Cab for hire

So Stephen Byers MP sees himself as "a bit like a sort of cab for hire". I've just been watching open-mouthed the footage filmed of him describing how he interceded on behalf of National Express, to enable it to walk away without penalty from a contract to run the East Coast main line service, while holding on to profit-making public contracts elsewhere. This deal cost us, the taxpayers, millions of pounds.

It appears that everyone is now walking away from Byers' description of events, including Byers himself.

Gordon Brown is quite wrong to rule out an inquiry, and astonishingly complacent if he genuinely feels "'satisfied' that there ha[s] been no impropriety". There must be a swift and prompt investigation, and appropriate action as soon as its findings are available.