Some things never change...

Readers may remember the rather amusing story in the News of the World

The evening our reporter arrived in Brussels Wise demonstrated how generously the daily allowance stretched by dining at posh restaurant Jacques on taxpayers' cash.

After a slap-up feed of herring to start, followed by steak and a whole bottle of wine to himself the podgy, bearded bon viveur chortled: "I've spent whatever-it-was pounds tonight and I'll still make a humungous profit. Thank you very much!"

Wise-who boasts of having a cellar of 1,000 bottles of wine at home-added: "I have a simple philosophy. You and your parents are paying for me. Sorry, tough!"

Well, it seems that some things never change. From Gary Cartwright, Wise's staff member in the European Parliament, this little e-mail found its way onto the internet:

You will be familiar with the tradition of celebrating the start of a new week in Tom Wise's office (2 M 115 - Brandt building)...

Tonight, at 6pm, we will have our last get together, and we hope that you will join us for some very special, and very old, rather fine wines, dating back as far as 1960! .... and of course a bite to eat.

We look forward to seeing you......

I presume that's some of the wine picked up:

At 2pm he sauntered off to a private appointment. In the afternoon he attended meetings on biofuel and windfarms but left before the end. Then it was time for a shopping trip, where he splashed out on six bottles of red wine and huge bags of crisps.

Or maybe on another shopping trip?

All right thinking UKIPpers must have been so glad that Farage and Whittaker insisted that he was kicked out, despite protestations and continual bullshit from certain other MEPs shrouded in jealousy.