Lots of other bloggers have already made far better comments about David Laws than I will, but despite that I’m going to stick my oar in. Mainly because I’d hate for our politicians to get the slightest hint that we’ve lost interest in their expenses.
One thing that does make a nice change is the speed with which Mr Laws resigned, that much at least is an improvement. As many people have observed his sexuality really doesn’t have anything to do with it, that he was fiddling his expenses did. The claim that they weren’t living as spouses would at least from the information to hand be laughed at if anyone on benefits tried the same argument. Were they sharing a bed, a cutlery draw, a letter box etc. Whilst he may not have been claiming as much as he could have and whilst it may have cost us more if he’d not acted with such impropriety that as observed by Charles Crawford is the cost to “uphold honesty”. Iain Dales opinion that he should be let off by the Standards Commissioner is yet again ignoring the fundamental point in the green book rules, that is so consistently ignored by our troughing leaders:
“Members must ensure that claims do not give rise to, or give the appearance of giving rise to, an improper personal financial benefit to themselves or anyone else”.
Mr Laws behaviour certainly has the appearance of having done this, even if in fact it hasn’t in actuality. Mr Cameron and Cleggs responses to his resignation suggest that they too still don’t see a problem with MPs claiming expenses inappropriately and that as ever lessons haven’t been learnt. Though perhaps we can still hope that as these claims all relate to prior to the last election that the current incumbents really have all stopped making claims that might give rise to the appearance of improper benefit. I wouldn’t give you odds on it though.
