This is absolutely absurd; yet another case of the only thing mattering is "Is it a good story?". The only reason for it is that the media feel they have a great story and the public are too thick to understand anything other than a headline.

I don't think any MP has done anything everyone doesn't do every day. Putting a taxi on expenses that was actually for a personal trip. Sticking cleaning expenses in the wrong column. Trying to get away with phone calls. For god's sake - who cares? Just like John Terry - is he any good at football? That's all that matters unless he's broken the law.

Have MPs broken the law. Oh yes, just like you and me. Speeding at 33 MPH in a 30 MPH zone? Smoking a spliff? Parking on a double yellow for 3 minutes whilst posting a letter?
I'll tell you what; those of us in the media break more little laws than any section of society.
If you'd observed the journalists fiddling expenses over the years.
Jail the lot of us, I say.

What? That's what society is doing anyway?

It's not often I disagree with you JK but I do on this. The difference being that journalists, celebrities and Joe Public are not entrusted by us to serve us and our interests on our behalf. The sheer arrogance and shruggy shouldered indifference of some of the cheating MP's (and they were cheating us)rubbed salt in the wounds and for me it was the contempt they displayed for the voters which has my blood boiling.

I admire your stance JK, you being someone who was almost publically crucified for nothing, but I'm afraid I don't have the same sympathies for these greedy parasites who should at least be out of a job if not behind bars.

..and no..it's not the same as someone parking on double yellow lines.

What they have done is far far worse. They've stolen from Mr Voter and then stuck a large index up at him.

Absolutely disgraceful.

But who the hell do I vote for now in May? The Monster Raving Loonies I think!

My problem is that everybody tries to squeeze the odd extra penny out of expenses and a few thousand here or there is trivial; yes, if they deliberately steal hundreds of thousands by fraud and so on; charge them and dump them. But daily bits and pieces - it's just the structure which allows a bit of bending and twiddling. Are they any good at their fucking jobs? That's all I care about (they are not, incidentally, which is why, like you, I'll probably not be voting this year).

JK2006 wrote:
My problem is that everybody tries to squeeze the odd extra penny out of expenses and a few thousand here or there is trivial; yes, if they deliberately steal hundreds of thousands by fraud and so on; charge them and dump them. But daily bits and pieces - it's just the structure which allows a bit of bending and twiddling. Are they any good at their fucking jobs? That's all I care about (they are not, incidentally, which is why, like you, I'll probably not be voting this year).

New Labour are relying on people not voting in order to get in again.

Vote for whoever can beat New Labour in your area. Then you have done your duty.

We must STOP this whole New Labour bandwagon before it destroys the World.

A lot of them will be out of a job, TFC. At least 120 Labour MPs are standing down at the next election. Then there will be some Tory and Lib Dems to add to that number. Some have been deselected (sacked) by their constituency, and others have decided to jump before being pushed.

My local MP is actually very good at his job and will no doubt be returned with a massive majority. He wasn't one of those found to have broken expenses rules.

I do think the issue has been overblown. They have shown themselves to be a bit dodgy, but we mostly suspected that anyway. They were caught with their hands in the till, but it's not as bad as causing men and women to die in an unnecessary war, or eroding civil liberties, or removing the safeguards from the legal system to make it easier to jail the innocent purely to enhance conviction rates.

Stealing a few thousand pounds is nothing compared to stealing our freedom.

I'm sorry but I can't agree with any of you.

They are a set of two faced bastards. They swear allegiance to the Queen and the people, yet when they had a chance to prove that allegiance, they signed away our sovereignty to the EU without a second thought, on top of ripping us all off. They represent themselves only and no one else.

Should you or I fiddle our tax returns I doubt the same outpouring of sympathy will be forthcoming..