The duck house, the moat and the mortgages for properties that didn’t exist, we all remember the headlines that topped the entire British press for weeks regarding the bizarre world of the MPs’ expenses saga. The media men could not believe their luck, it was as if Christmas had come early and this time Santa had been swapped for a Tory who thought his ducks needed somewhere to sleep at night and a Labour MP who argued that Southampton was too far away from London to commute.
The headlines wrote themselves and circulation for many papers were at an all time high. Yes, admittedly some pushed it too far and the stories became stagnant and old with rehashing of the same information creeping into copy. Quickly editors acted and began to push the few new breakthroughs further back into the dead pages of their respective papers.
However Murdoch and his fellow media moguls will be rubbing their hands with glee this morning amid the news that MPs’ are facing further investigation into their claims when they return from their summer break. Those that are under suspicion will be sent a letter from an official investigator and be expected to prove their claims were genuine and legitimate.
As Brown and his cabinet already scramble to distance themselves and claim that those responsible of the most heinous claims should be prosecuted, the hacks are waiting in the wings to see what new revelations will emerge when Parliament reconvenes.
What is permitted (courtes of BBC)
£24,000-a-year Additional Costs Allowance, which covers the running of MPs’ second homes
£22,193-a-year Incidental Expenses Provision, which pays for running an office
