I've been on holiday for the past week but nothing seems to have changed as far as politicians are concerned.

After all that's happened over MPs' expenses, the machinations behind the process to find a new Speaker are utterly depressing.

Government whips have, apparently, been going round pressing the case for former Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett.

Have we learned nothing? What we need is a new broom to oversee the cleaning up of Parliament.

Instead, the Government's enforcers think we should have a discredited MP who was rightly given a rough ride by the audience on BBC's Question Time over her own dubious expenses.

With the exception of Ann Widdecombe, who is due to stand down as an MP anyway, the list of candidates is thoroughly uninspiring.

And another thing - why on earth are bookmakers allowed to encourage gambling on the outcome?

Ladbrokes have installed Mrs Beckett as 7-4 favourite after the weekend's behind-the-scenes activities.

I know some people would gamble on two flies climbing up a wall, but running a book on a bunch of sleazy politicians vying for a cushy job makes my blood boil.

The people most likely to know what the result will be are the MPs themselves. No doubt some of them will be scooting off down Ladbrokes to make another quick buck.