I know, I know. It is hardly a novel title, hardly a groundbreaking subject on which to embark into the exciting world of blogging, but crikey. Lembit Opik tried to claim £2500 for a TV, had his claim rejected, bought a £700 TV instead and then claimed it was the system working and he could not understand what all of the fuss was about.
As I understand it, you can only claim for what is wholly and exclusively necessary for the carrying out of parliamentary business. I understand the need to equip and furnish a second home close to parliament. Cutlery, crockery, furniture, even a stereo, TV and DVD player. Everyone needs to unwind at the end of a busy day. But these MP's just do not get it. You do not need a £2500 TV in your second home. You should not wait to see whether you can get away with it, whether the Fees Office will turf it out. Your conscience, your moral compass, your sense of the value of money should cause you to question the claim before you put it in. I have never owned a brand-new TV and currently watch a £100 second-hand tube TV, because that is all I can afford and truthfully, it is all I need. How can any person, let alone an MP who knows every penny he or she claims comes from the pockets of the taxpayer, genuinely believe that these luxury items are necessary to the performance of their parliamentary duties? It feels rather more that they have looked at what they want rather than what they need, then looked at what they can get away with rather than what is genuinely proportionate, fair and reasonable. "I can do it, so I will" rather than, "I do not need this so I will not". I am cross at the shamelessness of it all, the greed, the indifference and if I had a quid for every time I have heard "it is within the rules" for an expense that any ordinary person would consider shamefully excessive, I could afford to have my moat filled in.
I am angry. Here endeth the rant.
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