MPs' expenses, again

Following on from The Telegraph's expose of cabinet members' expense claims, I had intended to write a post detailing the most outrageous claims, but looking through the full extent of troughing outlined in the paper today, I have to say there's so much I wouldn't know where to begin!

What is clear is that most MPs tend towards claiming whatever they think they can get away with, rather than claiming just that which is necessary. The standard line being trotted out by all cabinet ministers this morning is that their claims were "within the rules", which is true, but MPs made the rules, so that's hardly surprising.

Most of the headlines today have been made by Gordon Brown claiming £241 a month for cleaning and Jack Straw's overclaiming of Council Tax, but in a way it's the smaller items MPs have tried to claim for that are the most shocking. According to The Telegraph, in the coming days we will learn the identities of MPs who have claimed, among other things: dog food, eyeliner, rusks, biscuits, horse manure, a carrier bag, jellied eels, a Kit Kat, Maltesers, nappies, piano tuning, shampoo, Tampax (by a male MP!) and a yucca plant.

The item I find most galling, and which is claimed by most MPs, is food. Unless they have second stomachs to go along with their second homes I fail to see how food can be a legitimate expense. You should pay for your food out of your salary, just like the rest of us, you greedy fucking pigs.

Anyway, before I become too irate, I'll leave you the link to The Telegraph's excellent coverage. No point in me re-hashing their work.