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David Cameron: Pay back expenses or you’re sacked
Paul Waugh and Joe Murphy12.05.09
David Cameron today warned Tory MPs to pay back dodgy' expenses or be sacked.
The Conservative leader ordered shadow ministers and grandees alike to repay any claims that failed a “smell test”.
In a dramatic day at Westminster, a furious Mr Cameron moved quickly to set out his own new rules to tackle allegations of sleaze.
He made clear that he would suspend from the party any MPs who refused to repay expenses deemed suspect by a new “Scrutiny Panel”.
Mr Cameron revealed that three senior Shadow ministers - Michael Gove, Andrew Lansley and Oliver Letwin - were going to reimburse the taxpayer. Two others, Francis Maude and Chris Grayling, would never again claim second home allowance.
“These actions alone won't fix our broken politics. It's just a start,” he admitted in press conference.
In response to Mr Cameron's own plan, the Government appeared to shift ground by suggesting that a Commons Select Committee should also look at new ways to get MPs to repay any money “misclaimed”.
Commons leader Harriet Harman floated the idea, but it fell short of the Tory plans. Under Mr Cameron's proposals, even those claims deemed acceptable by the Commons fees office would still have to be repaid if they appeared lavish or suspect to the public.
Mr Cameron revealed that he personally would also be paying back £680 for maintenance of his home in Oxfordshire, which included clearing wisteria from his chimney.
“People are writing out cheques and handing back to the House of Commons for excessive claims,” he said.
Others repayments include:
* £7,000 claimed by Mr Gove on designer furniture
* £2,000 claimed by Mr Letwin on repairing a pipe under his tennis court
* £2,600 claimed by Mr Lansley to renovate his country cottage
* £5,000 claimed by Alan Duncan for gardening.
Shadow Business Secretary Ken Clarke will no longer claim council tax discounts, David Willetts will pay back £115 for light bulb fitting and George Osborne will pay back £440 claimed for a chauffeur from Cheshire to London.
In what looked like a desperate attempt to keep up with Mr Cameron, Labour raised the idea of also having a “moratorium” on claims on furniture, fixtures and fittings. Ms Harman said that there should be a cap on mortgage interest relief and new guidance for “consistency” on capital gains tax.
The Tory leader said that “with immediate effect”, no Conservative MP would be allowed to claim for anything other than mortgage interest, utility bills, council tax. Claims for furniture would not be allowed.
Equally, any capital gains on any property sold would have to be given to the taxman, Mr Cameron said.
The new “Scrutiny Panel”, which will be staffed by the Tory chief whip and independent figures, will quiz all those MPs facing serious allegations about their expenses.
This is expected to include the “squireocracy” of grandees who were today revealed to have used taxpayers' cash to maintain their lifestyles in their country manors. A string of Tories were shown to have claimed for cleaning swimming pools, hanging chandeliers and paying housekeeper.
The new Tory rules will be in place until anti-sleaze watchdog Sir Christopher Kelly reports in the autumn on a new system.
Mr Cameron said: “I want to start by saying sorry for the actions of some Conservative MPs. You have been let down. Politicians have done things tha are unethical and wrong, I don't care if they were within the rules, they were wrong. This is taxpayer's money. A Conservative Government is going to be careful, not casual with people's money.”
Shadow Commons leader Alan Duncan, who claimed nearly £5,000 on gardening, confirmed to the Standard this afternoon that he was repaying the money. “I value my reputation and the integrity of Parliament and the Conservative party. I'm not happy to be thought a crook. I would far rather pay it back voluntarily,” he said. Three Tory MPs, Stewart Jackson, Michael Ancram and James Arbuthnot, agreed to repay money claimed on the upkeep of their swimming pools.
Mr Cameron called crisis meetings of the shadow cabinet and the entire 193-strong Tory party at Westminster to make clear he would not tolerate any perceived abuses of public money. His action came after the Conservative “squirearchy” were accused of using the Commons allowances system to subsidise lavish lifestyles, including bills for cleaning swimming pools, hanging chandeliers and clearing the moat of a country house.
Resignations of some backbench Tory MPs and suspensions from the party are not ruled out, sources said.
But Mr Cameron is determined to make sure his top team are above reproach and reimburse the taxpayer for “excessive” claims, even those within the rules.
Mr Cameron said today: “I am angry about what happened. It is out of order. Some of it is abuse of taxpayers' money and I am going to deal with it.”
The Tory leader cleared his diary for a series of meetings on the issue amid fears that it was damaging the Conservatives just as much as Labour in the polls.
