It seems a shame to see a talented Minister having to resign from the government after such a short time in office but it also does him credit for doing so.
It would appear outrageous that David Laws claimed so much money in expenses for rent for rooms in a house he shared with another man but does it really make any difference?
If we are going to pay the rent for MPs should we care who it is paid to? If you happen to have a close friend or even a partner who owns a house in London why should they not be paid? You may argue that they would be living there anyway but that is only because they are in London to work at the Houses of Parliament.
We have a system of expenses that has been made full use of but which of us wouldn’t do that if we had the opportunity. in this case, if it is considered acceptable to claim an amount for rent does it really matter who gets that money? Whether it goes to a hotel, pays a mortgage or goes to some stranger, it makes little difference. The money is available and being paid out regardless.
What we need is a thorough discussion of what expenses an MP should be entitled to and my own opinion is that all MPs should be treated the same. I can understand an MP on the outskirts of London feeling a little miffed that he, or she, is expected to travel home each evening while another MP from somewhere further afield is allowed to have paid accommodation much closer to Westminster.
I am inclined towards thinking that there should be a standard grant of expenses paid to all MPs each year regardless of where there constituency is though probably travel costs should be an additional payment. Other than that keep it simple and let us get on with worrying about what government does and not how it is all paid for.
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