MP Expenses - Severance

The continuation of revelations threaten to take these columns below the depths of recovery. Unless an MP or minister is prosecuted or summarily dismissed immediately causing a by-election, no further entry will appear.

• Both the head bitten off from the body and spat out or the body bitten off from the head before spitting it out have the same end result: severance.

The concept of reward by allowing a miscreant to continue in office and not standing down until the

NEXT ELECTION

and still being paid a salary, enjoying increased pension rights (comparatively the publicly funded 1/40th accruement for every year as opposed to the private 1/60th) and the uninterrupted flow of expenses for that year is a disgrace and fails all the tests of morality. The appalling story of Baby P is that of the failed child protection services of the London Borough of Haringey. Dreadful though it is, it is (hopefully) a single case, but the MP expenses explosion and the revealed arrogance of the accused as though it were the expectation from office and then pathetically attempting to justify everything because it's (all together now) 'in the rules' citing The Green Book, when everything is clearly NOT in the rules. Failing to pay taxes as though it's a minor indiscretion after the tax return has been actioned by accountants and then claiming this as an expense is incredible enough, but then the Chancellor of the Exchequer as head of the tax system, cannot

• a) be bothered
• b) is not sufficiently able

to fill in his own complex return that he has forced everyone else to do and without recourse to recovery of any costs is a example of incredibly obnoxious hypocrisy. If Darling was actually forced to attempt filling out the form, he should be able to detect and possibly understand the difficulties. Of course, if the fear and control are the more important features then it's

only to be expected

Finally,

• No Expenses Spared
• Complete MPs Expenses Guide
• Full List of MPs Investigated
• Cabinet MPs' Expenses in Full
• Shadow Cabinet MPs' Expenses in Full
• MPs' Expenses: the pay-back deal

Be aware that being asked to pay-back

and agreeing (in principle) are a very long

way from actually doing so. Ask yourself:

...is it likely to be "given back" quite so readily?

After all, it was such hard work to

obtain it in the first place. Indeed,

an expenses paid phone call...

... and simply ask a nodding donkey

Enough, subject closed as the stench
from the cesspool is unbearable