Rotten Boroughs : South Tyneside

It has to be said that there are some real idiots out there masquerading as Councillors like, for example, Cllr Bartlett of Stony Stratford of whom I wrote recently. But if you really want to scrape the bottom of the barrel, there is unlikely to be anywhere better to look than South Tyneside.

Cllr David Potts is a controversial figure in South Tyneside, often accused by the Tyneside Independent Alliance - a coalition of independent councillors and candidates - of being an ineffective local councillor. He came under fire in November last year when he spent three months in South Africa while still claiming £1,003 a month in expenses - without giving a clear reason for the trip. He said at the time: 'I'm here on a mixture of business and pleasure' - so you would be justified in asking exactly why he was being funded by ratepayers?

But more recenty, Cllr Potts decided to have a jolly good rant when his local MP - none other than David Miliband - was offered a job a non-executive role at Sunderland football club with a reported salary of £50,000 a year.

So incensed was Cllr Potts at this move that he launched forth with a tirade of abuse on Twitter. I quote : "Miliband takes on Sunderland football role. If I knew he was that cheap I'd have offered him 50K years ago. What a wanker!"

Not content to stop there, he went on to offer Miliband £1,000 to teach his girlfriend to cook. Now Miliband might have been on the look out for a job or two since losing the Labout leadership election to his brother, but I doubt even he is that desperate!

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "Football often raises strong emotions, but language like this is clearly unacceptable in political debate." In his own party, leader of South Tyneside Council Iain Malcom said last night: "The comments are clearly outrageous from a senior public figure like Cllr Potts, he should withdraw them from his Twitter account and apologise to David Miliband."

Now you might think that this is a little hypocritical of me as I am about to declare that I think they are both a couple of wankers - but then, I'm not a holder of public office....

....and if I was, then I'd know better!