As far as I can see from the various news reports about these expense claims. The Speaker just blew away £100,000 of taxpayer's money over nothing and caused his MPs a whole lot of unnecessary agro.

I don't think MPs should be able to claim for all these things.

How can Gordon Brown keep a straight face saying that he knows how people are struggling when he gets a new kitchen in his constituency paid for by the taxpayer and even has the gall to claim for £15 of lightbulbs!?!

It stinks, stinks, stinks...

Yes, but interestingly, he claimed less than the Leader of the Opposition, who as we know, isn't short of a bob or two (although I understand we're not supposed to mention that anymore!)

Surely the whole system stinks and there should be complete transparency,I think looking at total for this year and next it will be interesting to see if they drop now that it has been decided that the great unwashed can pry into them.

It seems strange that people can't understand why we have expenses.

Why should we only have MPs that are the ones that are able to afford to live in London.

By offering expenses paid encourages people who otherwise couldn't afford to do so, to run for their constituency.

Obviously it needs to be transparent (to what degree I'm not sure) to ensure that its been above board.

But we really do need these expenses in the system.

P.S someone suggested to me the other day that the amount of expenses should be linked to your wealth.

I thought this was an amusing idea and potential to stick it to the Tories.

Does anybody know how Hull City got on today?

"and that my buttocks are neither lightly tanned nor freckled."......But I'm good at speaking out of them!

I'm pleased to hear that... but you don't have to come here to prove it!

"Yes, but interestingly, he claimed less than the Leader of the Opposition, who as we know, isn't short of a bob or two (although I understand we're not supposed to mention that anymore!)"

Though of course Cameron (apart from 1 phone bill) claimed only for the interest on his mortgage.Which ,as unlike much of the labour front (or the speaker) the taxpayer isn't also shelling out for their free accomodation in central london, is a legitimate expense.

brown on the other hand cheerfully stuck the taxpayer with the bill for his Sky subscription,tv licence , council tax, a new kitchen and some painting and decorating. All these are clearly vital to his work as both an MP and a Front bencher. As was the £47 for light bulbs.

And of course brown isn't the worst senior labour mp in terms of sticking their snouts in the trough.

And what makes this worse is the pathetic and discreditable attempts to prevent the taxpayers from finding out about the lifestyles that they're funding.

...sticking their snouts in the trough.

I like that. This from the Party of Derek Conway and the Hamiltons. We never knew what fiddles the rest were up to because they didn't publish anything when they were in power, even though a couple of them went to prison for extorting money by lying in court. Crooked donations, cash for peerages (and questions), you name it, they were at it, all swept neatly under the carpet in the days of Thatcher and Major... and still the lying crook Conway got caught with his fingers in the till when he knew people were looking.

Not only a crook... a stupid crook.

As I've said on numerous occasions, but some of you seem too stupid to understand, I offer no defence for anyone on the fiddle... but I won't take lectures from the sticky finger club.

Bob, how much do the unions pay the Labour Party to ask questions and decide legislation on their behalf!?!

I even heard one union leader, possibly Mark Sewotka, recently reminding Labour to pay public sector workers more because so many of them vote Labour.

Buying votes with taxpayers' money!?! Oink oink!

PS Weren't the Conservatives penalised for all their sleaze in 1997!?!

"As I've said on numerous occasions, but some of you seem too stupid to understand, I offer no defence for anyone on the fiddle... but I won't take lectures from the sticky finger club."

Stupid ?
The sticky finger club ?

I voted for your bloody lot in 97 and 01 partially because of my distaste for the antics of the Tories. (though by 05 i was voting for neither of you).

Now we are supposed to cheerfully accept your mob helping themselves to the public purse because you don't see the problem and don't think your team is as bad ?

A labour snout looks exactly the same as a tory snout when you're one of the poor sods expected to stump up for it.

Quite frankly if that's the sort of response your going to give out no wonder your lot are heading to the exits.

An interesting response, but not to the point I made. Try again... I offer NO defence to ANYONE on the fiddle. I can try it in words of one syllable if that is too difficult for you to grasp.

snafu... you rather defeat your own point. If Labour were in the pocket of the trade unions, why would Mark be complaining on behalf of his members who were getting a bad deal. Concentate man!

"I can try it in words of one syllable if that is too difficult for you to grasp."

My response was to your immediate conclusion that because I expressed distaste for your party's antics with expenses i must therefore be 'stupid' ,a member of 'the sticky fingered club' and a tory. (hmm not sure which is the worst).

It looks like you've a pavlovian response to any criticism is simply to start shrieking loudly about the tories and insulting people.

I never accused anyone of being on the fiddle- though you seem to be incapable of understanding that quite simple fact.

I merely accused them of gaming the system to extract as much money from the public coffers as possible even if it isn't in the spirit of the rules and they don't need the cash.

And when the same rules are set by the same people who are exploiting them then don't expect those of us who aren't season ticket holders for either team to be wildly impressed either by the greed or by the attempts to hide it or by attempts to dismiss it as being unimportant and of concern only to stupid people.