The opinions expressed by John Blunt are not necessarily those of this newspaper

JOINING Cabinet enforcer Jack Cunningham, Health Secretary Frank Dobson and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in the ministerial Concorde Club, the newest member Geoff Hoon, Minister of State in the Lord Chancellor's Department - proprietor: Lord Irvine, of Wallpaper Extravagance - came up with some Mach 3 arrogance in reply to critics concerned at the expense to the taxpayers of him flying home supersonic from New York.

"I presume that you weren't suggesting that I should swim back," he said in a radio interview. But, for me, Mr Hoon, went one better when it was suggested to him that he could have taken a much cheaper ordinary flight and still have been back in time for the meetings he had to attend over here.

"Well, I'm not very sure how many people would think that's a very sensible arrangement, to arrive in Heathrow at 6am to have a meeting at 9am and not have the kind of rest that most be would be expected to have before they make important decisions," he replied.

Hark at that - I make important decisions; I'm important. Big deal! The fact is that Mr Hoon is a minor minister of whom very few had heard until he was exposed flying about big-shot style, in the same way that other ministers assume is right for them, and that the benefits, if any, of his expensive transatlantic fact-finding trip are even less likely to impress themselves on the taxpayer. He and other politicians with this sort of outlook need taking down a peg. And ridicule in the form of him being known as Junket Geoff, as he fears, will do for a start in his case.

But what of boss Tony Blair who told all MPs on Labour's coming to power: "You are not here to enjoy the trappings of power"? What's he doing about all the high life ministers are enjoying at our expense?

Did not Junket Geoff intriguingly give an insight into prime ministerial probity the day before his tetchy radio interview?

"The government has issued instructions that no ministers can divulge details of their travel arrangements without authority," he said.

In other words: Don't talk about your jet-set lifestyle at public expense, then the punters are less likely to find out and complain. And Tony tells us he's a straight kind of guy.

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