MPs now demand credit cards

A large number of MPs have signed a petition within the Houses of Parliament trying to force the authorities into agreeing to give each and every MP a UK taxpayer-funded credit card. While on the surface this would again seem to be some kind of joke, and look as though MPs have totally missed the reason for public disdain against expenses, maybe it is not as crazy as it seems?

The idea is that MPs will be able to spend money on their credit cards and present a clear statement at the end of each month at which point funds will be released for acceptable expenses. While there has been no mention of MPs covering unacceptable expenses this would appear to be a sensible course of action?

If the credit card system is taken into account this would mean that no money would actually pass through the bank accounts or the hands of MPs with expenses covered by the expenses authorities and paid directly to the appropriate credit card company. On the surface it may seem as though we are about to set off on another gravy train but if you step back and think about it, maybe it is a good idea to eliminate MPs from the payment system?