Corruption in High Places

The ongoing revelations about the epic scale of UK politician’s greed over expenses are still causing headlines. I won’t bother to go over it all again as a billion hot air balloons couldn’t hold all the hot air that this story has generated.

Remember that this same group set their own wage rises, insist that their pension scheme be immune from Gordon Browns pension raids (that have impacted many UK schemes), set up and scrutinise their own expenses scheme and generally look after their own self interests.

Suffice if to say that, basically it all comes down to ‘second home allowances’ where many a crafty financial wheeze (or even just blatant money grabs) has been employed by ‘Right (dis) Honourable Members of Parliament’ in order to feather their nests …. in some case many nests.

Which brings me nicely to the members of ‘Browns Babes’ who are featuring in this debacle. Among other revelations, Ms Hazel Blears is said to have claimed for expenditure under the Additional Costs Allowance on three different properties during the same year, spending £5,000 on furniture in three months.

Her, and all the others excuses "I haven't broken any rules", or "my claims are within the rules" or "The House Committee approved my claims" ...... as though that absolves them from any moral wrong doing, or blame. These are 'rules' that they set and policed themselves!

And good old 'harridan' couldn’t keep quiet either ….. “I don't think there's any reason for resignations, but there is reason to tighten up the system “ says Harriet Harman, deputy (permanent) Labour Party leader

But quote of the week (and possibly the century), comes from one of those labour backbenchers who take knighthoods for being house ‘veterans ‘ (aka loyalty wards) Labour MP Sir Stuart Bell, who sits on the House of Commons Commission, and who said the expenses claims were "not unusual" or "out of order".

He added: "We do respect public opinion and we do respect the need for change - and I think that change is coming, I hope it will come quicker, and I hope the public will get the respect for MPs back, which we do actually deserve at the end of the day."

If ever a quote showed why politicians should only be allowed to do the job for a maximum of ten years, its this ………. this buffoon believes that MP’s with their snouts in the trough and their hands in our wallets, actually deserve our respect!