Snouts and Troughs

I suppose some people - including readers of the blog site - imagine that 'honourable' members at Westminster have learned their lesson over the MPs' expenses scandal.

In which case I am sad to say - that you are far too nice, trusting and naive.

Because an influential committee in the House of Commons is recommending - would you believe - that MPs should be given back the power to scrutinise in-house their own expenses.

The Committee is calling for the IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) - which was established in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal - to have its wings severely clipped.

In the hope no doubt that they can go back to the 'good old bad old days'.

When such matters were resolved with a Fees Office - staffed by junior civil servants who were bullied mercilessly over the years - into first bending and then abandoning altogether the strict rules covering MPs' expenses.

IPSA is highly unpopular with MPs because the new rules require members to account for every penny of taxpayers money - in other words they don't get away with murder any more.


The Committee on MPs' Expenses is calling for IPSA to be stripped of key responsibilities by April next year - which would turn it into a toothless tiger instead of a public watchdog with sharp teeth.

So watch this space - there maybe a need for an angry nation to rise up again as it did over the first great MPs' expenses scandal - to put Westminster MPs back in their place.