Wilshire allows Cameron to show he really ‘gets it’

An announcement is now expected tonight saying that David Wilshire is standing down as an MP at the general election. A Conservative party source has already confirmed this evening that he will do so.

One senior Tory source I spoke to said Mr Wilshire had been “seriously thinking about standing down” anyway – that’ll be news to some in his constituency association, who thought he had every intention of staying on.

This morning Tory high command said that Mr Wilshire would be given a few days to find his paperwork and make his own case for why he was paying his office allowance into a company he owned.

But Team Cameron has decided a burst of ruthlessness is needed here. Mr Wilshire has been invited to announce his intention to stand down at the election to take some of the sting out of the story.

This will also further burnish Mr Cameron’s credentials as the “get tough,” “I really get it” candidate in the expenses saga.

– One week of the Commons back at work has clearly been enough for me! Just taking a short break – back in a few days’ time.