Quote:
Originally Posted by Vicky.
There will be loopholes  Purposely put there... |
Sadly, I tend to agree. When the expenses scandal was dragged out into the light, IPSA - the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority rewrote the rules on reporting and claiming expenses. It has meant lots of extra work for MP's staff, it's really quite fiddley and detailed and covers a multitude of ways that staff might fraudulently claim. For instance, an MP's office may claim for refreshments - tea, coffee etc. But they may not drink it themselves. So you can buy a pint of milk on Friday, make one cup of coffee for a visitor then if it's not drunk by close of play on Friday you have to throw it out. It's a ridiculous system. However, the same kind of crackdown hasn't been extended to MPs, a few of whom are still hogging the trough.