Back when the expenses scandal was running high on the agenda, one of the most infamous excesses which will no doubt go down in history was the news that Douglas Hogg MP has the taxpayer foot the £2,115 to have his moat cleared, something he insisted at the time was within the rules - natch!
Today we now have the news that the newspaper have discovered a video online - posted almost a month ago - where Alan Duncan MP rather stupidly talked about MPs being on "rations" and Nigel Evans MP is seen making jokes about second incomes and expenses.
Personally speaking, having watched the video, it all strikes me as typically British gallows humour, but the damage it causes, irrespective of whether it should be taken as serious views or not is the problem. Thus Alan Duncan is under scrutiny and pressure this morning in the Daily Mail and elsewhere.
However, returning to Douglas "I've got a moat and the plebs are paying for it" Hogg, I couldn't help but notice that his most recent entries in the Register of Members' Financial Interests states that he got paid £5,419.08 for 38.5 hours of work as a Barrister.
For those without a calculator, that's about £140 per hour. Probably the going rate for a barrister - possibly even cheap - but isn't it interesting that on top of his MP's salary and allowances he can make, in what is essentially a week, enough to have moat cleared twice, yet he still felt it right and proper to charge the taxpayer?
Oh how the other half live huh?
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