Diary

He was condemned in the House of Commons and jailed for six years. As part of what we might call his own little Shawshank Redemption, Hart is now being allowed out of jail each day to work as an administrator for Carter & Carter, a private company that assists long-term benefit claimants on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions. He joined the firm late last year. Claimants give the firm all their details - name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and mobile telephone number, everything you might possibly need to rip someone off - and Mr Hart helps them out. In the evenings, he returns to prison. The firm tell us he was carefully chosen, fully vetted, and is closely monitored, but some might still think this unwise. Not us. We say it is the way forward.

· Would that the Marquess of Blandford, who was jailed yesterday for driving and "road rage" offenses, had such a life change. It was his second court appearances in two months, in addition to which he has already been jailed on three occasions and fought a lengthy battle against drug addiction. A colleague conducts a newspaper library check and finds that Britain's "premier aristocratic rogue" has been described as "Troubled Jamie Blandford" on no less than 58 occasions. Twice more and it can go on his passport.

· Sajid Mehmood isn't in his league, but then he was denied his profile and privileges. Sajid stood as Respect candidate for Halifax city council and could have been the perfect candidate but for the three months he spent in jail in 2003 for heroin and cocaine possession. And the four months he served in 2004 on driving offenses. Or the similar period he spent in jail in 2005, atoning for further driving offenses. As he prepares perhaps to go to jail again, having admitted leaving these matters off his nomination form, thereby driving a coach and horses through the Representation of the People Act, we might call him "distracted". But "troubled"? Not quite yet.

· There is no point just focusing on the miscreants. Maybe we need to have an equally good look at the criminal justice system and some members of the judiciary. At the Old Bailey, a jury yesterday began hearing the case against 23-year-old Mark Roberts, accused of shooting at a police officer and fleeing to a cafe in West Hampstead. He denies attempted murder but has pleaded guilty to making use of a firearm with intent to resist arrest. In evidence, a police officer told the court that he had noticed a sweaty man of Roberts's description in the cafe. "He had a copy of the Guardian newspaper held up very close to his face and appeared to me to be hiding behind it. I realized it was rather strange behavior," he said. "Reading the Guardian newspaper, you mean?" interjected the judge, Martin Stephens QC. Wow, two for the price of one. Wisdom and comedy.

· There is both heat and light at the TUC conference in Brighton where an argument has broken out about creche provision. The women's conference has tabled a motion deploring the decision of the general council not to expand provision outside "in-session" hours. This is, it says, a "huge barrier to parents and carers and to women's involvement in the trade union and labor movement". Someone will eventually mention the fact that there are just five children registered by the 762 delegates, but not us. Best to stay out of it.

· Just who are the dodgy figures seen lurking outside the Department of Health whenever TV reporters go there to record their pieces to cameras? In this age of terrorism and celebrity stalkers, shouldn't Scotland Yard be moving them on? Are these the press officers who are being sent down to ensure nothing "mean" is being said about Alan Johnson? That would be sad. Just too sad.