Mr Cameron's move came as it emerged that a senior MP is now suggesting that MPs get a pay rise to £92,000 in return for dumping the entire expenses system.
Sir Stuart Bell, a member of the Members' Estimates Committee, the body that governs the Commons, wrote to the three party leaders in a personal capacity to press the idea.
He said: “MPs are shocked and bewildered by recent events and drastic action is needed to prevent further damage to the reputation of Parliament.
“In my view we should abolish the Additional Costs Allowance and merge it with salary and thereby end this farcical system that has fallen into complete disrepute.” His idea is to add £28,000 to salary, representing a reduced ACA plus £8,000 compensation for the fact that it would be taxed in future as salary.
Former Cabinet minister Douglas Hogg said that while he had submitted receipts for more than £2,000 to clear a moat around his estate, he had not claimed expenses on that part of his bill. He did defend claiming £14,000 for a housekeeper.
No government minister has to date offered to pay back a penny, although Labour backbencher Margaret Moran pledged to repay all the costs of her second home miles from her constituency in Luton.
The Tory leader has also decided to ban all MPs from “flipping” their second home claims to maximise the amount they can get, even though it is within the Commons rules.
Mr Cameron was urged by angry activists today to reopen his party's selection process for its MPs. ConservativeHome.com's Tim Montgomerie said grass roots members were so furious that a “window” for re-selection meetings should be opened up this summer.
Reader views (63)
Well at least it is now clear why the NHS,TRANSPORT SYSTEM,and JUSTICE SYSTEM is all in such a third would state.Our MPs have been spending their time looking at ways to steal as much of the tax payers money as they possible can,knowing that being above the law would protect them.Glad to see they are concentrating on the "Big"issues of how to rip of the public rather than the minor issues like Crime,NHS and third world transport.
- David, london
Oh pleazzzze messers greasy Cameron, Brown & Clegg,..you think just making a simple fake phoney "I'm sorry" is the answer ?
NO ,..sorry
heads must roll,..Parliament is no place for spivs
Hazel Bears I find the most malicious,..with her squeaky mousey face and snout in the trough
She swaggers around waggling her cocky head,..as if she's lady of the manor
- A Brown, UK
To many M.P.s parliament was an Alladins cave of financial treasures.Lets hope that the doors of this grotty gritto have been well & truly slammed shut.
- Ronald Whitten, chesterfield derbyshire
Without a doubt my nomination for an Oscar is to M.P Hazel Blears for her impression of a woman only too pleased to be putting right a wrong.Her performance was almost perfect but for the white knuckles on the hand holding the cheque.
- Ronald Whitten, chesterfield derbyshire
I am highly disappointed with our MP's as those in authority should be seen to lead by example. Our Conservative party is supposed to embrace and stand for morality, family values, and just societal structures. However if this is what they do behind the curtains, it makes Conservative rhetoric seem a fallacy. The Police should be sent in, as this is fraud on a massive scale. Many 'so called' working class people are incarsarated for crimes of much less a nature. David Cameron has not gone far enough, and has been far too light handed. If David is not seen to use the force of the law, it will cost the Conservative party dearly at the next general election, as his parties dealings with public money will not soon be forgotten, particullary as we are in the heat of recession, with many British Citizens having no option but to live on £65.00 a week.
- Ronald Lake, London
I would like to know when the rules changed regarding changing second homes and who allowed it to happen.
I would also like to know who agreed these claims and on what basis.
I think that the re-imbursements of expenses should be backdated to when the rules were changed, never mind four years.
Let's get down to basics. When were the rules regarding second homes changed? If we know this, we might have a discussion.
- Graham, Dorking UK
And to think that elderly people have been sent to jail for not paying their council tax - Mr Cameron et al doth protest too much methinks...
- Brianonthecam, Cambridge UK
LOL @ Val Daniels! What a bizarre post.
- Tim, London
Naively perhaps, but "corrupt government" was a phrase that I always associated with foreign administrations. It's quite clear now, there is nothing that they can teach our parliament in this regard.
- Brianonthecam, Cambridge UK
OK so I am going to follow the Pols , I will rob banks until I am caught then I can just give the money back. Same deal!
- Apointofview, USA
Val Daniels in spain, Cameron is the most honest of out of a bunch of dishonest MP's and he's got my vote.
"Never in the annals of modern british political history have so many been screwed by so few"
Go now brown and take your rotten government with you. Go live next door to Val Daniels in spain. You can tell each other how good you are.
