MPs Expenses

The revelations about MPs making excessive expenses claims has led to many of them saying that they 'made a mistake' and to some of them returning at least some of the money. They are missing the point!

What I, and many members of the public are blazing angry about is that these people 'bent' the parliamentary rules on expenses. No matter that they could be said to have kept within the parameters of the 'rules', they nevertheless have ripped off the public purse and ,to me, that seems like fraud.

Either they have all made genuine mistakes - in which case they are incompetent and I don't want them in Parliament; or they have been on the fiddle - in which case they are dishonest and i don't want them in Parliament.

It is my belief that Parliament should be dissolved immediately and that, wherever an MP has proved to have 'made a mistake', the constituency parties should elect new candidates. We may than face an election with candidates who, if we can't yet trust them, at least have no record of immoral behaviour.

Following the election, an external body should be appointed to oversee MPs' expense claims. As far as second homes are concerned, i believe that each MP should be allocated a decent flat - sized according to his/her familial needs - thus keeping them out of the property market on second homes.

OK rant over (nearly) but if we had been caught with our hands in the till, we would have lost our jobs and, probably, been imprisoned. Since Magna Carta, the laws applying to us should be also applied to our Parliamentary representatives.

As for the rest of life - i.e. the important things - we have some of our home back. The sitting room is finished but for curtains and loose covers and the dining room requires decorating by a competent decorator. So downstairs is pretty habitable. Upstairs, our bedroom is still a bit of a disaster area. We have new carpets there but we still need the wardrobes building, the room decorated and new curtains etc. - we are living out of suitcases and old drawers lined up on the floor!

I have a seminar to attend on Thursday in London (Academic Development course) and another in cambridge on Monday (Formative Assessment) - so that should keep the brain going. Meanwhile I am busy analysing the results of the April exams. We have to make absolutely certain that no student has been unfairly treated and that the exams are doing what they are supposed to. That's one thing I am rather proud of the ifs for - we genuinely try on their behalf to allow them to show us what they know.

Socially, life is a bit dull. My darling Judi has put us both on a diet - so no wine (boo hoo) and no meals out (ditto). I suppose we need to - we are both grossly overweight - but where are the pleasures in life?

Enough whinging, Hollingshead. Life is good and, on a world scale, I am a wealthy man - though not as wealthy as our bloody 'leaders'- so many people are starving that I must not complain!