Slightly ranty food and exercise diary, Tuesday, May 26.

Today I had the most supremely egotistical idea I've had since I was in the fifth year at school and thought a ten minute drum solo in the middle of the school concert would be a good way to display my talents.

While I was out running on Tuesday (one hour ten mins, over the bridge and back, about four miles), I thought about the whole MPs expenses scandal thing and how politicians have finally sunk further than the the depths inhabited by journalists in the publics' eyes - and I say that as a journalist myself, albeit between scoops.

I was thinking that one of the solutions to the problem would be to do away with party politics completely and have an assembly of independently elected men and women to represent areas of the country.

And then I thought, why not stand for election myself? It would be the ultimate exercise in attention seeking and my slogan could well be 'please vote for me and show me how much you love me'. The rejection factor is of course massive but imagine that feeling of euphoria when the returning officer calls out the result in a drafty leisure centre at 4am and confirms that several thousand people liked me enough to vote for me.

No wonder politicians rarely want to give up their seat and the chance of feeling at the centre of the universe once every four or five years.

Politics is often described as showbiz for ugly people, which is spot on, 'cos none of the blokes are going to give Brad Pitt any worries about losing his World's Most Fanciable Male title, and I think Ms Jolie is probably safe too.

And the recent exposure of their snouts so deep in the trough confirms that they obviously feel untouchable and above the dull restrictions that the rest of us normal people have to live by, such as having to pay our bills without help from the taxpayer.

As somebody who was made redundant a couple of months ago and not knowing where my next duck island is coming from, it makes my blood boil (and for the first time I really understand why people say that) to think how they are all claiming thousands each year for stuff the rest of us have to find the money to pay for, like living! And don't forget they all get paid upwards of £60K as a basic minimum salary, which is more than double the average wage in this country.

Even the meekest Lib Dem or most earnest Labour MP are still claiming for things like mortgage interest, council tax food and furnishings at least. Frankly it makes the most spongiest of spongers living all their lives on benefits and raking it in for all their ten kids and fictional relatives, look as if they're not really trying.

Who knew that Tory MPs, who once ran entire election campaigns basically demonising 'single mothers', blaming them for all the ills of society and draining the public purse, when they were actually the ones screwing us for every penny.

The other thing about being an independent MP is that you could actually do what the people who elected you want you to do.

There must have been loads of Labour MPs who wanted to vote against some of the more unpopular ideas this government has had, tuition fees, war in Iraq (if they'd been given the chance), but felt compelled by the party line.

Why not do what your electors want, hold an online poll on your official blog every week, and stay in touch with public opinion.

Essentially most people want a job, decent public services and a low rate of tax, which is a difficult circle to square of course, so whoever gets the balance right is likely to stay in power. But why should this be a party political thing?

Give the people what they want I say, Joanna Lumley and Esther Rantzen will be running the place soon anyway.

Oh, and on Tuesday I ate the following:

Breakfast: A banana.

Lunch: Two pittas with chicken and salad, touch of mayo.

Dinner: Seafood with pasta, mixed with half fat creme fraiche and some chopped chives. Had a bit of chocolate after, not doing well cutting it out of my diet.