AMID all the expenses scandals about clearing moats and flipping second homes, one worrying story has emerged. It seems few of our MPs know how to do their own ironing.
At least two of Hampshire’s parliamentarians have claimed for a trouser press.
Eastleigh MP Chris Huhne’s claim was the first to be revealed, but he has since paid back the £119.
Now New Forest East MP Julian Lewis has defended his identical claim by saying he needed it because he did not want to “stay up all night ironing”.
To help our MPs save taxpayers’ money, the Daily Echo has turned to the Iron Lady herself.
Fear not, we haven’t drafted in Baroness Thatcher.
Instead, we’ve signed up the services of Southampton ironing guru Becky Pentelow, aka the Iron Lady, to show them step-by-step how to iron a pair of trousers with a humble hand iron.
Becky, whose slogan is “Don’t be blue too, let me iron for you”, said: “It really is very simple to iron a pair of trousers and it only takes a few minutes.”
The Daily Echo can reveal that Southampton Test MP Alan Whitehead and Romsey MP Sandra Gidley do not have a trouser press. Indeed, Mrs Gidley assures us she does all her own ironing by hand.
New Forest West MP Desmond Swayne, Southampton Itchen MP John Denham and Fareham MP Mark Hoban could not be contacted last night.
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