Brendan Carlin's Week in Westminster

What an unexpected climbdown! Or was it? You might think this was a listening Government bowing to public opinion over increased town hall secrecy.

But a little bird told me a very different story.

Apparently, ministers had this little concession up their sleeve all the time, ready to bring it out when the going got tough on the Local Government Bill which will formally bring in the cabinets and directly-elected mayors.

The legislation returns to the floor of the Commons next Tuesday - hence this little U-turn to buy off malcontent backbench Labour MPs.

Ho-hum.

FINAL proof, if proof were needed, that Ashok Kumar is a Speaker's Pet.

How else did the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland MP manage to raise the issue of Operation Lancet during Home Office questions this week?

He arrived late in the Commons chamber and didn't have his own question tabled on the Order Paper.

But somehow, Dr Kumar was called by Madam Speaker Betty Boothroyd to intervene on the back of a completely different question - about radios and police posed by Vale of York MP, Anne McIntosh.

So it was that Ashok challenged Home Secretary Jack Straw to say what he was going to do to end the Cleveland Police anti-corruption inquiry now that "supercop" Ray Mallon had been cleared of criminal charges.

In the end, campaigning Dr Kumar was cut short by Madam Speaker for straying off the subject in hand and the Home Secretary smirked his relief at not having to answer the MP's question.

But for whatever reason, Betty let Dr Kumar get most of his words out.

Got to be worth more than just the one shiny apple, Ashok.

LOOKING on in the Commons last Monday afternoon was Ashok's Teesside colleague Frank Cook, MP for Stockton North.

I'm not aware if Frank had severe stomach ache - but his facial expression just looked like that as Dr Kumar got to his feet to pose his question.

After this week's exchange of views on Lancet between the Labour MPs, you can probably count on a mutual Christmas Card list deletion.

First, Ashok put out a press release calling for Cleveland chief constable Barry Shaw to go; Frank replied by saying Dr Kumar had ''taken leave of his senses''.

Ashok, who believes Lancet has now cost a cool £5m, hit back with a cheery accusation that Mr Cook doesn't seem to mind wasting public money.

It's probably fair to say the two men have never seen eye to eye over Lancet, but here's one other reason for the strength of feelings. Ashok has effectively championed the cause of Ray Mallon during his suspension.

Mr Mallon just happens to be the constituent of none other than Mr Cook. If there's one thing MPs don't like it's other MPs treading on their patch.

Stand by for a UN peacekeeping force patrolling the Stockton/Middlesbrough border.

PRESENTING New Labour's new North-East media-meister... the improbably-named Hopi Newmoon Sen.

Mr Sen was doing the rounds at the Commons this week of the region's political correspondents and explaining his intriguing family background.

The former Newcastle city councillor is a product of a Lancastrian mother and a Bengali father born in Australia from whom he gets the name ''Sen''.

His mother won't thank me for revealing this, but he was apparently conceived on the Hopi Indian reservation in New Mexico as you'd expect.

Can't remember exactly where ''Newmoon'' comes from, but it's on his Visa card as his middle name.

Anyway, Hopi, who was raised in Nottingham and has never lived outside the UK, is a former Proctor and Gamble brand manager for Daz and Bold washing powders.

So for New Labour, that's a move from spin to spin cycle.

FOR someone whose career is supposed to be all washed up, Stephen Byers isn't half doing well.

This week the Trade Secretary and North Tyneside MP single-handedly saved the village post office network or so it seemed.

But his moment of triumph in the Commons was slightly marred when he solemnly announced that the importance of rural post offices ''cannot be underestimated''.

At least Mr Byers will never be accused of overstatement.