With British MP and Putin-apologist, Mike Hancock furiously denying that his sexy Russian researcher and alleged Russian spy, Katia Zatuliveter, did anything untoward whilst working for him over the past two and a half years in the House of Parliament, it brings to mind the old adage that 'There's No Fool Like an Old Fool'.
This pink Ralph Lauren sweater-donning and Teddy Bear gifting 'Ladies Man', is the House of Commons answer to 'Swiss Toni'. He also seems to think that he knows a little better than MI5 who must surely have arrested his Katia on a whim after a 6 month investigation. Or a FIFA-bashing fit of pique?
'Swiss Mike's' case for his hand-picked assistant - as he declared with Will Ferrell-esque confidence in his inteviews on Sky and the BBC today - was that his darling little Katia could type up a lovely anti-obesity report quick as you like and all whilst prancing around in a short skirt and high heels. Apparently she also comes from a lovely family - so there is no way on earth that she could be a Russian spy. Case closed Mike! What could our security services be thinking of?
However despite the obvious humour of the situation, as we get our very own Anna Chapman here in the U.K, with a 'Russian' Maxim spread surely only a deportation away. This is a serious security breach with Mike sitting on the House of Commons Defence Select Committee. And could our innocent Katia have been behind the series of detailed questions that Mike has been asking about our nuclear deterrent? Something smells a little off here...
Also it would be interesting to know exactly what the security vetting procedures are for research assistants at the House of Commons? Perhaps if you are 'smoking hot', under 30 and prepared to wear some figure hugging Bond-girl outfits, then it doesn't matter whether your father used to be an officer in the Russian Army. Maybe we have a bevy of glamorous Chinese gals running Parliament's IT department fresh from hacking Google in China?
Whatever happens the next chapter of 'Swiss Mike's' escapades will be one to watch...
