Money, money, money

MPs stand to find something nasty in the post tomorrow, according to the Sunday Telegraph. The paper claims that “at least 325 MPs will be ordered this week to repay money or provide further details of their parliamentary allowances by the head of an official inquiry into the Commons expenses scandal.”

There are widespread expectations within the media that further revelations to be published, following an investigation conducted by former senior civil servant Sir Thomas Legg, will result in a fresh bout of mea culpas, resignations and reselections.

“Others.. who escaped censure in the summer’s disclosures will face being dragged into a second wave of a scandal that threatens to dominate politics for the rest of this year”, says the Sunday Times with undisguised glee.

Whilst there is probably still a public appetite for yet more details of the labyrinthine mortgage arrangements of honourable members and how basic garden maintenance is an allowable expense, it is the continuing absence of anything resembling either contrition or actual reform that is most likely to piss off the electorate.

To quote some famous dead dude, the House needs to be put in order - and fast. Peter Riddell makes the same point but a lot more cogently than we could manage.