The Daily Telegraph yesterday reported that Denis MacShane, former Labour Minister, will not be facing any action over allegations of abusing Commons expenses. The article - three brief paragraphs (pictured left), appeared in the print edition of yesterday’s paper but it seems that the story was not published online.

Contrast the sparse (and seemingly, uninterested) coverage on MacShane to the DT’s sustained and extensive coverage of Baroness Warsi, who was recently found guilty of a minor breach of ministerial code, for not fully declaring details of a business associate accompanying her on a trip to Pakistan. Although the DT has covered the issue of MacShane’s expenses, he does not seem to have been pursued in the same way that Warsi has been. In June alone, the DT published around eight articles on Lady Warsi and subsequent investigation by Sir Alex Allan, most of which carried a negative tone.

The apparent bias begs the question - why should Warsi’s transgressions merit greater attention and column inches than those of MacShane? Over at Islamophobia Watch, Bob Pitt writes that the aim of the derogatory press coverage “has been to create enough controversy around her that it will be impossible for David Cameron to keep her on as Tory Party co-chairman”.