- Ebin Donk, angus
That is leadership. Crash Gordon why did you not come up with that solution. It seems Crash does not have any ideas how to get this country better again as before so he should leave!
- Jacqueline, Hampstead, London
Val Daniels in Mijas Costa - Are you a full time labour party employee e-mailing every time there is an article the knocks the government?
Bottom line is, even Polly Toynbee now admits that Gordon Brown isn't upto the job (Today's Guardian if they sell it in Spain!) -
The first priority is not party politics but the country that we love and WE chose to live in - The country is now bankrupt, unemployment rising at the fastest level since records began etc - Anyone who has made the false promises that Brown and Co have made and have behaved in such a tribal and party political way that HAS NOT been in the interests of the country, doesn't deserve to be in public office at all for it is an HONOUR to serve your country. The fact that Brown has plotted and schemed all his career and has attained office through bullying and intimidation, without being elected, only makes matters worse.
We need a new beginning, proper honest electioneering, manifesto pledges that are kept after being elected etc - Surely Val you can't disagree with that!
- Des Lewis, London
I wont be voting for any of the main parties,after this im 100% sure they have sold this country down the Swanee and stolen of the tax payer.The established parties have proven to me now they have no interest in anything apart what they can get for there selves.
- Kev, London-UK
I've a suggestion for all the nose-in-the-trough MPs for winning back the trust of the electorate: RESIGN!
- Croyboy, Croydon
No leader can expect to know the exact circumstances of every sub-ordinate's expenses claims.
Camerson should be applauded for his stance: he is dealing with the problem in an upfront, honest manner - The Labout Government should take notes!
- Ian Gilbertson, Newcastle
Re ST London:
"2) He seems genuinely angry that people in his party have made such spurious claims"
Given that he has immediately agreed to pay back £680 claimed for repairs which included the removal of wisteria from the chimney of his second home does he direct his anger extend to himself? Of course not. Cameron's reactions are as always governed by opinion polls rather than a heart felt conviction.
Should he, Brown et al genuinely wish to change the expenses system why not announce that in future all expenses for their party MP's will be restricted to travel and bona fide accommodation which are scrutinized by their offices before submission rather than wait for a report that will take months to report and be implemented.
- Martin, London, London
Too late Cameron. You are all on the take. Tebbit has the right idea. Wouldn't give the pointless BNP or UKIP the time of day so here you go Green party, my vote on a Tory/Labour/Lib Dem all expense claimed silver platter!!!
- Gareth, Hampshire
Isn't it now time to abolish the whole idea of paying MP's second home mortgages. Expenses should be a payment for out of pocket expense while carrying out your duties, not a means to get the taxpayer to purchase a second home for the MP's benefit. Most businessmen have to pay for a hotel room when travelling on business. This is normal and actually helps the economy in that it creates jobs and tax revenues within the hotel industry. Why can't MPs stay in hotels too? They presently choose to buy homes because they are allowed to keep them after service. How wrong is that?
- Paul Lynch, Feltham
Its all been great fun with regard to the expenses fiasco. When do we move on to the main event? That is a full investigation and analysis of money paid to MPs' so called assistants and secretaries? I suspect that this will dwarf the scandal on expenses.
- Crest, St Peter Port
Reading Val's comments is enough to make you want to vote for anyone but Labour.
- Stephen, London
Des Channer Enfield, Middx..what do you mean by....I tip my hat...to Mr Cameron...Once again, his proactive approach is to be applauded...
Proactive doesn't apply to 'paying back money' it applies to 'stopping it being misclaimed in the first instance'... good luck with your voting in 2010...
- Ade, London
I listened to DC’s press conference and would like to report the following:
1) He sounds like a leader
2) He seems genuinely angry that people in his party have made such spurious claims
3) He has taken decisive action to sort the problem out
It’s almost not worth mentioning the has-beens in Downing St but I will because BROWN has done NOTHING and shown NO leadership.
Why has Harman been sent out to face the public?
Where is our Glorious [unelected] leader?
Has McBroon totally given up now and if he has, why has a general election not been called?
- St, London
Unfortunately, given that this implicates all three of the main political parties, this would probably give the BNP an advantage in terms of votes. Hold on, would everyone really be that stupid, naive and gullible? Let's hope not.
