♪ How Do we Solve a problem like Maria? ♪♪

The Maria Miller saga goes on and of course the normal witch hunt presides.

If I was David Cameron, I wouldn't give in to the bullies either. Maria has been investigated and the findings have been found, the remedy spelt out. He should not bow to pressure, and I hope he remains stubborn.

However this is not The Sound of Music to many ears and if I was Maria I would take a different stance. The problem with this particular Maria is that she's not given of her best humble side, nor shown any remorse and these are her biggest mistakes.

There's been enough history, shame and scandal on this matter and surely enough to make every MP check their expenses, taking it back as far as they can to ensure they are totally without fault..

Once upon a time a mistake by an MP, on an expenses form, would've been forgiveable by me and most reasonable people, anyone can make a mistake - but it isn't now. This should be a meticulous affair, double checked and reconciled.

Maria's second biggest mistake was to be obstructive and to not seem to have any remorse whatsoever for her errors. I maybe doing her a great injustice because often when we're attacked, we put on a bit of a defiant air in which to defend ourselves. But this is for the rest of us, not for an MP in the cabinet who should've apologised profusely, unequivocally and at the first opportunity. It is her stance that has distanced me from any sympathy.

So if I was in Maria's shoes, I would do the decent thing and resign from the cabinet, ensure that it was my decision and not that of the PM's and show a genuine remorse in
1) Letting my boss down
2) Letting my party down
3) and more importantly, letting the people down

not because of greed or fraud, as this was proved not the case - but because I was stupid enough not to check all the facts to ensure I didn't become a casualty of Labours vindictive campaign to bring down a Tory, in the hope everyone will forget about the several imprisoned Labour MP's.

We don't need stupid anymore - we need careful, meticulous, reasonable submitted expense accounts.

I have one easy solution to the expenses that I can claim as a councillor - I just don't - although some would say that it doesn't show a true reflection on the cost of the council if we all did that.

Well so be it but that's my choice. Peace of mind is far more valuable.