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by Cal Thomas
On my last visit to the UK three months ago, Members of Parliament were embroiled in a scandal involving outrageous expense claims for such things as moat cleaning, a baby crib and second homes that were sometimes occupied by friends and relatives, or not at all.
For the first time since 1695, a speaker of the
Ignoring a nationwide outcry against politicians engaged in the expenses scandal, the
The new speaker, John Bercow, had campaigned to replace the former speaker, Michael Martin, by promising to reform "the system of Parliamentary expenses." And yet Bercow was on the committee that produced this new and more outrageous system.
What is it about politicians? Do they suffer from a genetic fault that produces such arrogance for the public and ignorance about who they are supposed to serve? So far, no one has had the gall to blame this monumental lapse of judgment on the swine flu epidemic that has gripped Britain, but give them time.
Under the new rules, which are actually not rules at all, MPs have total discretion concerning how the money is spent and they are not accountable to any Parliamentary body, much less the public.
Under the new system, as the Telegraph states, MPs Ann and Alan Keen, who are married, could claim the maximum expense amount per year on top of the generous expenses they are paid for mortgage interest, the local council tax and utility bills, not to mention a large housing allowance of 24,000 pounds (nearly $40,000US), which is a slight increase over last year. No wonder people want to become politicians. With deals like this, why would they mind raising taxes when the public not only has to pay its share, but part of a politician's share as well?
In a major understatement, the
Following last spring's outing of MPs gone wild, Gordon Brown spoke of how "essential" it was to restore public confidence in government. Clearly, this latest fiasco will send what's left of that confidence into the loo.
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The Arrogant and the Ignorant