I particularly like the way some Labour MP's are spouting that they are doing something right and transparent about expenses.

It doesn't really count if you are only doing it because you got found out!!!

Plus they are saying they aren't breaking any rules, that's beside the point, it's not difficult to see you are distorting the rules to your own gains.

Plain wrong!!!!

Yup, agreed. They weren't breaking the rules, because it was themselves that were making the rules. The words feather and nest spring to mind.

In which case they won't mind the details being in the papers will they?

I've said in another forum that I reckon they should all be sacked, right now. Every last one of them. Let other people have a go at running the country - people who have a clue about what's going on out here in the real world.

They forget we, the tax payers, are their employers. They really should listen very carefully to what we say.

They either all resign, and are banned from office for two terms, or they're just sacked. Yes, this will hit any of them that are fairly squeaky and upright, but right now in the eyes of the electorate they've all been tarred with the same brush. Hard cheese.

It makes me chuckle, seeing them all squirm, though. But I'm afraid "It was all within the rules" doesn't cut it. They make the bloody rules to suit themselves! Like Daftfunk said, there's a moral side to whether they did something wrong or not.

What a pathetic, snivelling, conniving bunch of crooks.

Oh, and to those of you who say you don't vote because of this kind of thing, thank you for that. We get the government we deserve, and if we don't vote we're always the losers. Now get out and vote, to clear these thieving so-and-sos from power.

The more and more I see of this, the more it infuriates me. I don't think I've ever seen so many hastily arranged interviews with MP's so they can spout the same line "Didn't break any rules". Aaaarrgh!!! Are they so far out of touch with public opinion? WE KNOW THAT! It's the rules they made themselves (as has been said), why do they keep saying it, why? Do they think we're thick?

Another thing that's really bugging me now, the request by MP's for the Police to investigate how the Telegraph managed to get hold of this document. It just shows they do not get it! It isn't the messenger that needs shooting.

I do agree with what you say as regards to voting Heather. Except for the golden question, WHO?

Who does the public vote for? I can guarantee one thing, come July 1st and every party will be tarred with this same brush. Take this issue alone and there is no "alternative", and there never will be, because at the end of the day, despite the greatest of intentions, absolute power corrupts. . .

Watch out for a large number of independent candidates standing at elections. Anyone who isn't backed by a political party and has to toe a line.

I think the changes have to be more fundamental than that, while the opportunity to feather one's own nest exists, human nature, not party politics will be the contributing factor to what goes on behind the closed doors of Westminster. Yes the rules on MP's expenses may be changed, but what goes unseen, bribery, kick-backs, corruption will still exist. All these revelations have done is to bring to the public's attention ONE subject where MP's have been caught with hand in the cookie jar. There will be plenty more besides IMO.

I'm pretty sure if you add up ALL the expenses claimed by MP's, in terms of the public spending amount available, it is tiny, minuscule. It isn't the amount that many claimed that's the worry here, it isn't even that they were allowed to claim it in the first place either, that will soon be stopped. It's the fact that they HAVE claimed it. That's what can't be changed, and it's THAT which depresses one so much.

All that has been done here is highlight how far out of touch with reality MP's are, and how much they cannot be trusted to do what is morally right. Nothing will change because of these revelations. Morals can't be enforced with rules and regulations if they aren't there in the first place.

Couple of interesting videos that have cropped up on the BBC site:

Newsreader giving Lord Foulkes a hard time over expenses get's owned:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8045371.stm

Stephen Fry on the subject of expenses:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8045040.stm

Brilliant vids, cheers!

I can see the points both are making, but it's the scale of the money involved that starts to add up. As pointed out, many people will fiddle expenses, but few are doing up houses and selling them on etc.

Regarding the newsreader's pay, who wouldn't take that sort of salary? It's worth remembering that MPs vote on their own salaries!

It's a tax dodge, plain and simple

Set the tax man on them, all of them.
They are taxable expenses so they should be charged the tax on them.

Lets see them be able to explain 7 year old expenses that were frivilous.

Other than that, I think people only care because we are in a recession, it's been going on for years and years, only when people are hard up do they complain because they feel it has an impact on them.

What I found most amusing about the whole thing was how recently a typically cringing advertising campaign has been urging the public to register so they can vote in the European elections. The juxtaposition was most delicious when straight after the news – in which the expenses scandal was covered at great length – in the first advert we were shown a young, dynamic, British woman going to vote with a huge smile on her face, literally skipping to the polling station ecstatic to be taking part in the democratic process. But wait! The advertisement finished with an epic fail – as she apparently hadn't registered – and a grave warning, with a sub-context putting the woman at fault, saying not forget to register so you can vote.

She couldn't vote because she hadn't registered.

Hadn't f*****g REGISTERED!

IS THAT REALLY ALL THEY THINK IT WILL TAKE! A QUICK AD AND A WIDESPREAD CONDEMNATION IN THE PRESS OF THE EXPENSES SYSTEM BY EACH PARTY!

In terms of British Politics I have never voted for anyone, anything or any party in my entire life. I am sure I am not alone. This country has the highest political apathy levels in the Western World. The British Government and White Hall are famous world-wide for their sleaze, corruption, fraud, incompetence, back-handers, deals, jobs-for-the-boys, lies, scandals, unrepresentativeness etc etc etc. The list goes on. It is and always has been thus. The political system in this country is broken beyond belief, with the political elite ruling from greater and greater heights. They are out of touch, out of date and treat the public like filthy animals wallowing in excrement that need to be tossed a rotten carcass every so often to win their loyalty.

I don't care about the money. After-all, it was to be expected. Money is always the bottom line and human nature will out.

How far the system has fallen since its birth with the Greeks or beyond...

So on one hand they are saying they are payed too little and need these expenses to function properly (and of course its all within the rules!!) but on the other they can conjur up a check for £13k. That must be some sofa they have in there houses to have that much loose change down the back.

On the money they are paid ( notice not earned ) 13k is p1551ng in the wind.

This whole thing really winds me up. Some have claimed within the 'rules' but even this has been questionable from time to time.

Some though have claimed for shocking things like pool cleaning or claiming your second home is on the coast 100 miles from your constiuancy (which was funnily enough swapped to being the second home shortly before claiming dry-rot treatment payment). This is unacceptable whether it's within the rules or not.

David Cameron has come riding in on this silver horse making his MPs pay back some of these more shocking claims. Thats all very well now but he's been letting them get away with for the last 4 years.

C4 news also pointed out last night that if a benefit cheat was caught but offered to kindly pay back the money it would be ignored and they would be penalised (prison or otherwise). Yet these MPs can simply say 'sorry' and had a tiny part or their massive wages back.

The whole system stinks.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8047410.stm Health minister to repay £41,709 FFS