black ink shortage hits UK government

It's also worth having a play with the crowdsourcing experiment currently run by the Guardian.

I sifted through about 20 claims out of idle nosiness and found some 'petty cash' claims for over £200 (eg £240.09) but less than the £250 point at which things must be declared explicitly with documentation. Similarly there was one set of claims that repeated month by month with exactly the same amounts each time.

Not forgetting some tasty food bills amidst the varied claims for soft furnishings for indeterminate blacked-out residences.

flipping chancellors? new balls, please...

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time to repaint the H on the helipad

I see there's a few more allegations about political mishaps involving inaccurate expense claim submissions.

I can't help wondering whether we've all got this wrong though.

The process seems to be that some modest claims up to around £32,000 can be made within a year for politicians as part of general upkeep. Kit Kats, bath plugs, a few hotel movies, moat plumbing renewal, the odd extra house mortgage or two and redecoration of the half timbered dwellings on the estate all seem to be within the permissible claims.

So why not extend the process to the rest of us?

We pay into the tax system, so a few gentle claims for day to day running couldn't be too much of a problem. There could be a limit like the one the MPs get. Why, I'd even settle for that same amount as long as it was tax free and available annually.

But please don't misunderstand me. Here at rashbre central we've been economising too.

Take the helipad. We added a tennis court to the top surface so that it could be used at other times for relaxation, and even invite the neighbours around for a game of doubles. But the difference between us and some of the MPs is that we've had to pay for this ourselves, instead of being able to claim it at as necessary expense of doing business. I ask you, how else could we get from the rather distant redesignated primary residence back to place of business if we didn't have this essential facility?

coin operated boys

When I've worked in Italy there's a sometimes delays on paper work associated with so called 'bribeville' anti-Mafia legislation.

No comparison with the the British Upper House and recent denials of improprieties by its august members. It's so unfair to call it Erminegate, when the poor unpaid Lords and Ladies are slaving to move new laws of the land into being.

Today we heard there is no connection between fees received and actions affecting the passage of new legislation. I'm sure the posh dining clubbiness of the House is used appropriately, and that its exclusivity wouldn't be used to turn heads or procure inappropriate advantage, let alone to do so for reward.

A shame this pops up just after the Lower House abandoned its attempt to scrap accounting for its expenses. We now have both groups of politicians dealing with their remuneration whilst the country struggles to make ends meet. But its not misconduct in a public office. We've been told.