Further developments with Hilary Armstrong now announcing that she is quitting at the next general election, along with Doug Henderson.

Doubtless of course, it is all to do with allowing a new generation to spring forth.

But it is interesting to know that the news comes after revelations that Doug Henderson earns a tidy sum from McDonald's and lives in Scotland - despite his constituency being in Newcastle.

Then there is Hilary Armstrong, former Cabinet minister, who also has outside interests and repaid cash for "tacky" food bills.

That comes after Alan five jobs Milburn... Click here to see a previous blog on all of this.

The list now gets longer of MPs quitting. Jim Cousins, John Cummings, Peter Atkinson, Fraser Kemp and Bill Etherington.

Things are going to look very different after the next general election.

Brilliant, that is what the House of Cards series is. It is showing again on the telly - and are there some echoes with leadership crisis that has hit Gordon Brown.

Machinations inside the ruling party, talk of getting rid of the PM. And it is set at the annual conference. Could it all be very prescient with the Labour conference just a few short months ago.

Might there be a Francis Urquhart in the Government? Put it this way, one MP has said it is a "nightmare" - the current leadership.

No, it's not too early.
Traidcraft are having one of their fantastic 'end of season' events at their Gateshead premises.
They are always really popular with up to 70% off and tomorrow (Saturday 4th July) is the last day.

It's a great opportunity for people to treat their family and friends to a fair trade bargain, from a selection of end of line products from the Spring Summer catalogue.

There will be a range of products which are slightly flawed and these will be sold as seconds however, they will be sold at rock bottom prices.

There are hundreds of bargains ranging from crafts, jewellery and accessories, children's toys and household goods from Africa, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Peru and Chile,

Traidcraft is situated on the Team Valley.

Traidcraft, Kingsway North, Gateshead, NE11 0NE

Another day passes, another day wasted. Reports that Shearer was due in London on Friday to meet powers that be were unfounded. So again we wait. Part of me does wonder why would Shearer need to be there if it was simply a shaking of the hands, and handing SJP's front door keys over to whoever is crackers enough to take the reigns of this shambles.

Should I really be disappointed that he isn't going to be there? To be honest, I really don't know. Not knowing what is going on is driving me insane. The promise that the club would be far more open to the fans has been shown to be what we all suspected. Lies.

Hay fever has hit the Smiles household and hit it hard.

AFTER 12 months in the planning and a sum I don't wish to calculate, it's finally here.
In just 4 days time I will no longer be an hysterical bride-to-be. I will be an even more hysterical wife.

Despite the wet weather this month reports coming from Coquet Island suggest are suggesting a bumper breeding season for Northumberland's rarest breeding tern the Roseate Tern.
A team of ringers from the BTO and RSPB have been ringing this year's chicks and as of yesterday were reporting preliminary numbers at 82 pairs breeding with 75 chicks ringed so far this year.
For one particular birder and BTO worker Tom Cadwallender, this years chicks have been extra special. Tom has been ringing Roseate Terns on Coquet Island since 1991 and with the chicks ringed this year his total ringed has surpassed one thousand. That's a fantastic achievement and contribution to the improvement in long term numbers of one of the regions rarest breeding birds.

What a surprise. Just days before details of the outside earnings of Alan Milburn have to officially released, along with other MPs, the Darlington MP announces he is quitting at the next election.

Tough given that he has FIVE other jobs - raking in I reckon hundreds of thousands of pounds on top his MP salary.

I wrote about this in the Sunday Sun a while back.

Number Two Son watched the installation of Mr John Bercow as Speaker of the House of Commons with me on BBC Parliament. I explained that we were watching a historical moment: I told him how the old Speaker was the first one to have been forced out and resigned for hundreds of years; and that this was the first time the Speaker had been elected in a secret ballot.

"And" I said "Mr Bercow is the first Jewish person ever to be Speaker of the House of Commons."

"Jewish" said Number Two with interest and curiosity "Is he beige?"

IS your home just as you want it? Is it a house which could be featured in one of those glossy magazines showing perfect properties that provide inspiration and aspiration. You know the ones I mean - houses which most of us can't imagine anyone, let alone a boisterous family, living in.

Chateau Overbury isn't like that. We try. Yet the paint on the skirting boards chips the minute they're painted, the carpets mark the moment they're cleaned and everything seems to come with a scattering of dog hairs. It has what some would call a "lived in" look.