Rock exposes cracks in regulation

Northern Rock's crisis has shown that there is a case for reviewing the key regulatory relationships

How refreshing to see that the greatest light to be shed on the Northern Rock crisis was cast by the Treasury Select Committee.

Too often people dismiss backbench MPs as mere lobby fodder or careerists biding their time before they get front bench preferment. Once on the front bench it seems to become all about soundbites and striking postures rather than getting to grips with the substance of policy. In many ways this is the legacy of the Blair era when PR and image was often thought to be