They do take the prervibial dont they

[Manwithnoname]

The system is without clarity as Lord Taylor of Warwick goes to jail.

Do these people not know the difference between right & wrong?
Are they as well educated as one is led to believe ?
Are they really stupid & arrogant thinking they are above the law?
or Do they think we are all stupid ?

[Manwithnoname]

Sounds more like the knows we dont knows syndrome, bulls*** dressed up to disguise the obvious guilt

[venator]

This guy was claiming expenses for an Oxford address at which he had never once stayed. Anybody with half a brain would know this was wrong - even a politician

[jackthehat]

There is 'illegally' wrong and there is 'morally' wrong.
A lot of MPs believed that because their actions weren't the former......they were not, either, the latter.

The culture of "just put your receipts in........nobody really looks at them" was allowed to exist for far too long.

The credit for recognising that this is no way to run any sort of parliament must lie with those who are willing to embrace the change, and those who are still whinging about their 'losses' need to be doubly scrutinised...

[New Judge]

I think your understanding is not quite correct, redhelen.

Peers sign their expense claims on the basis that the costs have actually been incurred and that they are accurate. They are taken on trust and do not have to produce receipts or proof of their expenditure. My Lord Taylor betrayed that trust by claiming for, among other things, journeys which were not made from a place he said was his home but that was not, trousering over £11k in the process. He cited, in his defence, that it was common practice, though unsurprisingly none of the Peers he suggested had also made false claims were prepared to give evidence in his defence.

The issue was quite clear, the jury did not believe Lord Taylor’s explanation and justice, for once, seems to have been done.

[Prudie]

As so many of them did it, it suggests they were told this was the done thing to do when they became MPs. Although on a far grander scale it's not really different from lots of us who think it's OK to nick pens and sellotape from work because everyone else does.

[owdhamer]

No
No
Yes
Yes

[venator]

At least he's gone - we're stuck with flipping Hazel Blears up in Manchester, all smarmy and very pleased with herself.
Mind you, they say you could put a red rosette on a pig in salford, and it would get elected...

[Sqad]

Hands up those who have never fiddled their expenses....or income tax.
That is illegal and fraud in minor way and you are unlikely to get caught.

Parliamentary system of expenses was set up in a "nudge nudge wink wink" element of receipt production....on a larger scale and was exposed by the Daily Telegraph.

FIFA are in the same predicament ....big time fraud and illegal payments.

When opportunities arise ......hands up who would not be tempted.

This is nothing to do with education,stupidity or arrogance.....it is human frailty and human weakness which we all have to a varying degree.

[anneasquith]

12months for £11,000 greed or stupidity, or both ? he^ll be out in 4 months ,

[venator]

Too true, squad - you might mention the European Commission, who have been forced to resign twice, I think, for corruption, and whose auditors have refused to approve their accounts for many years.

[bazwillrun]

This convicted thief was a lawyer, so if he was unable to work out for himself that what he was doing wasnt legal then that doesnt say much for his legal qualification or his capacity to work out right from wrong

Some lawyer

[Gromit]

The five Labour MPs were rightly dismissed from office and will never hold power and cast votes about our future again.

Unlike the two Conservatives Peers who will be free to sit in the Lords again after their spell in clink. (one has yet to be convicted).

[bundleone]

Let he who is without sin............

The money should be recovered as much as possible,but I don't think prison is appropriate.

[BertiWooster]

Didn't the former and present PM have to pay back money illegally claimed

[starone]

Sqad - if I could think of a way of getting some of my income tax back, without getting caught, I would do it. Unfortunately in spite of racking what I fondly call my brain I have been unable to come up with a method. So, in effect, I must agree with you.

[mike11111]

Not only is the 'noble' lord a politician, he is also a barrister!