Cleaning House

As the The Telegraph’s exposure of MPs’ expenses continues, it is clear that despite being caught with their hands literally in the till, many so called Honourable Members are finding it a little difficult to confess to being greedy little piggies.

Anyone listening to Lembit Opik defending his attempt to claim for a £2500 television may be forgiven for wondering what planet some of these people are living on. Or Douglas Hogg, who “never asked” for the cost of clearing his moat to be paid by the taxpayer (and was thoroughly outraged by the suggestion) but after careful consideration has decided to repay the claim anyway. Lest we forget Hazel Blears who has generously decided to pay £13,332 in capital gains tax that she absolutely insists is not due on the sale of her taxpayer funded second home.

The excuses come thick and fast:

• “The expenditure was approved by the Fees Office”
• “The system is confusing and needs reform”
• “My eye was off the ball”
• “It was an oversight”
• “I was very busy at the time”
• “Necessary for family life”
• “The claim was perfectly reasonable”

And so it goes on. Those MPs obviously caught exploiting a system they created for themselves, in utter denial regarding their culpability, trotting out excuses that would be laughed out of Court were we to be afforded the privilege of prosecuting a serving MP. And to do so at a time when the UK is facing a period of financial instability unheard of since the 1920s adds insult to injury.

Until those responsible for making inflated, excessive and in some cases fraudulent claims are held to account, Parliament will be tainted by the corrupt and self serving actions of these petty crooks. Nothing short of a comprehensive overhaul of the expenses system, a new Speaker and at least 15 by-elections will satisfy the electorate that our parliamentarians can once again be addressed as Honourable Members.