Samuel Smiles, alive and well

Smiles wrote such an influential book that it became the name of a whole genre, Self Help. It's still in print. It said that to be a worthy and moral person, you should look after Number One.

I know someone who's taken that to heart. He's a multimillionaire property speculator (not that he mentioned that to the electorate) who realised that the way to make more money was to make laws and hobnob with the other rich and powerful, by getting elected to Parliament.

His name's Paul Uppal. I may have mentioned him in passing already, in connection with telling lies to Parliament, not answering communications from constituents, and generally not giving a damn for the rest of us. Don't bother protesting about student fees or anything else: he votes the party line for everything, and only speaks when publicity or profit appear before his greedy piggy eyes.

He's popped up again: another droning little speech about his favourite subject: himself, and ways to make more money for himself. In a debate about REITS (property investments which help speculators and developers avoid paying a decent amount of tax), his self-interest came bursting out:

I share my hon. Friend's interest in real estate investment trusts. Commercial property is a success story. UK commercial property is one of the most coveted assets globally and brings in a great deal of revenue to the Exchequer. I echo my hon. Friend's eloquently put sentiments. If we look at the restrictions on the creation of real estate investment trusts, there could be a win-win situation for the UK. We should particularly look at a policy of incorporating that for private property companies as well.

The truth is, commercial property has dived massively, especially in London, thanks to greed and speculation. It's in Uppal's interest to talk up the market and find easy ways to avoid tax and increase property values because, well, he owns a lot of commercial property, and most of it's in London.

He's all right Jack. As for the rest of us - who cares?

Meanwhile, the Register of Members' Interests is up. Uppal claims to have a shareholding in Pinehurst Securities, and nothing else. No donations, no Ashcroft money, nothing. Interesting… we'll have to wait until the Tories cough up their election accounts in November.