A recent story from a traveller on Corporation buses. The Mince's correspondent was travelling back from an evening of imbibing down Stockaree way and eventually found himself a comfortable berth at the back of the lower deck on a No4 Omnibus heading to Shandon (and thence to Hillend).

At the Haymarket stop, a chap in a suit with a rucksack alighted and made his way to the back where he sat across from our soak, who remarked loudly, "you look like Des Browne."

"That's because I am", returned the nonchalant ex-Defence Minister who then proceeded to busy himself with his blackberry.

But what, The Mince wonders, was the Member of Parliament for Kilmarnock and Loudoun doing on the No4 bus at that time of night and what was his destination? The usual fiver for information.