Blair's new terrorism bill won its vote in parliament on Wednesday by a majority of just 1 vote, so if one or two more potential anti-terror law MPs turned up on the day the Blair government would have suffered a humiliating blow. So where were one or two of these absent MPs?

George Galloway was performing his one-man (is it ever anything else?) show at a theatre in Cork (tickets 23euro) "An Audience with Geoge Galloway" where lucky listeners were invited to "ask about his beliefs and passions". Clearly resisting draconian legislation is not one of these when there's cash and self promotion on offer.

Vincent Cable, Lib-Dem Treasury spokesman and claimed opponent of the proposed legislation, was held up at a meeting with a Blair PR outfit (Make Poverty History) and was not able to get back in time to vote. Try time management training Vince.

A couple of Tories were at funerals but not their own unfortunately.

So here we have yet another example of the deception that is called democracy in the UK. The con is that these people cliam to represent their constituencies when they can't even be bothered to turn up to vote on legislation which will have serous consequences for all citizens (sorry Your Majesty, I mean subjects).