...could be the new mantra of the House of Lords. Forget that Baroness Scotland forgot to check her cleaner’s passport. Wasn't her most shocking crime the £6- per-hour salary she paid Loloahi Tapui? I pay my (legal) cleaner £11 per hour – and may I clarify that I do not own a £2 million house in Chiswick, nor do I receive the £38,280-a-year subsidy the Baroness claimed on dubious grounds. Surely Chiswick is commutable – according to TFL Journey Planner you can sashay into Westminster in under 40 minutes. Even a taxi back to Chiswick after a hard day's slog wouldn't work out to almost 40 grand per year. And why didn't she share a bit of that gravy to help Loloahi make ends meet in her flat in Turnham Green, not exactly the cheap side of town. 

 

Why? Demeaning wages are the dirty little secret behind illegal labour. We swallow our morals and fail to cough up a fair share of the shillings. After all, illegal workers can't exactly complain. After the expenses row and second-home-allowance scandals, will the payrolls of the rich and famous be the next public shaming? And how would any of us fare under such inspection?
 

During London Fashion Week, the buzz was all about size 14 model Hayley Morley, (and a big – or actually fairly normal-sized – hurrah to her) but what about fair fashion? Do your fair share by supporting US-based No Sweat (above) which sells guilt-free trainers, T-shirts and other clothing. Or simply support local craftspeople, seamstresses and makers such as Lauren Shanley, left, this week's Website of the Week.