Snouts in the Trough

The news that the House of Commons vote on reforming the MPs system of allowances has resulted in a resounding defeat for the reformists met with no surprise down on our little allotment.
'Is it any wonder the public's faith in politicians is at an all-time low?' Nosher muttered as we set out our deckchairs in the sun at lunchtime.
'It's a career with over-generous perks and absolutely no accountability, except through the ballot box' I replied 'and then at election-time, an unscrupulous person will simply tell the electorate what they want to hear. If re-elected, they're back on the gravy-train.'
We sat back and enjoyed a glass of Nosher's excellent home-made parsnip wine, enjoying the warm sunshine and the light breeze.
'There doesn't seem to be any mechanism for weeding out the dishonest and the wasters' said Nosher 'and even if they are caught out, it is very rare for any effective sanctions to be taken against them, because they police themselves. Put simply, it's one law for them, but a different law for the rest of us. No wonder there's no shortage of people wanting to become MPs.'
'Well, if they can't understand that being able to spend £24,000 per year on household goodies tax-free is an insult to their poorer constituents, then it's a sad reflection on the moral character of those who enter Parliament.'
'I think they should be paid the national median income' Nosher declared 'they should live in purpose-built MPs accommodation when in London, and any other perks should be taxed and regulated as they are in business. In other words, they should be subject to the law of the land.'
'And their conduct should be regulated by an independent body with legal powers to impose sanctions on wrongdoers' I said 'Apart from Parliamentary privilege, to protect their freedom of speech, MPs should not enjoy any privileges not available to the rest of society.'
'I think that's about it' Nosher concluded 'if all these measure were implemented maybe we could get their snouts out of the trough.'
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