MP expenses

[dave_mc]

But even if they did have a higher salary, there have to be some expense claims - if you have a Cabinet or ministerial post and need to travel abroad, for example, you can't be expected to pay for your own flights and accommodation.  No-one in an ordinary job would do that.

The existing rules shouldn't really need much changing if they were actually applied properly.  MPs are only supposed to be able to reclaim expenses incurred "wholly, exclusively and necessarily" in performing their duties.... but clearly that test hasn't been applied in practice!!

of course. i don't have a problem with sensible expenses.

I've been saying on another forum about the "halls of residence" type thing which ian suggested. that way they're not out of pocket, but they don't get to profit from it either. the big problem is that the expenses are too easily fiddled so that you can profit from them- using the expenses to pay the mortgage and then selling the house on for a tidy profit later.

[Ian Price]

I agree that there are a lot of MPs who will not have abused the system. The big name MPs and their legal teams certainly haven't helped explain what is going on. Reading the attached story is a bit of an eye opener into the long drawn out process (it's a long story so I chose not to C&P it all on to the forum!)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/15/mps-expenses-heather-brooke-foi

[dave_mc]

i dunno, normally i'd say it's just a few bad apples making them all look bad, but i'll make an exception for MPs.