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London
Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain - you really are UNREAL. For days the Labour party has stuck to the story that "it's the system that's at fault". If you lived in the UK you'd have seen Margaret Moran on the TV yesterday still arguling that she'd done nothing wrong in claiming £22,000 expenses on her PARTNERS house in Southampton - miles from her constituency in Luton. David Cameron (unlike your "hero" Gordon Brown) has taken a postive step impacting ALL Conservative MP's. What has GB done since this affair brole in the telegraph - NOTHING. Hazel Blears, Geoff Hoon et al have done NOTHING to indicate that they'll pay back the money they "stole" from taxpayers. Hazel blears not onbly claimed excessive allowances she defrauded the taxman of Capital Gains tax of &18,000 by "fliipin" her prime residence. Wake up Val, you're in danger of blindly following your hero over the precipice!!!
- Malcolm, London
Isn't it a bit late to play the "pay back" card, they should be investigated and paying back should include profits and interest gained! They need to understand what it means to be scrutinised as we have been by "their Laws and Regulations".
- Francis, London
These people of all parties get enough in salary to pay all their expenses without any extra provided by the taxpayer.They must be made to repay every penny of these sums hey have robbed the public of or face being barred from standing for Parliament at future elections. We might get some honest ones in then
T H Leeds
- Thomas Hayes, Leeds UK
Val,
What on earth are you ranting about YOU BEEN ON THE SANGRIA AGAIN. The press conferance was called early this morning. Labour have just announced yet another treview. In fact they have had more reviews than the entire London Stage !
Go back to your Sangria!
If you love labour so much why did you bugger off to Spain ? Probably because your shelf life is up just like Labour!
- William, London
So you'd have us vote labour then Val!? Which policies do you support the most? Post Office privatisation perhaps? ID cards? 42 day detention? Abolition of the 10p tax band? I think a period of silence from labour and it's supporters would be appropriate just now, don't you?
- Chris, Brighton, England.
An exercise in damage limitation by the Tories. But as the weeks roll on, I think we may see more expenses revelations.
Neither the Tories, nor Labour, will be getting my vote anyway. But it is funny to see the panic now that the trough has been overturned.
- Jock, London
#Richard K,
And what an ignorant racist remark from you. In case you were not aware, David CAMERON is of Scottish descent. Do your ignorant remarks also apply to him. I am surprised the moderators allowed your oafish comments to pass muster.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
Gosh, this is going to bankrupt Alan and Anne Keen known as Mr. and Mrs. Expenses
- Raminder Bhalla, Northolt
How convenient to slap a few wrists, have a little cry then sweep the nasty truth under the carpet, wait a bit then carry on milking your countrymen with the highest taxes in the EU as if the current scandal was all a bad dream.
I did not see DC complaining about MP's toughing twelve months ago, so what’s changed, oh yes of course they got found out defrauding the taxpayer.
I have learnt not to trust MP’s so it strikes me that if certain MP's are so abusive to claim for wreathes and horse poo and our glorious leaders have not seen fit to stop this abuse before, it naturally follows that they are just as untrustworthy, so anything they say needs verification otherwise I don’t believe them.
MP’s cheat and lie = Proven fact!
- Taxfodder, UK Cambridge
To quote President Bush Sr, "too little, too late".
- Bob, Cheam
Wheedling money is one thing politicians do very well. What they lose on the swings, they gain on the roundabout.
Any one of them would return some of the recently stolen money in order to retain their post AND get a lovely salary increase to boot. Their pensions will look even better and this increase, which is more than many people have as their sole income, should keep them in their accustomed luxury.
At least Cameron, as apposed to Brown, got his gear into shift but, seriously, the signal these guys are sending the country is, steal as much as you can and if you get caught, say sorry and act contrite.
Dangerous criminals use this tactic regularly in court and as soon as everyone is looking away, they go and murder again.
Young people see their leaders, footballers, stars all get away with daylight murder because they earn mega bucks doing what they like.
- Ex London, Germany
a good start; i trust all repayments will be in retrospect to the date off the last election and will have all compound interest added. in my view there should be some class of penalty fee as well, but perhaps that might be a touch too much.
i'm thinking that in future all prospective parliamentary candidates will sign a class of a contract stating that all expenses are published for the benefit of their constituents and the tax payer in general and any dubious claims are harshly dealt with. i dare say there will be far fewer chancers looking to politics as a career choice in future.
i dread to think of the neutron bomb that would explode if and when the European parliament is exposed, after all a certain welsh would be party leader chickened out when he had the opportunity a good few years back to sweep Brussels clean.
- M.O'Brien, london.uk
Whilst commendable - Mr Cameron could and should have done this months ago - when it was known that this information was going to be disclosed - he is now only reacting because of public pressure and falling polls!
