Are MPs set to block the release of future expense claims?
The Times newspaper is this money running a story suggesting that UK politicians have decided to block the release of future expense claims after the ridicule they have been exposed to over the last few weeks. If this move is correct there is sure to be significant legal action from taxpayer protection groups as each and every one of the major parties has apparently publicly supported the release of expense claims into the public domain. So what have MPs got to hide?
The basic fact is that if MPs have nothing to hide with regards to their expenses claims then why would they look to block the release of future documentation? Do not forget that it has taken nearly 5 years to obtain any details about MPs expenses, Parliament has spent hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax payers money on legal action against taxpayers and the fact that only after the official release of expense claims did it become apparent how much information was blacked out. Information which was released into the public domain only yesterday is effectively worthless as many of the "juicy details" have been hidden from public view.
If MPs think they have now got the upper hand and will be able to block the publication of future expense claims, it looks as though they will need to think again!
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