The News of the World says...

Don't be Cawte with dirty hands

NOT for the first time the Conservative party chairman is at the centre of an allowances row.

Caught out paying her nanny from her parliamentary allowance, embattled MP Caroline Spelman now faces questions about another employee.

Was it right to pay her chief of staff, Simon Cawte, with £100,000 of taxpayers' money?

The Tory Party insist that no rules have been broken - and if Cawte was not doing party political work, that is the case.

But can we be absolutely sure the man tasked with running the office of the shadow Local Government Secretary really played no role in party politics?

Despite his promises for transparency over his MPs' expenses, her party boss David Cameron displays a puzzling reluctance to confront the 'problem' of Mrs Spelman.

The Parliamentary Standards Commissioner should show no such reluctance and investigate immediately.

Cameron's Tories are only weeks away from their annual flagship conference.

If he and his team are to maintain their credibility they need to show they have financially clean hands.

So long as serious, unanswered cash questions swirl around their chairman they are in no position to do that.

Weight of motherhood

AT more than 40 stone and pregnant with triplets, Leanne Salt should thank her lucky stars the NHS was prepared to devote an army of staff to her care.

Fully 68 people helped, at some point, in the birth of her tiny miracles.

Of course there will be debate about the £200,000 of resources that could have gone elsewhere. And whether it is irresponsible for anyone so obese to start a family.

But now it's Leanne's duty to shed as much of that weight as possible.

Those babies deserve a mum who will live to see them to adulthood.

Dame fine examples

FOUR Olympic golds, a silver and four bronzes.

Yesterday was a day for heroes, for pride in our nation and for celebrating all that's GOOD about our young.

And how these glorious triumphs sparkle in a dark world of teenage knife crime, casual street violence, fear and disrespect.

All our athletes have dedicated their teenage years to hard work and excellence. And at just 19, double-gold medallist Rebecca Adlington's modesty shines through.

Today our young people need role models like her as never before.

It would serve our country well to hear the words: Arise Dame Rebecca.