"Gordon Brown has said "mistakes" were made by MPs in their use of House of Commons expenses."

I love that. 'Mistakes'. It's the word Nasty Nick used when he was caught cheating on Big Brother.

It's used in the knowledge that it has several meanings. The connotation of errors of judgement and lapses of morality allows them to say they've apologised, but the connotation of accident allows them to appear as if they didn't do their corrupt deeds deliberately.

Still scumpigs, even as they're exposed.

Anyone else notice how the Tories didn't lay in to Brown and co over this? They knew their headline was coming.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/

£2145 to fix a pipe under millionaire banker Oliver Letwin's tennis court.

That's the same Oliver Letwin who is devising the plans for Tory spending cuts when they come to power
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/conservative/3464348/Oliver-Letwin-drafted-in-to-rescue-George-Osborne.html

From the BBC news website:

Peterborough MP Stewart Jackson has confirmed the Telegraph's report that he had made a claim of £304.10 for the upkeep of a swimming pool.

But he added: "The pool came with the house and I needed to know how to run it. Once I was shown that one time, there were no more claims. I take care of the pool myself. I believe this represents 'value for money' for the taxpayer."

I'm sure we're all very grateful to Mr Jackson for having our best interests at heart, and giving us such value for money.

Now, where's my guillotine?

It was so obvious that, given the recent revelations in the news over the last year or so really kicking off with that Tory that was paying his twatbox of a son 'expenses' for 'Admin' serivices whilst said son was at Uni getting trollyed, and then Jaqui Smith's hubby having a tug on 'expenses' that this was just the creaking lid of a colossal can of worms being opened.

I have to admit, as appalling as it actually is, I couldn't help but smile 'cos, with the Labour expenses revelations of last week coming out, everybody must've been thinking "Why aren't the Tories steaming into Labour over this? They could really go to town..." and of course it's because they were staying relatively schtum cos they were cacking themselves 'cos they knew they were next. You can just imagine a Tory MP, looking at his shiny clean swimming pool, knowing where the cleaning bill went, and going "Oh Shit. This isn't gonna look good". The gem was one of 'em claming for repairs on his moat! A FUCKING MOAT! How feudal do you wanna get?!!

There is a slight schadenfreudey element of fiddling whilst Rome burns about all this but that doesn't stop it being abysmal and despicable. I mean, there's no doubt that there's some of these characters have probably referred to people on benefits as "scroungers" or worse at some point.

The sad thing about this is that I think it's horribly damaging to those few - and I hope there ARE some out there - folk that go into politics for all the 'right' reasons. I'd hate to see some struggling indepentent soul fighting a cause tarred with the same brush as the scumsuckers that are involved with this mess.

EDIT. Ps. is it me or are the papers and telly really, really enjoying reporting this?

I'm confused as to why they have to 'own' a second home anyway, that allows you the chance to make money out of it.
Surely it'd be a bit fairer if these were theirs for the duration of yer employment, a bit like a company car, the state being 'the company' you work for.
FWIW Cameron is being so transparently desparate in all this.
He always goes on about Brown not knowing what his party are up to yet seems to think it's okay to say he had no idea about his lot either.
Lying c*nt.
But the main point is always some bubble's burst, sort of.
x

Today's revelation - £16k for a mortgage that did not exist. Why is that not fraud or embezelment, neither of which is pardonable with a "sorry I made a mistake" plea. That bloke should be in prison by now.

I was considering whether to bother using my vote in the upcoming elections, but this chap on the TUC website might have a point:

"Refusing to vote will not stop a single councillor or MEP getting elected. Instead it will simply make it much more likely that extremists - particularly those peddling race hate and intolerance - will be elected. This is a particular danger in the Euro-elections where the proportional system allows people to get elected on a relatively small share of the vote."

...As does this writer, from a race debate website:

"There is no better breeding ground for the toxic politics of the extreme Right or Left than a zero-growth economy where, on one hand, people fear for their jobs, income, savings, even keeping their own homes, and on the other hand MPs are able to "flip" their homes to make a killing or get the taxpayer to pay £4,000 for a gardener."

what made me laugh the most was Cameron standing there having a right old pop at Brown and the labour party only to have it revealed two days later that his party are as bad if not worse.

i fucking hate tories

Following David Cameron's call for people who may previously have had nothing to do with the Conservative Party to apply to become a Conservative MP, I'm thinking of taking him up on it. I certainly fulfill the first criteria, having never ever had anything to do with the Conservative Party in the past.

On the other hand, having been on the dole since the company I was working for went bust over Christmas, it'd at least be something to put in my jobsearch diary. Apparently you just send a CV to head office, listing work you've done in your local community and achievements in your personal life which you think would make you a good MP. I'm sure I can think of something.

A second home in London would be handy too, as the last train back to Brighton can be a pain the arse when you're pissed up after a gig. You're all invited back to mine once I'm elected!