MPs Expenses vs Congressional Claims

Tim Montgomerie suggests David Cameron needs to do a little more to produce a proper, comprehensive policy on MPs expenses. That’s probably true. As we all know, any talk of reform at Westminster unnerves parliamentarians from all parties since, as we all know, no-one has clean hands in this affair. They’ve all been fiddling the system – legally! – for years, unaware that as far as the public’s concerned the legality of the system is pretty much irrelevant.

MPs at Westminster might often envy their cousins across the pond – members of the House of Representatives enjoy a “Representational Allowance” of up to $1.6m for staff, office and franking costs – but in the matter of housing at least, it’s the Britons who have the last laugh. Members of Congress receive no second-home housing allowance, and must pay for their Washington accomodation from their $174,000 annual salary.