Rat explosion in UK

So the population of rats in the UK has gone up by a large amount, has it? Lots of rubbish been left out on the street and not collected?

Well, that's hardly fucking news now, is it.

The number of call outs to mouse infestations in 2007/8 - 147,000 - was also up six per cent, according to National Pest Technician Association's annual National Rodent Survey.

The association said the scrapping of weekly bin collections meant more rubbish was now being left outside in bins for longer, attracting more rats.

It identified "poorly secured household waste" as a significant contributory factor to the increase in the rat population, which had been "made worse where alternative weekly collections for entirely commendable waste minimisation purposes" had been scrapped.

When the Landfill Directive was passed, resulting in fortnightly bin collections as councils did not want to pay taxes to the government which then went to the EU, many people were saying that this was unhygienic.

But how could we possibly have a story linked to an EU Directive without a healthy dose of hypocrisy from some of our politicians?

Step forward Caroline Spelman, who has once again decided to ignore what her colleagues get up to across in Brussels and Strasbourg:

Caroline Spelman MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, said: "Labour's cuts to bin collection, driven by Whitehall bureaucrats, are harming the local environment and public health.

Er, hello?

We do see ourselves as strong advocates for environmental progress and this means, in terms of the waste directives, that you can expect us to strengthen any reduction or recycling targets proposed in new legislation.

This is the lady you can start pointing the finger at, sweetheart:

Incidentally, after this Waste Framework Directive went through which would have seen houses with at least five different bins and people involved in the incineration industry making lots of money, Mrs Jackson was taken to the most expensive restaurant in Strasbourg by lots of people who looked like lobbyists.

Hypocrisy? Check.

potential conflict of interests? check

Media ignoring the real cause of story? check

Good, good. A proper UK politics story.