Expensive Expenses

You know what I'm like with journalistic trends....useless. So yeh I haven't written about expenses despite the fact this issue has been at a head for a over a month now. I kinda decided it was time for a catch up. And to ensure I gathered all the information in this one post (to save time...a LOT of time) I decided that i'd just extend award season by a few months and hand out the Awards for the most Expensive Expenses.

Award for the Best Denial:
Ben Chapman on overclaiming £15,000 on his mortgage "It is clear that I was mislead by the fees office into the arrangement in question". Uhm what?! What does that even mean?!

Award for starting a trend:
Sir Peter Viggers, who now famously claimed for a floating duck house. Description of said house? 'The Stockholm, is based on an 18th century building reconstructed in Stockholm. Its situation on a floating island is the ideal protection from foxes while giving its residents immediate access to the water.' Only the finest for an MPs ducks.

Award for most logical reasoning:
Shaun Woodward, Northern Ireland secretary, standing up for the common mans right to biscuits "I have just had a cup of tea in the green room getting ready for this programme, and there were biscuits next to the make-up tray. The BBC is funded by the taxpayer. Those biscuits were actually paid for by a taxpayer. I have, in my office, claimed for biscuits for my constituents. So my constituents should not have biscuits, but someone coming on this programme should?”

Award for most cheerful goodbye:
Anthony Steen announcing he would be stepping down from office "I've had a good innings, there is no bitterness, but as the saying goes, all political careers end in tears"


Award for most called for resignation:
Michael Martin, controversial Labour Commons Speaker, was expected to resign almost from the very beginning of the controversy. Of his role he said "We have let you down very badly indeed. We must all accept blame and to the extent that I have contributed to this situation, I'm profoundly sorry."

Award for most bizarre claim:
Another famous case is the cleaning of a moat, as claimed for by Douglas Hogg. I'm sure we all feel that the cleaning of our moat is an essential and everyday service, universally used.

Award for Biggest Political Casualty:
Well this one is pretty unclear. Until the next election we will not know if this issue will affect Gordon Brown's hold. Opinion polls suggest it might, however the issue is universal to all parties and so there is not really an 'innocent' leader to turn to. What is for certain though is that the next election is likely to become one of the biggest Commons overhauls since 1945, due to the number of MPs who have been affected by the scandal, meaning that parties will be forced to use 'fresh faces' to appeal to the voter.

The most significant development of the last week? The tide began to turn on the press that has been at the heart of the row and the man, John Wick, who revealed the details in the first place. This row is becoming more pandemic than swine flu!