'NEWSNIGHT' TAKES THE FIGHT TO THE TORIES

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Thirty minutes into last night's Newsnight the programme turned to the issues raised by Dispatches (why don't the BBC have such a programme? Panorama is not in the same league these days). After telling us that Byers, Hewitt and Hoon have been suspended from the Labour Party in the wake of tonight's fresh revelations (which would doubtless have given Gordon Brown a great deal of pleasure!), Jeremy Paxman read this from his autocue: "The BBC's home affairs editor has also disclosed tonight that dozens of MPs from all major parties have broken rules requiring them to register and declare trips abroad at the expense of foreign governments". Ah yes, it's the 'they're all as bad as each other' point made whenever Labour gets itself in the mire, though strangely not made when the Conservatives are under fire. Fancy Mark Easton having something up his sleeve to pull out just as damaging news flies hard at the Labour Party (despite John Butterfill, for whom Dispatches raised a Baroness Morgan), something that hits all major parties! What a surprise!
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Cue Crick. "Amid revelations that some MPs (and a Labour peer Michael! You forgot Baroness Morgan) are open for hire like taxis, dramatic news tonight as three former members of the Labour cabinet are suspended from the party. Rarely has any party taken such strong action against three such senior figures." Yes, it's 'Labour to the rescue!' time again.
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Mr Byer's 'taxi for hire' claim gave Crick all the excuse he needed to bring up Neil Hamilton. ('They're all as bad as each other', you see).
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Byers's retraction today of those claims which could be damaging to Labour Lords Adonis and Mandelson was reported by Michael Crick as if it was to be taken at face value - 'Byers has owned up. He exaggerated. Adonis and Mandelson are in the clear, and that's that. Move along now please.' I doubt Michael Crick's tone would have been the same had a Conservative miscreant recanted!
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Crick then briefly reviewed Geoff 'Hoon Work' Hoon, Patricia Hewitt and (you could see this coming)
"the senior Tory John Butterfill". (I'd never heard of him before). What happened to Labour's Baroness Morgan though? Why did Crick not mention her starring role in Dispatches?
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Then Crick turned to Mark Easton's conveniently timed revelations about MPs and their foreign hospitalities. Labour MP Andrew Dismore and Conservative David Amess were singled out. 'They're all as bad as each other', you see. Well almost because, this being Crick, David Amess was spotlighted (rather than Mr Dismore) with an embarrassing clip and lots more criticism. Also Mr Dismore's denials of wrongdoing were quoted. As further proof of bias, here (if more proof be needed) Crick spent 16 seconds on Mr Dismore but spent 46 seconds on Mr Amess! That's Michael Crick for you!
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Jeremy Paxman then asked Peter Mandelson about the Tesco claims (briefly) and Ken Clarke about Mark Easton's Labour-saving investigation, mentioning Theresa Villiers.
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What is Newsnight? Is it merely a branch of Downing Street's Rebuttals Unit?