Back from Mauritius this morning after a gruelling 18-hour journey. It’s nippy in this grey country after the balmy tropics.

When I recover I’ll start giving you some thoughts on the Wikileaks business – enough material there to keep an ex- diplomat blogger in business for a few decades.

In the meantime, good news that one former MP, David Chaytor, has accepted a Guilty plea on fraud charges connected with expenses claims.

You’ll recall that back in 2009 I pointed out that there were obvious legal cases to answer here. Deliberate abuse of expenses is a simple case under the relevant English criminal law.

And before that there was this:

The abuse of expenses by sundry Cabinet Ministers looks to be covered under one or more of these headings as defined in the Act. Whatever the ‘rules’ might say, the way they have been interpreted in practice with a view to making private gain looks to go well beyond injudicious into shamelessly greedy/corrupt and into case-to-answer criminal law territory.

I spent nearly thirty years in public service, filling in all kinds of different entertainment and travel and other claims during that period. The expectation was (rightly) that I adhere to the highest standards of integrity and accuracy, operating not only within the narow interpretation of the rules but also their spirit. Which I did.

Had I been accused of falling below those standards, I would have been subject to possible disciplinary action, latterly with New Labour Ministers using my case publicly to boast to the taxpayer that public money was being spent scrupulously well.

More please. Including at the European Parliament.