Tory MP gets speeding ticket from land of his mothers

You can take the MP out of Wales but you can't take Wales out of the MP.

Michael Fabricant may have retired as the government's Welsh whip but his affection for the land of his mothers continues on the backbenches.

Yesterday, Mr Fabricant, who is something of a Westminster character, reminded the Commons how his mother comes from Aberavon.

Today, he has revealed less happy news from Wales, telling his followers on twitter: "Shock Horror: South Wales Police are prosecuting me for speeding at 35mph in a 30mph zone on the A4161 Newport Road.

"I know my place. Guilty. It says on the speeding form 'Were you the Driver?' I think I might say it was Chris Huhne."

"The Lichfield One" continued (in 140 characters or fewer): "I think I should make a personal statement to the House about my 35mph speeding penalty. I am guilty. I am a pleb. It was a speed camera."

Apparently it wasn't a speed camera: "I have just been told that it is likely I was caught by a mobile van. I can now deny stories that I told the speed camera to know its place."

His time as Welsh whip influenced his next tweet: "Suddenly realised that my speeding (35mph!) was in Wales. Isn't it devolved like Alderney or the Isle of Man? Maybe I'm exempt."

Er, maybe not. Mr Fabricant, who now has almost 6,000 followers on twitter, took his shock into the Commons chamber during question time: "Having just received a speeding fine from South Wales Police for going at 35mph in a 30mph zone - which was quite shocking to me this morning, I might add - may I say that this news of electrification is a great encouragement to me to use the railway in future."

Transport Minister Simon Burns told him: "Itjust goes to show the old adage is always the best adage: let the train take the strain."