Contrition

Written Friday, never posted:

So, the Telegraph has somehow got hold of a complete copy of MP's expenses going back to 2004. How very embarrssing for the government which was trying to prevent their publication. Today saw the Telegraph publish expenses details for about a dozen cabinet MPs. There were no huge surprises, but the most interesting I thought was the news that Peter Mandleson had claimed for repairs to his second home after he had announced his resignation as an MP. He then sold the property maing a six-figure profit.

Tomorrow the Radio One Big Weekend comes to Swindon. It's a big rock concert thing. I applied for tickets and failed to get them. There was a rumour that Britney was going to play, but that appears to have been made up by the Sun newspaper. So, I don't care that I haven't got tickets much. I do care that I have to put up with a weekend of disruption and can't even join in - Bastards.

I'm also a bit pissed off with the James Randi Edcational Foundation. I used to think that the JREF was a worthwhile organisation, but I was really annoyed when James Randi came to London last year and it was completely impossible to get tickets because they booked a venue with a capacity of 500 in a city of 13,000,000 people. Great foresight that. This year The JREF Amazing Meeting is coming to London, and guess what, not only have they booked another 500 seat venue, they have put ticket prices up to £175. I'm not even going to bother.

Written today - hurrah!

The batteries are dying on my key chain thingy to turn the car alarm on and off. It's got to that stage where I'm scared I'll be able to lock it, but then not unlock it. Then I'll have to do that incredibly embarrassing thing where you have to open the car with the key, set the alarm off, and then spend the next ten minutes under the bonnet trying to disable the alarm manually with the security key with the siren going, everyone watching you, eard bleeding etc. So I've stopped using the alarm. Don't steal my car. It's not worth much and it may have something I need inside it. I'm going to buy a new battery on the way home, so I'll probably be using teh alarm again by the time you read this anyway.

Everyone should read Charlie Brooker in the Guardian. I particularly liek the way he described Walkers Builders' Breakfast flavour Crisps as, "like someone burping egg at you through a jockstrap".

The MPs expenses row has again escalated this morning. The Telegraph has today published more revelations about expense claims including Conservative Alan Duncan's £3,000 claim for his garener (later withdfrawn), and Oliver Letwin (conservative) and his £2,000 claim to replace a pipe under his tennis court. Difficult to see how these bills were a result of their constituency or parliamentary work.

I think the prize for most outrageous claim so far must go to Margaret Moran (labour) who claimed £22,500 for treating dry rot at her husband's seaside house a hundred miles from her constituency. She was trying to defend herself on the radio this morning claiming it was the only way she could have a family life with her partner of thirty years. If you can't deal with the travelling Ms Moran, you're in the wrong job!

I also think Keith Vaz should get an honourable mention for his incredibly complex property expenses claims, and I was particularly impressed with his calim for £2614 for two leather armchairs essential for his work. I've seen pictures of the chairs. They are lovely, though you can of course get a complete three-piece suite from Ikea for a third of that price.

I'm also really looking forward to Phil Woolas trying to explain why he was putting in expenses claims for women's clothes, panty liners, tanpons, a bottle of red wine, nappies, and chidren's comics. He has actually threatened legal action over the publication of the receipts which he submitted. It is difficult to see how he can justify his claims though since the rules state that he is not allowed to claim for things for other people, or for alcohol. The funny thing is, the expenses system does allow claims of up to £200 a month for food, and he's not required to submit a receipt.

What gets me is the complete lack of contrition from all these politicians that have been caught with their fingers in the biscuit tin. They all say the same thing, "I acted within the rules, and the rules need to be changed immediately". I can't see how £2600 on armchairsd can be within the rules, since the rules quite clearly say that luxury items can't be claimed for. I can't see how anyone can leaglly claim second home expenses on a house 100 miles from both constituency and parliament. In any case, although the system quite clearly is at fault, the system was put in place, policed, and exploited by the very people blaming it for all problems. What I would like to hear is not "sorry the systen is flawed", it is "sorry, I exploited a loophole in the system".