Will MPs expenses be brought into line?
There is growing concern this evening that the bitter MPs expenses debacle will be watered down in the New Year despite the fact that the government has signalled its intention to incorporate all of Sir Christopher Kelly's proposals into future legislation. This is a bitter blow for the likes of Gordon Brown, David Cameron and the other major political parties who are fighting to regain the trust of the public as we approach the next general election.
There are many areas of concern regarding MPs expenses and many legal battles set for the future as both sides look to promote their own agenda. Despite the fact we have seen some of the most ludicrous MPs expenses over the last 12 months it seems as though many MPs have not learned the lesson that the public are their paymasters and they are demanding more value for money.
For many years the full benefits affordable to the MPs were hidden from the public domain although after a massive battle under the "Freedom of information act" we are now starting to see the full extent of the Parliamentary system. Parachute payments for those who lose their seats, mortgage payments for second homes and the ability to have a different "main residence" for the taxman than for the Parliamentary system are only the tip of the iceberg.
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