Snouts in the Trough

[Gordon McIvor Wilson]

I am indebted to Guido Fawkes, proprietor of the non-party-san political blog, for exhaustive coverage of the financial affairs of our elected Members. Read him on www.order-order.com (or something similar) and in The Thunderer column of The Times yesterday (not his best form, I have to admit, perhaps a bit cowed by the printed page).

The sheer dexterity and penny-pinching ingenuity of these average sort of chaps, in fashioning expenses claims from thin air is a constant source of delight. Having run sales forces over the years (where expenses claims are a finely honed art, pursued with as much vigour as the games of golf snatched from the dull afternoons when targets have been met), I cant help feeling that if only the MPs' financial acumen had been directed at the nation's economy, the UK wouldnt be the financial basket case they have allowed it to become.

How is it that only 4 cases have fallen to PC Plod's gimlet gaze?

Anyhow, HM Revenue should have a bit more to go on now, 'wholly, exclusively and necessarily' still trips readily off the tongue and has 50 years of well-tried precedent. Go get 'em, Fido!