I share the nation's reaction to the revelations about how MP's have been spending public money. And I am enjoying the delicious irony that the issue is being so gloriously exposed by the press.

Before rehearsing my role as a journalist in THE FRONT PAGE at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, I managed to organise three days experience with The Independent and a couple of days with a major tabloid. On my first day at the tabloid I was lucky enough to be assigned to their top journalist; he'd recently won Reporter of the Year and was an institution on Fleet Street. First off, he handed me about fifty receipts and six different coloured pens.

"Right then, do me a favour Neal and sign all these receipts with different names, using different pens. I'll fill in the amounts. And welcome to Fleet Street!"

The Independent was a lot less fun.