At the top of The League of Parasites, as this immature blog shall call it, is Labour MP Eric Joyce, who claimed an astonishing 174,811 British Pounds.  That's a lot of coins to be sloshing back up to Falkirk.  The Guardian argues that £45,000 is negated as travel expenses, which leaves £130,000 for an MP whose constituency is already represented in the Scottish Parliament, not to mention the European Parliament.  

Conversely, at the more frugal end of The League of Parasites, Philip Hollobone (Kettering, Con) claims a mere £50k.  So where does the additional £80,000 go, Mr. Joyce?  Hmmm - that's a lot of Deep-fried Marsbars?

In the Scottish Parliament expense claims were slashed when transparency was introduced, with ministers justifying their claims.  Did you know that parliamentarians need not provide receipts for any purchases below £250?  That's a brand new iPod to you and me.  So if Mr. Joyce wanted one, he could fob off the value as some sundry expense and no one would ever question it.

Lib Dem'r Norman Baker, MP for Lewes, argued, "its actually better value than it is in many other countries such as America and most of the European countries."  That's great Mr. Baker, but aren't we recycling the excuses you used when explaining away the dishonesty behind Party Funding?  That: "we maybe be a bunch of scoundrels, but we're not as bad as those iniquitous continentals."   Such arguments don't wash with this blog, do they wash with you?

If thrifty Dennis Skinner (Bolsover, Lab) can get by on expenses of £67,706, can someone tell me why 24 MP's need to spend in excess of £150,000?

From tygerland.net