'Revelations' that reveal so little...
WELL that certainly wasn't worth the wait, was it?
MPs' expense claims have finally been made public online – but most of the key facts are nowhere to be seen.
The censor's pen has been busy blacking out details that means it's impossible to pick out the worst cases of abuse.
So much for the transparency we were promised in the wake of the scandal that engulfed Westminster and forced several MPs and ministers to quit.
If they hadn't already been leaked, many of the instances where Commons members took taxpayers for a ride would still not have come to light.
The absence of addresses means MPs who 'flipped' their second home allowance to milk the system cannot be spotted.
And correspondence between MPs and the Fees Office has also been removed, meaning some of the outrageous claims rejected by officials don't feature at all.
It was thought the publication of these files, coupled with the departure of controversial Speaker Michael Martin, would help rekindle public faith in our elected representatives.
Sadly, disappointment is the order of the day for all those who hoped that would be the case.
Instead, we're merely left wondering if there will ever be any serious deterrent to stop our nation's MPs continuing to line their pockets with our hard-earned cash.
Metro to rescue
A RARE crumb of good news for bus passengers – under-threat routes have been saved at the 11th hour.
Bus firm First was set to scrap several key services next month but Metro, the public body which funds bus and train travel in West Yorkshire, has stepped in to keep them running on a temporary basis.
A couple of private firms have also agreed to operate two of the threatened services in Leeds.
The stay of execution is welcome relief for passengers who rely on the services to get to work or hop around the city.
But it seems odd that Metro, a body funded by public money, is having to ride to the rescue because some routes are deemed to not generate enough proft.
And therein lies the folly of privatising a public service.
The truth is it's not always possible to make a mint out of delivering something that serves the public good.
Should it really be our money that's used to plug the gap when a private company decides it's time to pull out?
Ladette culture
WE'VE heard about the rise of the ladette for some time and now we've got the figures to prove she's a reality.
The number of women fined for being drunk and disorderly in West Yorkshire soared by more than 50 per cent in just three years.
Booze doesn't discriminate between the sexes – so neither should the authorities.
Any binge drinkers who step out of line should feel the full weight of the law... regardless of their gender.
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Weather for Leeds
Sunday 12 February 2012
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