IN more than 10 years of writing about British politics, I have never encountered anything remotely approaching the present public fury at the revelations of wholesale cheating on expenses by members of parliament.
Apart from the mass of instances of five and six-figure fiddling so far uncovered, for such things as non-existent mortgages and the enhancement of property portfolios, and "flipping" (claiming the same buildings to be second homes for expenses purposes and main homes to avoid capital gains tax) there is the plethora of grotesque details: Tory grandee Douglas Hogg allegedly had his moat dredged at taxpayers' expense, this apparently being put forward as essential for his parliamentary work.
His grandfather and father, the first and second viscounts Hailsham, were among the most universally respected men in British politics, both serving as lord chancellor, his father being lamented by some as the best prime minister Britain never had. What happened to a sense of standards and traditions?
One MP spent thousands on an ornate house for the ducks on his estate. The former chairman of the Labour Party had the taxpayer buy his champagne flutes. His colleague charged the taxpayer for the cost of a wreath he laid on a war memorial. The home secretary charged the taxpayer for the hire of her husband's porn videos. Lembit Opik, the Social Democrats' housing spokesman, charged taxpapers for an $80 court summons for non-payment of council tax. Read more.