- Andy, london
Will they be able to claim back the payment of dodgy expenses on expenses?
- Nobby Clark, Perth, Scotland
I tip my hat (AND MY VOTE IN 2010) to Mr Cameron for his swift & decisive action regarding MP's expenses within his own party. Once again, his proactive approach is to be applauded, but I suppose a Lame-duck PM isn't able to be so hard-nosed with his own party because he will undoubtly become even more unpopular. Roll on May 2010. PS - more of the same please from the other party leaders from one of the millions of hard-pressed, tax-paying VOTERS of this country!!
- Des Channer, Enfield, Middx.
David Cameron didn't call his press conference until after Harriet Harman HoC meeting to compel all MPs to repay money they were not entitled to. Why didn't Tory MPs do the honourable thing without David Cameron threatening to withdraw the Tory Whip. Don't forget this has been going on undetected for years. Repaying what they have taken since 2004 is a drop in the ocean to these Tory multi-millionaires. I would imagine the £22,000 repaid by Margaret Moran, without any prompting from Gordon Brown, will be more costly for her than for the landed gentry. Those brown envelope days never went away; nothing has changed in the Conservative party. As for the money for trimming the wisteria, David Cameron should never have claimed it. The fact of his having taken it in the first place wont disappear just because he has agreed to pay it back.
- Val Daniels, Mijas Costa, Spain
So the idea of fraud will be wiped away and the gullible public will once again trust these 'honourable' individuals..here's a crazy idea,name the fees office staff who signed off these receipts,were they put under pressure and had to fall into line?..This story has a lot more to go,memo to mp's..it aint over!!
- Jonnie Of Brixton, brixton,london,england
Now they have been caught out these self-serving, money-grubbing, deceitful and hypocritical politicians are scrabbling around trying to pretend that they did nothing wrong but were just ill-served and "confused" by the "allowances" system they subverted to their own grubby ends.
Does anyone really think any of this would have come out if parliament had its own way? The details that would eventually have made it into the public domain would have been so censored, so full of blacked-out "redacted" detail that we would never have known the identities of these greedy snuffling pigs who obviously believe they have a right to pick the pockets of an outraged population who had no idea just how foully corrupt our elected representatives actually are.
These MPs should be prosecuted for fraud, tax evasion and whatever else can be proven against them, sacked from parliament and jailed. As for Speaker Martin. God help us. Rousing cheers for the whistle-blower -whoever he or she is - and imprecations and contempt by the ton heaped on the heads of the scum who believed they could get away with anything and "the little people" (who put them into parliament in the first place) would never find out. Don't vote for any of them at the European elections, just spoil your ballot papers with a few well chosen epithets. I certainly intend to do just that.
- Martyn Warwick, Chiswick, London, UK
When there is cash readily available there will always be people willing to help themselves. Too many of our parliamentarians have allowed themselves to succumb to delusions of grandeur and no doubt believe that their self-importance justifies their actions.
There are doubtless thousands of genuinely honest and honourable candidates out there to take the seats of the leeches who now believe that a huge salary increase is the only way to compensate for the clamp down on their expenses. David Cameron is taking positive action, but what a pity that the Speaker is doing exactly the opposite in an effort to maintain his life style of luxury. Michael Martin is a traitor to the people who elected him to fight for the rights of the working classes and he should hang his head in shame. He will get what is owed to him in politics no doubt...the sack!!
We should be hearing of resignations by the barrow load from all parties by now, but there is a strange silence from Westminster except for a few bleats of protest from one or two of those who have been caught out.
Now is the time for the famous moral compass to point in the direction of the ballot box.
- Scotty, Cambridge UK
Thats more like it but lets see a list of all those who have debts to pay back and if they are sacked if not paid. Talk is so easy for these people and with zero trust certainly as far as Brown and his three ringed circus are concerned Cameron has the talk so lets see if he means it?
- Mike, London England
EDITED bya dmin @ 4.54pm on May 12 2009
Religious/Racial
- Richard K, Nottingham
I think David Cameron is taking the right action and i hope, for the benefit of our democracy, that Brown will follow suit. David Cameron's next target should be Norman Tebbitt, whom I used to admire, but who regrettably now appears to be in the wrong camp.
- James Elliott, Eastbourne UK
At least Cameron is doing the decent thing for his party,
Not taking political sides here, but i think Cameron is a better leader than any of the Labour party
- Mario Kempe, london
Good for David Cameron reading the riot act to his MPs and make them pay the money back - he gets my vote!
