Victoria Derbyshire

Image source, AFP/Getty

Denis MacShane was jailed for six months for expenses fraud after admitting submitting 19 fake receipts amounting to £12,900.

Asked about it, the former MP says it was "wrong" and "foolish" but says none of the money was for "personal gain".

He says he was investigated and the initial police case against him was dropped but adds that the politicians "want to make an example of me" and "a very politically-orientated" director of public prosecutions chose to reverse the initial the decision.

MacShane suggests he pleaded guilty because he was "exhausted" and "my savings had gone", adding: "Did you think I was going to fight this?"

But he adds that "I did wrong" and says he is "not complaining" about what happened.

Victoria Derbyshire

Former Labour MP Denis MacShane, who was jailed for expenses fraud, says Parliament is still tainted six years on from the expenses scandal.

He says until the pre-2010 generation "quietly fades" away the reputation of Parliament won't be restored.

 "We should be looking at the strictest practices around the in the best parliament of the world and applying that [to our system]," he says.

Nick Robinson
Political editor

Why pass a law to force yourself to so something you already intend to do? That was my first reaction to the news that the chancellor plans to legislate to oblige him to run a budget surplus in "normal times" - in other words to raise more in tax than he spends when the economy's not in recession.

So, is this announcement pure politics? After all, George Osborne knows that the first rule of political strategy is to "define your opponent before they can define themselves".

By announcing this now but delaying a vote on it until the Autumn he is ensuring that the argument about spending will dominate the Labour leadership campaign and that the new Labour leader will have to decide whether to vote for or against balancing the books.

This, though, is about more than merely wrong-footing Ed Miliband's successor.

Ream more from Nick  

House of Lords
Parliament

The House of Lords begins at the later time of 15:00 BST with a half-hour question session with government ministers. Subjects will cover meat inspections, legal aid, apprenticeships and disability payments.

Peers will spend most of the day debating the general principles of the Charities (Protection and Social Investment) Bill, and there will be a short debate on Ghurkas.

House of Commons
Parliament

The House of Commons kicks off its business today at the usual Wednesday time of 11.30 BST. First on the agenda is Scotland questions, which will be followed by David Cameron's weekly grilling from MPs and then a statement from the PM on the weekend's G7 summit. The main business is dedicated to two Labour-led debates: on housing and climate change, while Conservative MP for Dartford Gareth Johnson will bring the day to a close with a short debate on "unduly lenient sentences".

One of the arguments used most frequently in favour of the principle of holding a referendum is the suggestion that a plebiscite on a particular issue will produce some sort of decisive result that settles the matter.

The evident falsity of this idea is easily demonstrated by the last two referendums in mainland Britain - on a proposal to introduce a change in the electoral system in 2011 and on Scottish independence last year. Neither of these issues could possibly be described as having been resolved.

But it is the 1975 referendum on Britain's continued membership of Europe that provides the best example.

Read more.

Sky News

Is the chancellor's new fiscal rule pledge just short-term politics? Not at all, says Treasury minister David Gauke. He says countries such as Sweden and Canada, with "centre-left" governments, already have such rules - and argues that they were better prepared for the 2008 crash because their finances were in a better place.

"It's not about gimmicks, it's about entrenching lower levels of debt," the minister adds - and says he hopes there'll be cross-party support for the move.

Image source, AFP

Food safety is a major stumbling block in EU-US talks aimed at creating the world's biggest free trade zone.

The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would dwarf previous free trade deals. The European Commission estimates that by 2027 it could boost the size of the EU economy by €120bn (£94bn; $152bn) - equal to 0.5% of GDP - and the US economy by €95bn (0.4% of GDP).

European opponents argue that TTIP risks watering down EU regulations in the drive to remove trade barriers.

There are tensions over TTIP in the European Parliament, whose draft recommendations, external proved too controversial for MEPs to vote on it this week.

What divides the EU and US on food safety?

Nigel Farage has accused Brussels of "running scared" of public disquiet over a the EU-US deal, after a debate and vote in the European Parliament was pulled at the last minute.

MEPs narrowly voted to postpone today's consideration of the  Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) following the announcement that there would be no vote.

Martin Schulz, president of the European Parliament, said the delay was necessary because more than 200 amendments had been tabled that should be considered by the international trade committee.

But critics hailed the move as a recognition of growing opposition to aspects of the proposed deal, including concerns over its potential impact on the NHS and other public services.

Image source, Reuters

David Miliband has said he finds "no consolation in any sense of vindication" about Labour's performance in the general election. Mr Miliband was beaten by his brother, Ed, to the Labour leadership in 2010 told the Times that "all my worst fears were confirmed" by May's election result.

Mr Miliband said it was “doubly painful” for him as he didn’t want his brother to be “hurt” or “vilified” as a result of Labour's defeat.

BBC News Channel

Asked whether the caveat that the new fiscal rule being proposed by the chancellor will apply in "normal times" is a get out of jail card, Treasury Minister David Gauke says there needs to be "flexibility" - during a recession, for example. But he says the independent OBR can "hold the government's feet to the fire" and ensure the rule isn't "abused".

It is really important for governments to focus on bringing down the debt, and that means running a budget surplus in normal years, he adds.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Is PMQs damaging the reputation of politicians? Yes, argues Sir Gerald - and Parliament, too. You've got "a shouter" for a prime minister and "yellers" for backbenchers, the Labour MP adds. In Margaret Thatcher's day MPs could question her and she answered them in "a rational sensible way". She took it seriously, he says.  

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Lord Lisvane, author of How Parliament Works, says he wouldn't be as  "apocalyptic" as Sir Gerald. But he says all parliamentary question sessions - not just PMQs - over the past 40 years have changed from being "fairly inquisitorial to exchanging of assertions".

He suggests holding alternate sessions of PMQs in a committee room, with members drawn by ballot to question the prime minister. Sir Gerald likes the idea but says "it's not going to happen". The PM likes it this way, he argues.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Image source, PA

The format and behaviour of Prime Minister's Questions is up for discussion on Today, after David Cameron was criticised for his behaviour last week for turning questions from acting Labour leader Harriet Harman back on her.

Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman, the Father of the House (ie longest serving MP), says it doesn't matter in the least "because it's all a load of rubbish". For years PMQs has been "an exchange of pointless and useless declamations" with the prime minister preparing what he's going to say regardless of the questions that are put, he says.

"I don't blame him, waste of space that he is," adds Sir Gerald. He adds that nobody is interested in PMQs anymore, and nobody cares.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Amid reports suggesting the government will not respond to the findings of the Airports Commission on airport expansion at Heathrow and Gatwick, Lord Lawson says the "sooner they do it the better". But he adds that the government has "made it quite clear" it'll accept the commission's recommendations.

Sir Howard Davies' review is expected to issue its final report this summer. 

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Lord Lawson says the UK is the greatest financial sector in the world. But he says the banking system "really needs to be cleaned up", although he cautions that this needs to be done at the same time as making clear "that we are not against the system as such" - just the "bad banking and some of the skulduggery that has gone on".

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Is it a political move by the chancellor? Lord Lawson thinks not. He says it may be one of the dimensions but not the chief reasoning behind George Osborne's plan:

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Former Conservative Chancellor Lord Lawson says it may be new to legislate to bind future governments to maintaining a budget surplus when the economy is growing, but it is not a new doctrine.

"I think he wants to put a straitjacket for future chancellors who might not be as responsible as he is," he says. He thinks there's been too much discretion in the past and that more rules are needed, adding: "It's good for growth."