ministers expenses

[lslowry]

How many of you ABers out there, given the more or less free reign that MPs had over their expenses and hardly any checks on their claims, wouldn't have done the same as they did, if you were in their shoes. Seeing the number of MPs with their snouts in the trough, surely the temptation would be to great not to. Be honest now....... (that comment seems out of place)

[China Doll]

I would like to in their shoes, I know I would. It's not even a question of temptation but the idea of getting caught (way more than the guilt) would keep me honest. I don't like confrontation, particularly if I'm actually in the wrong. So no, I wouldn't have but not for moral reasons.

[ummmm]

Ran my own business for years. Yes, I did the same.

The difference.....I/We never claimed for a Fluffing duck pond. I never claimed for clean bed linen, a second home (although we had one)

One rule for the rich and one rule for the poor.....

The "poor" would appear to be more honest....

[puss_boots]

I think many of us have pinched the odd pencil/pen/stapler etc from the office, but the difference with MPs is that they are supposed to be representatives of us poor smuts. They are elected to be the voice of people in their constituency and NOT to fiddle their expenses, not just a couple of quid here and there, but thousands. These MPs knew exactly what they were doing and because of the non exsistent checks on receipts/invoices etc they thought they would not be caught. If this system had gone on undetected they would have just gone on fiddling, they are p*ss*d off because they have been caught.

[jason.p]

I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that it started in the Thatcher era when instead of pay rises MPs were able to claim more generous expenses, and this has now become "acceptable" as a legitimate supplement to their appallingly low salaries. This is how they can justify it to themselves, and why some are so reluctant to pay it back.