Expenses Saga further Decreases Trust in Politicians

We’ve seen Jacquie Smith claiming near maximum second home allowance, for staying at her sisters every now and then. Claiming £550 for a sink, and £1000 for a fireplace, to refurbish her home, even giving in a receipt to get money back for an 88p bath plug. Her husband too has been in on the act, he watched pay-per-view adult movies, at taxpayers expense.

Tony McNulty has been in controversy over the second home allowance too. Paying for his parent’s home in his constituency (11 miles from Westminster), whilst he has his own house nearby (3 miles from Westminster).

MP’s total expenses have recently been released, but individual costs, have not. The devil is in the detail. As reported earlier, bloggers are after the receipts and will happily pay £10,000 for the information. Whilst the information remains secret, the main stream media and bloggers will continue to report, making trust in politicians ever worse. Once they do get released, and I have little doubt they will, I’m sure there will be countless wastes revealed on all sides of the house. Newspapers and bloggers will go into overdrive reporting the sleaze.

Once the receipts are out, and the hounds come home, I think trust will improve. No longer will certain MP’s waste money, if they realise the consequences will be a public flogging. If they’re accountable, they’ll be more responsible, which is why we should push for a completely transparent expenses system. Things are going to get worse before they get better.