Sour milk

Sour milk

Rusty Kuntz milking a cow and untrusty cunts milking the system

The Independent is claiming that The pursuit of MPs is becoming a witch-hunt

The Independent is as guilty as other newspapers when it comes down to possessing knowledge about the systemic abuse of the allowance system and remaining silent. So, it is a bit rich for the editor to now claim that the public are bullying MPs. In my view there is a difference between a which hunt to find out MPs who have been abusing the system, and a witch hunt that pursues innocents for holding beliefs.

The Independent claims that "the row is now in danger of eroding the democratic health of the nation". So, the democratic health of the nation is suffering because corrupt MPs have been exposed? It is their conduct which has damaged the democratic health of the nation. They were trusted by the public and they breached that trust.

I think it is fair to say that both Labour and the Tory parties leaders have been guilty of trying to protect some of those in the Cabinet and shadow cabinet, when they should have been cleaning out their respective pig stys.

The Independent claims that "there is a big difference between fraud and the milking of a laxly policed expenses system". True. However, it is theft to milk a farmer's cow without lawful authority. It is no defence to say that because the farmer left his cow in the field it is alright to milk it. The system was lax because the MPs made their own rules to permit this laxity.

I do not believe that the public is tarring every MP with the same brush. I believe that they are aware that some MPs legitimately claimed expenses. However, I do not accept the The Independent's claim that it is legitimate to furnish a second home from the John Lewis list. Only those who really needed a second home should have claimed, and only then to the extent to purchase necessary items in relation to their work.