Putting his foot in it is nothing new for this MP

Tory MP David Amess has ruffled a few feathers by suggesting some of the places bidding to be the 2017 UK City of Culture are "absolute dumps".

He was trying to fly the flag for his constituency town of Southend-on Sea, which is one of 11 bidders currently in the frame.

As Hull is another, his comments have gone down like a lead balloon up here.

But the spectacle of Mr Amess putting his foot in it is nothing new.

Business Cards From Only £10.95 Delivered www.myprint-247.co.uk

myprint-247

View details

Print voucher

Our heavyweight cards have FREE UV silk coating, FREE next day delivery & VAT included. Choose from 1000's of pre-designed templates or upload your own artwork. Orders dispatched within 24hrs.

Terms: Visit our site for more products: Business Cards, Compliment Slips, Letterheads, Leaflets, Postcards, Posters & much more. All items are free next day delivery. www.myprint-247.co.uk

Contact: 01858 468192

Valid until: Friday, May 31 2013

In 2007 he was almost barred from joining an official parliamentary trip to the US after telling airline check-in staff that Osama Bin Laden had packed his bags.

Two years ago, during a Commons debate, he criticised female BBC news readers for smiling too much during bulletins.

He also suggested some might have had "too much botox".

Mr Amess has also managed to hit the headlines twice over his parliamentary expenses.

During the original scandal, he hid in a hairdressers as reporters from his local newspaper tried to question him over his maximum £400-per-month food claims over a four-year period.

And, last year, it was revealed he claimed £8,000 expenses to stay in London hotels, despite owning a flat in east London that he rents out and claiming another £7,000-a-year for renting another flat in south- west London where he is registered as living.

Mr Amess, who has been an MP for 30 years, also appeared in the infamous spoof Channel 4 satire show Brass Eye when he agreed to back a campaign criticising a fictitious drug called "cake".

He later asked a question about the non-existent drug in the Commons before complaining to the Independent Television Commission over being duped by the programme into jumping onto a completely made-up bandwagon.

If Hull wins, I can't see him coming up here to join in the fun.

THE other day, rebel Labour city councillor Dean Kirk asked if I wouldn't mind using a different photograph of him the next time he appeared in a story in the Mail.

I'm more than happy to oblige with this recent snap taken from his own Facebook page.

Along with fellow rebel Gill Kennett, it looks like Dean is already limbering up for the next series of Strictly Come Dancing.