I can’t understand what the fuss is about over a former MP turning up at a job centre to seek work.

As I’ve chronicled on this blog, all sorts of people find themselves out of work at some point in their lives.

I agree with Laura Smith, the former Labour MP for Crewe and Nantwich, that going to a job centre is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m not too proud to claim Jobseeker’s Allowance.

Politics is a precarious trade to ply. That’s why I have never been tempted to become a politician.

Political journalism was a much safer route to follow. I always told people on polling day that whatever the outcome, I would still be in a job on the Friday morning.

As the world of work changes, so too must society’s attitudes. The divide between those in work and those out of work has to change.

Steady, secure jobs will become fewer and farther between. They’ll become the exception.

So well done to anyone prepared to look for work. What you’ve done in the past is irrelevant, how much you’ve earned in previous jobs is irrelevant. The fact that you are now seeking employment is relevant.