So what are you hiding Gorbals Mick?

[Grumpmeister]

I'm sorry, am I the only person here who finds it a little hard to belive that Prezza only spent £4k on food in a year? Having said that how much are prok pies these days. 

Senior MPs' expenses claims have been revealed, showing that John Prescott spent £4,000 in a year on food and that Tony Blair claimed for a TV licence.

Gordon Brown and ex-Tory leader Michael Howard had council tax bills for their second home paid for in 2003-04, the figures also show.

Mr Brown claimed £11,826.81 for flights during the period. All six MPs received money to pay mortgages.

The revelations follow a freedom of information request by the BBC in 2005.

Cleaning costs

They also cover former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy and former Tory MP Jonathan Sayeed.

Mr Blair, prime minister from 1997 until last year, claimed £116 for his TV licence.

Mr Prescott, his deputy during that time, did not claim for any cleaning costs, and neither did Mr Kennedy.

Following the BBC's FOI request, the House of Commons Commission argued that a detailed breakdown of travel expenses could identify regular routes travelled by MPs, exposing them to a security risk.

However, in January this year the information commissioner ruled that the Commons should publish some of the details, such as individual amounts claimed for travel under three headings: MPs' travel, family travel and staff travel.

On Thursday, the Commons Commission said it would not appeal against the ruling.

Labour MP Ann Cryer said the pursuit of expenses details by journalists was "becoming a witch hunt" and politicians were "all being tarred with the same brush".

She told BBC Radio 4's The World at One: "We are all assumed to be wrong 'uns. We are all assumed to be getting more money than we should be getting when, in fact, most Members of Parliament are honourable members and we aren't on the fiddle."

But Liberal Democrat transport spokesman and anti-sleaze campaigner Norman Baker said: "This is public money we are talking about and we have to be accountable for it.

"The reality is a lot of this has been brought upon ourselves. The House of Commons authority have been too secretive.

"There has been inappropriate expenditure which the public would not support and on odd occasions - and I agree with Ann that most MPs are honest - there has been corruption."

[Barman]

A TV licence – what a wanker… god told him to claim for that I ‘spec… 

[Nick]

John Prescott spent £4,000 in a year on food

All pies, no doubt.

[Darwins Selection]

John Prescott spent £4,000 in a year on food

All pies, no doubt.

Should that not be £4000 per week?

[Grumpmeister]

More like per day.

[Nick]

MPs could seek to avoid future expenses criticism by awarding themselves an automatic lump sum of £23,000 a year for second homes, a newspaper says.

According to the Times, the automatic grant will be a key recommendation of a review of MPs' expenses, led by The Speaker Michael Martin.

The move would avoid the need for MPs to submit claims backed by receipts.

Yes, keeping receipts to prove you spent the money is just sooooooooooooooo boring

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7420848.stm

Automatice 23000 a year without receipts!?

Bastards!!

Mind you, this is being trailed, so when it is scaled back we are meant to be relieved.

Bastards!