Just been reading about Labour MP Harry Cohen claiming £300,000 for a second home.
Cohen told the Press Association that the arrangement had been cleared with the House of Commons authorities. He said that the former Conservative minister John Moore had told MPs "go out boys and spend it" when he introduced a big uprating of the allowance in the 1980s to head off a pay revolt by backbench Tories. Quite sickening really.
As far as I'm concerned, MP's should try and set some sort of example. The likes of Cohen bring them into disrepute. I recall Hazel Blears comments that bloggers were damaging the political process. Maybe she should look a bit closer to home.
David Cameron has been strangely silent on this issue. It may not make his exisiting backbenchers too happy, but he really should show some moral courage on this issue. That would force Gordon Browns hand.
