Forsyth on expenses

I am becoming heartily sick of hearing some politicians and other assorted rogues caught with their hands a yard into the taxpayer’s pocket proclaiming that he/she “had done nothing wrong” when they mean “done nothing illegal”.

Only someone close to being a retard (and yes, there really are a few almost that dim in public life) would not know that “wrong” (as in morally unacceptable) is only rarely the same as “illegal” (meaning in breach of statute law).

What the skimmers are doing is to take the complex and ambiguous Parliamentary rule book in the matter of claims and expenses and, by close-to-the-wind ingenuity, wangling the absolute just-legal maximum for themselves.

These rules were devised on the basis of automatic self-restraint by thoroughly honest people. Those days departed among backbenchers under John Major and among everyone up to senior Cabinet rank as soon as conman Blair began to set the example. I mean, if you can send young men to die on the basis of a tissue of lies what’s a bath plug or an adult movie?

But that is not quite the end of it – or it need not be. Unlike the kleptocracies east of Calais we have never had Parlia­mentary immunity in this country – the outrage that puts an elected tribune of the people above the law. Privilege, yes, immunity, no. We have always preferred the wisdom of Sir Edward Coke (1552–1634). “Be you King or commoner the law is above you.”

And I believe there does indeed exist a statute law that declares it a crime “to seek to obtain, or to obtain, a pecuniary advantage by deception”.

Clearly massive expense claims for money that was never spent or needed to be spent deliver a pecuniary advantage. Clearly to declare that a sister’s spare box-room is really your principal family residence is an untruth and therefore a deception.

Parliamentary rule books do not override statute law. Pretty clearly many pecuniary advantages have been obtained by acts of deception. We should rely on old Edward Coke and bring a private prosecution. Let the High Court decide. But no more mealy-mouthed excuses. We have had enough.

I wrote almost an identical argument to this almost 8 years ago.