Together we can kill the Expenses’ Ghost!

The headlines are full of “MPs should repay £1.12m of their second home expenses, an audit of their claims dating back to 2004 has said” or something to that effect.

So today is the day the media and the public have been waiting for and most MPs are dreading. Thank God for leaks – chunks of the report have somehow seeped out – and all the major hitters have already been talked about– hope that dilutes the shock a bit. But if anybody was expecting this report to put an end to the Expenses’ Saga they better think again!

Logic would say, using this report’s findings for political gain is wrong and somewhat stupid (since no good can ever come of it) but it will still become a political tit for tat. You would also think with everything in the open, now is a good time to draw a line under the whole thing and move on – but human nature well prevail – media loves a circus and the public enjoys watching it them. I really miss the days when all a politician needed to worry about was not getting caught in bed with the wrong person. At least that had a shelf life – two weeks tops – but this is like a loop tape never ending.

The facts as I see them are; due to demands on MP and an increasing number of elected members on modest means, an expenses system was introduced to allow these members the resources to carry out their elected duties. This system was neither subject nor limit specific. Therefore, and like many vague matters it opened the door for interpretation, hence the birth of the phrase ‘in the spirit of the law’ – which still means you and your conscious! Regardless of what people might think of MPs, they are still human, and as such they will make mistakes, some are genuine due to misunderstanding or misinterpretation others are just plan stupid. In addition there will be those who are simply wicked and saw an opportunity to make a quick buck and took it – that is what being human is all about – the Good, the Bad and the Ugly!

Yes, we expect our members of parliament, the people we elected and trust with looking after our best interest to be honourable and do the honourable thing, and they should. But in reality, just like members of our families, friends and people all over the world some are and some are not.

The public is angry, disappointed and feels let down, these are appropriately expected and understandable feelings. But I also think, have our country not been in such a state financially and the public outlook was not so gloomy, the reaction would not have been so contemptuous for so long. What we desperately need is some good news on the same magnitude to balance things out so we can move on.

I am not at all implying that those found guilty are let off the hook, but what I am suggesting is to find a way to quickly deliberately and decidedly draw a line under this matter, move forward and not allow the Expenses Scandal become the most memorable legacy of our parliament because the Mother of all Parliaments deserves better.