MID-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff, the Conservative minister for defence equipment, support and technology, was featured in last week’s edition of Private Eye, much to his amusement.

Following on from Dr Liam Fox’s fall from grace as Defence Secretary, with a little help from his mate Adam Werrity, it highlighted the hospitality Mr Luff had “enjoyed” at the expense of defence contractors.

The one overnight stay courtesy of Northern Defence Industries was at a three-star boutique hotel in the centre of Leeds following a conference at which he gave a speech and handed out awards.

It sounds lovely, but it was a night Mr Luff has never forgotten. He said: “I was awake all night because all I could hear were the shouts and screams from young men and women at the bars and clubs.”

Pah! I’m sure readers, many of whom are struggling with finances at the moment, are also amused, albeit for very different reasons.

Mr Luff said if this is the worst Private Eye can throw at him “then I am watertight”.

Like the waistband on his trousers thanks to all those buffets, lunches and dinners.

REBELS who voted in favour of a referendum on the UK’s membership to the European Union have been invited to join a new Eurosceptic group.

Called the 81 Group – named after the number of Conservatives who rebelled against the Prime Minister at the beginning of last week – its aim is to make David Cameron stand stronger against the EU.

But MPs don’t want to join, especially Worcester’s own rebel Robin Walker, who said it is unhelpful, potentially divisive and lumping together all of the MPs who voted in favour of a referendum was “a bit silly”.

It’s a rebellion against the rebellion! If this carries on we’ll have to forget questions over the longevity of the coalition and start asking if the Conservative Party can stick out this term of Parliament.