it's a cultural scandal too

An MP offers this in her defence:

I HAVE NOT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE EVER RECEIVED PUBLIC FUNDS TO BUY ALCOHOL FOR EITHER MYSELF OR VISITING GUESTS AND CONSTITUENTS AND DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS. IF THAT IS THE CASE AND I AM VERY HAPPY TO BE PROVED WRONG THEN I WILL NOT HESITATE TO REFUND. TO THINK THAT THAT YOU COULD ACCUSE ME OF BEHAVING LIKE A JOURNALIST SHOCKS ME."

via. Those caps are in the original and possibly the most depressing thing about the whole expenses scandal. Has it occurred to you that through this whole series of revelations, MPs have claimed for Christmas decorations and bath plugs and their husbands have claimed for pornography, but no-one has put in a claim for a good book, or, for that matter, a bad one. There’s been not one refund for a bottle of good malt whisky, such as is vital to show hospitality to visiting constituents in accordance with the exalted status of the mother of parliaments. But choose your poison: you know what I mean.

What we do have are forty one inch plasma screen TVs. Taken as a whole the expenses scandal probably offers a pretty good cross section of middle class aspirations and all of them seem to be either banal, furtively greedy or just plain crap, with the partial exception of that Lib Dem MP and her mildly kinky leather covered rocking chair. You go girl.

Comments

[Dave Weeden]

Daily Mail: Tam Dayell claimed 18k for bookcases (he got 7.8). "I didn't want shoddy bookcases; I wanted good ones." Bookcases do furnish a room, you know...

[Chris Williams]

The nature of Mad Nad's response is perhaps the most depressing thing about the scandal; but Dorries herself is perhaps the most depressing thing about the twenty-first century. I'll bet you that a good third of the people who Google "cobalt bomb specs" are doing it because of her.

[Madam Miaow]

That's a very good point, B&T.

[dsquared]

Natascha Engel, MP for North East Derbyshire, charged us £12 for a copy of "The Magic Mountain! There is one good woman in Gommorrah!

[Dave Weeden]

Shouldn't she have read it, like, as a student?

[Chris Williams]

And Sodom's still in the frame. Don't look back.

[Hang on, am I mixing Noah and Lot here? Should have paid more attention in Sunday school.]

[Alex]

There is a very good reason to deny buying booze for constituents, especially; "treating" is actually a criminal offence.