Hasn't this poor old chap been through enough?

[sandyRoe]

Does he really need to be wearing a tag and observing a curfew ?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-15690654

[penelope2]

Blimey ! are you telling me he's for real MarkRae?

[Philtaz]

I fail to see the point of putting him back inside Mark, it'd cost the taxpayer far more. He's hardly a danger to the general public, is he?

It's a known fact that we spend more a day feeding a prisoner in jail than we do feeding a member of HM Forces.

[MarkRae]

Look at some of his previous posts...

[emmie]

Markrae, a wind up surely.

[notasyoungasiwas]

I fell for it!

[MarkRae]

I don't believe so, though it wouldn't surprise me if it was claimed to be...

[penelope2]

< but that means he would not be able to go to the theatre or restaurant>
Guess he wouldn't be able to afford it now that he's not fiddling his expenses.

[TWR]

Can you not remember the Little elderly Lady that owed, I'm sure it was a £100 poll tax? only for one kind person she would have gone to jail, British Justic? My @rse.

[naomi24]

Sandy, you really are a monkey. ;o)

[emmie]

see, he's taking the michael

[Old_Geezer]

I have less of a problem with the offence than most. I take the view that if you are entitled to claim for an overnight stay, but at your own detriment choose to endure the trip back instead, what's the harm. The employer loses nothing as they believe there should be an entitlement to stop overnight anyway. The employee picks up a small bonus for putting up with it.

That said he's justification regarding staffing seems a little thin: and to clock up £14k seems a lot. At that cost one would expect parliament to provide the accommodation instead. A decent 'expenses' system should be simple enough to provide a cheap but acceptable options and then not need to overly care when it is claimed.

As for gaol, we I think it is another case of public indignation ensuring harsh penalties to those that get caught. Few have much sympathy for the MPs caught fiddling. I'd guess he'd consider a tag is better than staying in gaol for the whole sentence.

[karenmac60]

What worries me is that the people who are running the country get confused by a simple expenses form. It's no wonder we're up sh*t creek!

[MarkRae]

I firmly believe there was no confusion at all, Karen - it was simply a case of deliberate fraud fuelled by greed...

[boxtops]

Poor old chap? For goodness' sake, he stole more than many people earn in a year!