- Amanda, London
Attention all MP's
I am filling in my self assessment and realise I am short of a receipt for a 13 amp fuse which I had to replace recently - cause of it blowing, MP's expenses - I am sure one of you will have forgotten to include it in a claim !
- Don Elwin, Landeleau France
The MPs have been operating a lucrative racket, thus making themselves racketeers, no better than the banksters,and benefit cheats, having resorted to picking the pockets of the tax-paying public. How do any of these shysters expect to be taken seriously when next they pontificate on radio and television? Once trust is broken, it is impossible to re-establish. They are all dead ducks. Without respect, without trust, it is impossible to manage effectively, yet alone lead. Cameron is playing a sensible role so far, but Brown and the speaker must go now, and a general election called immediately. The parliamentary system and the trust of nation are more important than the egos of these two buffoons. A new mandate is imperative. We must demand all monies fraudulently claimed be repaid, and the MPs submit themselves to electoral judgement.
- Ron Oldham, Bournemouth
I wonder how long before the MPs find another way to milk the system.The people need to have a vote on what MPs expenses can be before anything is agreed.Trust is earned over a period of time.No trust in any current MP,no trust in our goverment and no trust in politics in this country.Never before have so few,destroyed so much,for so many.
- David, london
Oh that's right David, you show them who is boss! Are you kidding about them getting an increase in their salaries? We lowly private sector employees have had to take a pay cut, and we have not had out fingers in the company's cash register! They can have a payrise but only when this economy recovers. And as for refunding the money they stole from the tax payer, how exactly will the taxpayer benefit from the sudden influx of cash. I know. More on benefits, and nothing for the hard working tax payers of this country.
- Maya, London
A flat £5k should do it. Many of the items allowed were nothing to do with their work as MPs.
- Alan In Bow, London
I read that Harriet Harman has written to the cross-party committee on MPs' allowances calling for it to find out which claims broke rules and to set up a repayment scheme. The problem here is that most of MPs claims were submitted 'within the rules' a fact that we have constantly been reminded of. Harriet Harman's committee can therefore be but a token gesture which is too little and far too late.
- Goggs, London
Mr Cameron is only playing to the Press. I think there should be an election to allow voters to make the choice.
- Julius Nuga, Abbots Langley UK
Its not enough. They should be sacked. MPs job is to decide on how to spend the tax payers money. They have shown gross incompetence, lack of values and decency and are out of touch with reality. Please DO NOT vote for an MP or party with no morality.
- Neils, billeicay
In a time of austerity, their pay should be cut like everybody else's and not to be increased by £28000. Learn from the unemployed how they struggle to live with £65 a week.
- Pt, London
Its not so much paying back what they have stolen; more answering to the law for their crimes etc.
- Mickyinlondon, london
Cameron seems hot on paying back dodgy expense claims, but what about Tory MPs who hold three or four jobs outside parliament. Surely if they are not available to work full-time in the House they should be paid on a pro-rata basis or perhaps piecemeal. MPs must be transparent not just in their expenses but how they earn their money, the hours they allocate and the investments they make. Cameron's words are meaningless if MPs are to continue topping up salaries from outside interests.
- Steve S, London
So, £28,000 boost to their salaries as compensation for not having to submit scurrilous ACA claims and fiddles.... and it would also boost their pensions. Hmmm!
- John, Dorset, UK
Cameron is taking the right action to win us over. As per usual, Brown does nothing. He's taking the right action to speed up his demise.
- Goggs, London
It's the massive hypocrisy that Gordon Brown and his cohorts have been shown to display by the expenses debacle.
Gordon Brown made it his life's mission to prevent perks and expenses for other people and small companies. He stole from the people's pension funds, whilst knowing his was gold plated. He closed tax loopholes, whilst at the same time MP's exploited any and all tax loopholes. Gordon Brown gave the tax man extraordinary powers against members of the public, whilst MP's voted to exempt themselves from the tax man.
This is the real problem and not the expenses per se. They said that this expenses system has been in place since the 1960's. So for 50 years they got away with it, but then before 1997, the financial playing field was more level between the public and the MP's. Gordon Brown changed all that and now they deserve to be in the same boat as the public.
What goes around comes around. Brown should have fixed his own backyard before forcing the public to pay more. Ah yes, but he never thought be would get caught with his fingers in the till.
- John Smythe, London
They should be sacked and made to pay back all money taken for the last ten years!!!!!!Enough is enough this is a disgrace.
- Paul, london
