Life with our MPS - by our political correspondent NILL JACOBS

GORDON Prentice's sudden appearance at Westminster wearing his Republican hat has caused a flutter of concern among his fellow East Lancashire MPs.

The Pendle Labour backbencher has long been a closet anti-Monarchist.

But he has, by and large, kept this to himself.

But the Sophie Wessex scandal prompted him to come out of the woodwork and show his true colours.

His call for working members of the Royal Family to have to declare their financial interests in a special register along the lines of that for MPs at Westminster, produced a surprising level of support.

Some 65 MPs signed the Commons motion flushing out a few unlikely Republicans.

Most notable of those was Burnley's Peter Pike not known to have similar views until now.

Mr Prentice also called for the number of royals supported by the taxpayer to be cut to the Monarch and the heir.

This struck a unexpected chord with Hyndburn's Greg Pope.

But it caused deep alarm to Blackburn MP Jack Straw who before he became Home Secretary had in opposition called for just such a cull of the minor royals. Today all he would say was: "I am a strong supporter of the Constitutional Monarchy" pointedly declining to say just how many hangers on to the Queen he was ready to bankroll.

Rossendale and Darwen MP Janet Anderson, who spent a couple of years as the Royal Whip writing a gossipy weekly letter to the Queen which Her Majesty is understood to miss, is similarly tightlipped.

Perhaps the most alarmed is the Prime Minister's Press Secretary Alastair Campbell.

In the Burnley fan's journalistic days his comments on royalty were so hostile that they would make even Mr Prentice's hair stand on end.

He has been notably silent on the issue.

Turf Moor regulars will have been alarmed to read that Mr Campbell is considering stepping down as the Prime Minister's Press Secretary.

But they can be reassured that he is only planning to move sideways to a more powerful position in side Number 10, ensuring there remains a Clarets fan at the heart of Government to balance the influence of Blackburn Rovers supporter Mr Straw!