I’m not proud of it but I cannot deny the overwhelming feeling of Schadenfreude that consumed me last Sunday morning as I read the exposé in the 'Mail on Sunday' newspaper about Tony McNulty’s second home expenses claims.

I also need to remind readers of my own entry in the ‘Register of Fed Members interests’- I have an intense dislike of Mr McNulty.

The arrogant and discourteous manner in which he dismissed every aspect of our fair pay claim as Police Minister, seeking refuge behind the ‘approved’ Government mantra whenever the going got tough, and in doing so showing himself to utterly self serving and incapable of holding an unscripted debate on any issue, will mean that he is permanently off my Christmas card list.

But there is another reason for my revelling in his current discomfort. Way back in September 2007 when the Met Police Federation held it’s last Open meeting at Central Hall Westminster I challenged the less than honourable member for Harrow on the issue of his parliamentary expenses. His response then, in keeping with the man I have come to loathe, was defensive and dismissive. Now we know why. My question clearly hit a nerve!

Isn’t it ironic that the two ministers who were forever preaching to us the messages of “affordability” and the need to be “mindful of the effect on the public purse” are now the same two ministers most recently exposed as abusers of the parliamentary expenses system?

Just as Pinocchio morphed into an Ass the more he indulged his greed, it occurs to me that the Home Secretary & Mr. McNulty are beginning to show swine like attributes as they burrow their snouts further into the trough.

I don’t care how much they try to defend their actions as “within the rules” every clear thinking individual who has read or heard about either Mr McNulty’s or Ms. Smith’s parliamentary expense claims will have judged them to be excessive, abusive and just downright greedy.

The calls for them both to repay the sums dubiously claimed are entirely reasonable but will it happen? In an ideal world perhaps but as we well know -ours isn’t!

Talking of ‘blue-sky’ worlds- The other day a Federation member contacted the office and suggested that as an act of goodwill and in order to assist the Government & country through the current financial crisis, the Police Federation on behalf of its members, should decline to take the first year of our recently agreed 3 year pay deal. Interesting concept & perhaps not a suggestion that will receive universal approval from the wider membership but to me it illustrates a fundamental difference in the thought processes of these two distinct groups of public servants.

Most Police officers think of others before themselves. Most Politicians think