Pöttering's poor timing

Very poor timing by Hans-Gert Pöttering, the president of the European Parliament, who chose this week to make an official visit to London, to visit Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister Gordon Brown, erstwhile prime minister Tony Blair and erstwhile MEP Nick Clegg. Pöttering's mistake was to make his trip the week after an outcry over a critical internal audit of MEPs' expenses, at a moment when the parliament and the press in London are full of talk about the expenses claims of Michael Martin, the speaker of the House of Commons, who also had a meeting with Pöttering. The two hold equivalent jobs, except that whereas Martin is presiding over a review of MPs' expenses, Pöttering has passed that particular buck to Harald Rømer, his secretary-general.