R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

The House of Commons' expenses row trundles on, with MPs now complaining that Sir Thomas Legg's claim limits aren't fair, apparently still unable to comprehend that it "wasn't fair" to grab quite so much money in the first place, and to spend it on luxuries and fripperies well beyond the dreams, never mind the grasp, of many taxpayers.

Harriet Harman is quoted as saying that "This is about the reputation, not of one political party, but of the whole of the House of Commons". This is indeed true (despite the inherent hypocrisy, given her own recent failure to obey the law), although, again, any reference to the unfairness on the taxpayer is notably lacking.

The MPs' continuing failure to display any dignity whatsoever, or even to understand that dignity is a requirement of the job, is depressing. It's going to be a long time before they earn back any public respect - and it won't start until they stop behaving like spoilt children.

Short rations

So Alan Duncan thinks MPs are treated like "s**t" and forced to exist on "rations", does he? Parliament's website gives the following data on MPs' salaries:

The current annual salary for an MP is £64,766. In addition, MPs receive allowances to cover the costs of running an office and employing staff, having somewhere to live in London and in their constituency, and travelling between Parliament and their constituency.

The list of allowances for 2009 includes the following:

Staffing Maximum of £103,812
Administrative & Office £22,393
Personal Additional Accommodation 24,222
London Costs Allowance £7,500
Winding-up £42,068
Communications Maximum of £10,400

MPs's allowances can reach more than £160,000 in addition to the "basic" salary. The continuing expenses scandal has revealed both politicians' arrogance and the fact that their personal financial experiences bear little resemblance to that of an appreciable number of the voting public.

The Conservatives clearly hope that improving poll results against Labour's recent showing will win them the next General Election. However, Alan Duncan's apparent inability to manage his personal budget (not to mention his appalling lack of professionalism) begs the question of how well equipped the Tories are to manage departmental and national finances.