In praise of (mostly) honest MP's

[thelace]

How many of the employees are close family too?

Everyone is just focusing on MPs. What about MEPs and even local councilors? I've been informed that my local county councilor claims about £20k in expenses every year.

Being a councilor is and unpaid job hence they're "expected" to overclaim expenses, that's been known for years...

MEP's is probably the most laden gravy train (and always has been). Didn't Kinnock get sent over there years back to clean it up and failed miserably?

The whole system is crooked!

Sack the lot (apart from the virtuous few above) and let Branson and Cowell run the country

[Cyberman]

Just typical of the BBC to say 'a handful of Tory MPs do not claim', but no mention of the same phrase with Labour MPs who no doubt are also a handful, but also have far more MPs than the Tories or Liberals.

[crimdon]

Look at the whole table - all the expenses for all the MP's is almost 93m. 55m of that is staff costs. How many staff do this lot employ?

How many of the employees are close family too?

Everyone is just focusing on MPs. What about MEPs and even local councilors? I've been informed that my local county councilor claims about £20k in expenses every year.

[BoredBloke]

Look at the whole table - all the expenses for all the MP's is almost 93m. 55m of that is staff costs. How many staff do this lot employ?

[thelace]

The following have made no or very small expenses claims....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8048215.stm

Good for them.

I propose that Parliament is dissolved and we leave these (mostly) honest MP's to run the country and clear up both the economy and any financial shinanigins remaining from the House of Commons for a year and then see where we are then!

The savings from the remaining (sacked) MP's wages, departmental running costs (wives, offspring, etc), jollies etc would fill the current pensions black hole if nothing else!