MP allowances

[kallis3]

They have abused the position of trust that we, their employers, have placed them in.

They are supposed to work for us, not use their position to line their own pockets.

I am sorry you feel that way MTL.

[Skippy]

I'm sorry you feel that way MTL, I would never mean to upset anyone.

However I can't change the way I feel - as far as I'm concerned what they have done is immoral at best, and theft from employer at worst and they should be treated the same way as the rest of us if we were caught stealing from our employer. No amount of belated apologies and toadying to the electorate will change that.

[mole]

I was listening to a debate on radio 4 over the weekend that suggested this current expenses claim scandal could be a fore-runner to a larger scandal.
At the moment the focus is on the size, amount and reason for the claims. Although this looks bad this is probably with the actual rules. The next stage of this scandal is to investigate if the claims were actually real?

An inventory on each claim needs to be done. For example when I claim has been put in for Laura Ashley wallpaper on a second home, does the house actually have Laura Ashley wallpaper. When a claim for a 32" plasma has been put in, does the TV exist in the 2nd home (or has it been put in the main home).
If this second level of scrutiny cannot be satisfied, there really is a cause for fraud.

I understand that there are a lot of worried MP and a lot of transit vans running around at present.

[Skippy]

This one is going to run and run unfortunately, and despite being their employers there's nothing we can do about it. Where else could the employees make the rules and tell the employers what to do?

[kallis3]

Nowhere, and I agree with Phil that this is just the tip of the iceberg and we will be in for even bigger revelations in the weeks to come.