So Carlos Tevez would like to leave Manchester City. He still has more than three years to run on his incredibly expensive contract, but has informed the press that he has played his last game for Man. City. Now, I’ve nothing against Man. City (other than them not being Liverpool) and my sympathy lies very much with their owners and management. No club should be bullied in this way, and I hope the rich Middle Eastern owners of Man. City will do football a real favour, by refusing to bow to this pressure and continuing to insist Tevez comes to training and sits on a bench for three and a half years, and teaches greedy players and their even greedier agents a lesson. A very expensive lesson for Man. City, but it’s time someone made a stand.

So, what’s this got to do with politics?

Well, contracts are the bane of government too; especially local government and it’s time someone stood up to the contractors. Time, perhaps, for government to pass some tougher legislation?

Surely, if a company wins a tender based upon a price and agrees to provide a service or to carry out a project, the price should be the price agreed in the contract, shouldn’t it? Otherwise, hasn’t it
simply won a tender at the expense of others, under false pretences?

Surely, large corporations should be expected to bear additional costs if their original quotation was ‘incorrect’?

So, Man. City. Do us all a favour and start a new trend. One where a contract is a contract. After all, this is one contest you could win!

Martin Land was Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Huntingdon in May.