At whose expense?

I'm sure that pretty much everyone has had their say about the whole "MP's expenses" thing... Well, everyone, except me - so here goes!

I've been listening to this 'story' unfold with vague interest & mild indignation, as the media spin this out for yet another few days (until, of course, something bigger and "more shocking" comes along...). But, I think things finally have gone too far. On FiveLive the other morning, they were asking if the whole of the Parliamentary system was corrupt and we should remove them all? Is this not just a bit too much of a leap? Are we REALLY that self-righteous?!

I'm not trying to suggest that the situation isn't screwed up. The level of frivolous claims seems outrageous, especially when many ordinary (voting) people are struggling to survive. It smacks of the people in power getting fat on their rights and privileges. When there are many losing their only homes and livelihoods, to be claiming extra expenses on their second homes from the same tax payers, does seem criminal. But systemic corruption? Hardly! The only corrupt system on display here is that of human nature.

Human beings are essentially selfish and greedy things. We all want everything we can get out of a situation or one another, without cost to ourselves. There's something vaguely worrying about the level of outcry that is happening here - it almost makes me question whether people are more upset about the MP's abuse of their position or that it isn't them that gets to put a £1600 "duck house" on their expenses?! After all, the reason we are in the current financial crisis has a lot to do with our collective greed and selfishness, right?

In the defense of some of those accused, other MP's have come out and said that the system encourages (or even forces?) them to take these expenses, suggesting that this is not about individual morals but rather that it is just the "culture" of Parliament. Perhaps claiming for "moat-cleaning" is the parliamentary equivalent of 'taking pens from work' - everyone does it so it is almost expected of you? I'm probably pushing it now but I'm sure we can all think of situations where we have clamoured for all that we can get from our employers. "It is all about our rights!", we cry... Even in my work-place, at a charity, I must confess that it's not hard to fall into the trap of looking after no.1 first of all

Perhaps we need to take a long, hard look at ourselves before we go about dramatically pointing fingers and looking for scapegoats - whether they are Speakers, MP's or anyone else for that matter? After all, "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?" (Matthew 7:3)

Finally, though, how to go forward? Calling a snap election, seems, even to my limited political understanding, to be a mistake. An over-reaction. We need some perspective. In fact, even the very situation everyone's so upset about has been used "selfishly" by the opposition parties to force the Government's hand. But DO need some careful work to ensure that any MP that struggles with the modest concept of "reasonable ministerial expense", is not responsible for the far more difficult task of running our country honestly and fairly!

On second thoughts, let's just sack the lot of 'em! ;-)