WEDNESDAY 27 MAY - 22.30 GMT - BBC TWO PRESENTER: KIRSTY WARK From the web team: INDEPENDENCE DAY "I am no Mother Theresa but all my stuff is out there." So says David Van Day, erstwhile member of 80s pop duo Dollar, and now a man considering running for parliament in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal. And Mr Van Day is not alone, as the aftershocks of the expenses row continue to rumble, a number of would-be independent MPs have been clambering out of the cracks, among them TV presenter Esther Rantzen and Daily Telegraph associate editor Simon Heffer. On the day that the Labour disciplinary panel, the star chamber, meets to discuss whether MPs under fire for expenses claims can seek re-election we will take a closer look at the rise of the independent candidate. Are they the answer to parliament's problems and what are their chances for success? ETHICAL MAN Also, Justin Rowlatt's American odyssey takes him to Texas. The world's large-scale oil industry began in Texas, and the Lone Star state still styles itself as the powerhouse of America. But as Justin finds, as well as being the most polluting state in the Union, Texas has been quietly building a world-beating green energy industry right alongside its pump jacks and pipelines. Join Kirsty Wark at 10.30pm on BBC Two for all that and more. POETRY PLEASE And finally, a message for all budding Shakespeare's out there... As part of BBC Two's poetry season, Newsnight Review will be running a poetry special on Friday 29 May, looking at how relevant poetry is to modern day life and whether poets can still bring about change through the power of verse. Could you compose a poem to sum up the mood of the nation? There's only one way to find out... send us your poetry on the burning issues of the day via the review website now. www.bbc.co.uk/newsnightreview Missed Newsnight? Click here to watch online Newsnight Blogs Join the debate |