- The bill that would make it able to use MPs words against them in a court of law was defeated. This is a good thing cos reducing MPs free speech (that's what this would've inevitably done) can only be negative. Point proven by the fact it was those good ol' rebels who pushed this through.
- Only one of the three criminal offences proposed for MPs went through. The only thing that they can newly be prosecuted for is for providing false information about expenses claims. The other two were deemed inappropriate and already covered by fraud legislation.
- An IPSA (independent parliamentary standards authority) was formed but without the power to demand MPs pay money back.
Overall, the rules have changed boys and girls! Our MPs will now be able to claim far less than before. This is a good thing, but also a kinda inevitable thing. The controversy has come from the fact that some of the MPs who have previously broken the 'new' rules will have to pay back extensive amounts of money on these claims. This has created overall uproar and some MPs are threatening to take the government to court. So the expenses row is far from over with MPs now playing the victims in a weird twist of fate. Will anyone buy it? Well you know politicians - always the most trustworthy of individuals!
