We all make mistakes - and we all know there are times when newspapers get things wrong.

They are sometimes guilty of sensationalism, intruding when there is no genuine public interest, and getting basic facts wrong.

But the MPs' expenses scandal is surely a graphic reminder of the importance of a "warts and all" free press.

However the Daily Telegraph came to have access to the details of MPs' claims, it has been a triumph of journalism.

It has proved beyond any doubt that we have people at the heart of our parliamentary system who are crooks at worst and highly creative accountants at best.

What really makes my blood boil is the clearly quite common practice of "flipping" - MPs changing their main address to milk the system.

Whatever the rules, MPs know what's right and wrong - and no one should need telling that "flipping" is clearly wrong.

Even now, there are some MPs who clearly don't appreciate how angry people are. It's all the fault of the Press.

Take Redcar MP Vera Baird in this morning's Northern Echo. She has accused the Daily Telegraph of trying to smear "every member of the Government" in its reporting of the expenses row.

She is upset that her attempt to claim money for Christmas decorations, including £214.97 for two artificial Christmas trees (they must have been very nice trees at that price), were included in the Telegraph's coverage.

That particular claim was rejected by House of Commons officials so Mrs Baird's argument is that she has been smeared because she didn't actually get the public money.

"There should be no discredit in having a claim rejected," she argues.

I beg to differ. In my view, there is discredit - in trying to get the public to pay for your Christmas decorations in the first place.