English Eclectic: Storm In A Teacup? Let's Have Opposition Files!

Seems to me that Paul Halsall of the English Eclectic blog is basically correct about ACA-gate. But we really must insist on keel hauling any Tory and Lib Dem miscreants before we call off this Great Game.

There are of course some interesting stories emerging of some particularly unusual arrangements - the famed "flipping" having reached a particular fine pass with Margaret Moron MP (Labour, Loot On), above with accomplices, fleecing the taxpayer good and proper with a FairTrade spree. The essential underlying truth is that over the years most MPs have come to regard themselves as seriously underpaid - Paul gives the example of the USA equivalent Congress basic of $167,000 - and to regard the ACA as their "expense account".

With the expectation that most claim the lot, or thereabouts. Dave Cameron MP (Con, Whip Me) pretty much said that in his careful scene setting interviews of the last couple of weeks. Claim the lot. By hook or by crook. "It's bloody well bally wrong of course, what! what!? but that's been the bally game, we're all bally well at it, so be flipping gentle with us", he said, OWTTE.

Who can fail to recall the Cameron's little spot of bother trading up and off-loading an un-under-pinned family home in Notting Hell? Flipping 'eckers!

This is of course similar to the way business expense accounts are routinely gamed by already humungously be-salaried executives. And don't even start on MEPs where I believe even the high-horse specialist Chris Davies (Lib Dem, Gaza City NW) admitted playing the travel expenses system ... donating the profits to party funds. Making it OK? He did admit that didn't he? I'm not just imagining it?

As the fearsome Kate Hoey MP (Labour, Fox Haul) opined on BBC N24 the greatest worry just now is that, with the Telegraph stretching and exaggerating the bonafide "we deserve it" MP troughing and the MSM in general failing to see things the Halsall way, the turn out in the Euro elections will be very low indeed. This will of course assist the BNP. Well done Telegraph!

FOOTNOTE: Which Opposition MPs are you particularly keen to scrutinise? As I've had FOI Requests on the Lib Dems Paul Rowen MP and John Leech MP running for months I'd have to include these two in my top ten. Also Nadine Dorries MP whose property development deals and blogging hints surely suggest some fun to be had?

Boris Johnson MP might be good for a laugh. And David Davies' mansion in Haltemprice and Howden looked like it might have a tale to tell. Pickles of course! Key finger pointer Norman Baker had better be "clean"! Could NB even be the mole? Or the mole's spy master? Which Opposition MPs would you like to know about?