There are rules saying the expenses have to be wholly and exclusively related to their political duty and staying somewhere other than their main address.
I think there are plenty of examples of things which are certainly not necessary for that purpose. Such as the usual moats, swimming pools etc, or mortgage payments on a flat for someone who already outright owns properties in that area.
( my other username is a porsche , posting shit pictures so you don't have to, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:24, archived)

then why were the claims approved if they were against the rules?

( well, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:25, archived)

As I said above,
'Admittedly they may have had the agreement of the regulatory body, who are apparently a bunch of retards.'
There's been some mention of MPs correspondence with the body, where the MPs basically bully and whine until their claims are accepted.
They didn't think anyone else would look at what was going on, so there was no reason to have any restraint.
( my other username is a porsche , posting shit pictures so you don't have to, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:29, archived)

but, they didn't break any rules (most of them)
it's just a media witch hunt
( well, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:38, archived)

Certainly it's a media witch hunt.
But I'm fairly confident a number have broken rules and hopefully they'll be dealt with criminally.
The witch hunt may have the benefit of provoking the formation of a better system that's less ambiguous and less open to abuse.
( my other username is a porsche , posting shit pictures so you don't have to, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:42, archived)

dream on
all it did was get the fringe parties more of the vote
( well, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:47, archived)

Depends how long it goes on for really.
I expect we'll all forget about it during the 'consultancy' type phase, so that whoever's in power when it boils over can reinstate much the same system.
( my other username is a porsche , posting shit pictures so you don't have to, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:50, archived)

exactly, there's not much you can do differently while running the country
react to events and try not to fuck up too badly, what difference does it make who's in power?
( well, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:51, archived)

Other countries manage to be open and fair about their expenses, I'm sure we could manage if we put our minds to it.
If it's all published, there's a serious incentive to behave well, because they've now seen what happens when the media finds a story like this.
( my other username is a porsche , posting shit pictures so you don't have to, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:53, archived)

of course,
instate this new system by all means, just don't make the prosecutions retroactive
( well, Thu 4 Jun 2009, 20:56, archived)