Does your MP give you value for money?
As Conservative frontbencher Alan Duncan brings more shame on to the Parliamentary system and the expenses available to MPs, many people are asking whether they actually get value for money from their MP. Despite the fact that literally hundreds of MPs have paid back money to Parliament which they claimed from the expenses system, there still appears to be an air of arrogance across the UK political system.
The problem is, as with most issues, it only takes a few "bad apples" to spoil the barrel although in this particular instance there are more than a few "bad apples". However, it is easy to forget that many MPs do a very good job for their constituencies and not all MPs have claimed all expenses available via the system. We may be in danger of "throwing out the baby with the bathwater" but until MPs are more forthcoming with their expenses what else our voters expected to do?
As a consequence of the expenses scandal, the political landscape is set to change dramatically at the next general election with many faces already announcing they will not stand again. However, many of these MPs who will be leaving Houses of Parliament in shame will receive a substantial payoff and a pension in many cases. So although many MPs have been seen to "do the right thing" even now they are receiving expenses and payoffs which many taxpayers can only dream of.
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