The Gravy Train

Today I'm feeling outraged.

Over the last few months many British MPs have been found to be, at worst, outright liars or, at best, shamelss leeches taking advantage of seemingly endless funds intended for a specific purpose.

In the UK Social Security system there are many safeguards that, for example, prevent someone claiming for someone else who is already involved in a claim. Yet there's nothing in the MPs expenses system that raises a red flag when an address already recorded as an MP's home suddenly becomes their "second" or additional home.

And where an MP names residence A as his main home with B as the second home and his wife - also an MP - names residence B as the main home and A as the second home, why is there nothing to say "just a minute, this address is already recorded for another member" so that questions may be asked?

It's as if they don't mind MPs fiddling.

As if that's not bad enough they can now escape sanction or even repayment because they might have been able to have claimed something else instead; all of which makes it sound like a perk to be taken advantage of as opposed to refunding expenses actually incurred in the course of their duties.

Someone prosecuted for receiving benefits while working on the side has never had the defence accepted that they might have been due a different benefit, so why does an MP get away with that?

It's sickening.