East of Westminster

Enough has been written on the subject of MPs expenses to last a life time. I won't add to the tales of taxpayer money spent on plasma screen tv's, multiple lavatory seats, mole catchers and horse manure.

As every party seems culpable to a great extent it is difficult to know what to say. Are they all really as bad as each other ?

What seems certain is that the public in general are all largely despairing of politicians. That can only lead to low turnout in elections and this will favour the small and extreme parties.

The BNP has become a regular Saturday morning fixture outside our local shopping centre and such parties can only benefit as the public shun the mainstream parties. How far this will go remains to be seen. Next month's European elections will give an indication.

However it does have an end of an era feel. It seems likely that hundreds of MPs will either step down or lose their seats at the next General Election. Talk of the death of parliament is probably premature but it is certainly a sobering lesson that democracy can be broken by the corruption of those who are supposed to champion it.

The optimist in me still hopes for better things. However this will only be possible if many MPs leave the House of Commons. Numerous MPs should be expelled to the land east of Westminster. Let us hope a parliament remains at Westminster when all this is finished.