Foster's pints

MPs are often reputedly driven to drink by their constituents, but not many of them are as frank about it as Don Foster, Liberal Democrat education spokesman and MP for Bath. An assiduous attender at the Education and Employment Select Committee, Foster was late for Tuesday morning's session and, when called to ask questions, apologised to the witness and explained that "While I won't say where I was this morning, last night I was drinking beer for local PR purposes until the early hours."