disagreed with her on policy. She always seemed like a solid Party comrade who believed in the collective membership and supported the activists. She blew that away today.
If that is the depth that the senior Labour figures have descended to then it is time the membership took back the control that we have released to the leadership over the last 15 years. It's time for the ship to leave the sinking rats.
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