Gordon Brown insists he is not going anywhere, even if Labour suffers a horrific defeat in this week's local and European elections.

But what if the North East's favoured son put himself forward as PM? Would he do a better job? After all, it is not totally clear whether a deal will be struck to keep him at St James's.

26th May

My husband went to work for the first time since my diagnosis and I am looking forward to some time alone but get a phone call from my surgeons secretary saying the ward have made a mistake with my appointment and I should be seen in out patients tomorrow now next Wednesday.

I go into a blind panic as she says it is nothing to worry about it was just a mistake but I have been a medical secretary for ten years and now all the tricks - she is calling me in early because it is bad news but is trying to make light of the situation. I phone my husband in a panic and he arranges to take time off work to come with me, I also call my aunt for support.

I had a bit of a party bag strop a year or so ago when I refused to give party bags out at my daughter's birthday. At the time I wrote all about it here which caused raised eyebrows and cold shoulders in the playground.

My daughter is more confident than her brother at defending these sort of on the spot decisions I make and whilst she was quite proud of the fact that she hadn't handed out any bags of useless plastic tat, so it was that I found myself being accused of being a 'big meanie' by my son when his eighth birthday celebrations were being discussed.

Tough work if you can get it.

Unfair perhaps, given that most MPs do work hard for their constituents. But voters will be left more open-mouthed than ever given the latest revelations in the Sunday Sun today.

Alan Milburn has been accused of raking in cash from FIVE jobs outside Parliament - and is rarely seen in the constituency, according to his Lib Dem rival for his Darlington seat.

And the former Health Secretary could have earned hundreds of thousands of pounds on top of his MP salary, currently set at just over £64,000.

His jobs include sitting on advisory boards for Pepsi and private equity firm Bridgepoint Capital and posts with healthcare firms.

These boards meet around four times a year, while there have also been trips abroad - including to Australia.

Mr Milburn stresses any outside work comes second to his job as Darlington MP. Click here for the story.

There is also the news that Newcastle North Doug Henderson is living in Scotland in today's Sunday Sun.

That is on top of him earning £25,000 for 10 days a work a year as an adviser to McDonald's, as revealed in the Newcastle Chronicle. That amounts to £100,000 over the last four years.

That follows news that Stephen Byers and Hilary Armstrong have also earned a tidy sum from outside interests. Click here to see that story from The Journal.

In a few days time I'll be heading down the Green carpet at the Observer Ethical Awards to hand over the baton of Grassroots campaigner of the year.

The awards night is often referred to as the 'Green Oscars' due to the propensity of famous faces and glam dresses.

I don't know why this outrage over MPs getting between half and their total salary when they step down or lose at general elections has not erupted earlier.

I have been blogging about it for weeks, but only now - once the Daily Mail splashes on it today - have other national media picked up on the issues.

Bizarre.

Tyne Bridge MP David Clelland has been writing about how the Labour Government's good works are being overshadowed by the expenses scandal.

If you want to have a read about "malfunctions" and party leaders being told to "shut up", click here for Mr Clelland's website and go to his latest Parliamentary report.

PY Gerbeau has put in a star turn on Question Time. He seems very sensible, has common sense and clearly loves the UK - despite being French.

A few more people like him in power might be good news.

Just watching BBC Question Time and what is this idea of "recall" for naughty MPs - eg. giving voters the power to force an election.

Well, whatever happened to respect, dignity and morality? If an MP has done something dodgy, surely they should have the self-poise to announce they are stepping down and a byelection held.

And then hopefully, we can then have a general election. It looks to the vast majority of people that those shamed MPs are clinging on by their finger nails waiting for a final bumper pay day.

That could mean another year's salary for MPs of around £60,000 and then a golden goodbye - worth up to another year's salary. And that is for the very people that constituents want gone.

If the party leaders had some guts, that is what they might do. Might there even be a few more independent voices in Parliament?

Today's Journal story about the Common Cuckoo joining other species on the Birds of Conservation Concern "Red List" comes as no surprise to birders in the region. In fact this re-classification is long overdue. Common Cuckoo's are simply no longer Common. In fact they are so uncommon it's a wonder Trading Standards haven't launched an investigation.
The exact cause of the decline of this herald of Spring is uncertain, it may well be a that a number of factors are at play involving a reduction in food supply, perhaps a reduction in the 'host' species whose nests are used to lay eggs or possibly problems in their wintering grounds in Africa. What is probably not in question however is that man will lay at the root of whatever is causing them to decline. It's a disgrace that we may be the last generation to be able to walk into the countryside and hear a Cuckoo but more of us need to care and be prepared to try and change our lifestyles and have our voices heard by business and government in order to redress the balance.