British MP's expenses scandal rolls on!

And it shows very little signs of stopping just yet! It is slowing, but still moving quick enough to prevent moss from growing on it.

Now, I could detail everything that has gone on with regards the scandal, but to do so would leave me typing well into the night, and my fingers will be worn to a nubbin! Therefore, I will just give you the skeleton of the scandal, and then my opinion (which is far more important!).

The scandal broke when the Daily Telegraph newspaper in the UK managed to get its hands on MP's receipts after battling the House of Commons and the Speaker of the House for access to them under the Freedom of Information Act. It is worth noting that MP's and the Speaker fought very hard to keep them private, rather than acceding to the law that THEY wrote, and releasing them.

Essentially, the scandal broke and revealed how MP's had been claiming on expenses for a massive amount of stuff. There is the rumoured "John Lewis" list which allows MP's to claim for stuff up to the value of what they are charged in the department store chain, John Lewis. And it can be on anything. TV's computers, clothes, soap, toothbrushes, tennis rackets... Anything.

They could claim help on paying for a second home in London. On the face of it, that is not too bad. Many MP's live beyond a sensible commute to London, so they buy a house so they can have somewhere to stay whilst they are working at Parliament.

Problem is, they can claim on the mortgage. They can also "flip" their home, and claim assistance on the home that costs more. Even if that was your first home in whatever town it is. This means that even though they may pick up a cheap home in London, that is small, they can claim back assistance on the mortgages on their fist home, in the constituency they serve.

We have had endless stories about MP's claiming for renovations on their home, pond cleaning, even the re-modelling of a duck house! 

This all sounds rather bizarre, and it is. To make it worse, all this was mostly legal! 

Hang on, then why is it a scandal?

Simple. Many MP's did not breach the rules, because the rules where so vague and flexible that it was easy to duck them. 

THIS for me, is the scandal. 

Plenty of people have said that we should lay off MP's, who has not tried to fiddle an expense form, etc. Problem with these arguments is that whilst many people do pass things through expenses that maybe they should not, these expenses rules are set by another organisation, namely, your employer. There is a clear division. I as an employee cannot claim for stuff that the firm will not pay for. With MP's whilst they did not breach the rules, they where the ones to MAKE the rules in the first place. THIS is the scandal. If I could make the rules on expenses, I would be tempted to make the occasional loophole.

A lot of people have been saying we need to pay MP's more money, they need help, etc. I agree. MP's earn £65,000 a year. A good salary, but not enough to pay for 2 houses. I have no issue with paying an MP for expenses, but the rules have to be clear, unequivocal, and not set by the MP's themselves. If it was made totally independent, then fantastic.

There is the issue of tarring all MP's with the same brush. Unfortunately, this is going to happen. I am sure there are many MP's who run perfectly reasonable and sound lives, with expense claims that are perfectly valid. For these MP's by all means, claim away.

For the rest, stop ducking, pay up, and get a bit humble!