Politicians’ limo dependency update

Surrounded by a police protection unit and chauffeured in a ministerial Jaguar, you could be forgiven for thinking that David Miliband did not belong to the party which lost the election. While his rivals for the Labour leadership pay for taxis and take trains [and go nowhere near a bicycle – ed.] the bookmaker's favourite Mr Miliband is costing taxpayers thousands of pounds in security and transport costs.

A Labour source said: 'It's ridiculous. He's swanning around in a Jag and the others, who were ministers as well, are trudging around on foot or in taxis at their own expense. It's not as if he's an obvious target.'

Former Northern Ireland Secretary Lord Mason is understood to still receive full police protection more than 30 years after leaving the Government, while protecting Tony Blair is costing taxpayers a staggering £6million a year.

A ministerial Jaguar used by Mr Miliband was also spotted parked on a yellow line outside Church House in Westminster

This is the kind of Daily Mail reporting we like.