Gilly wrote: I'm extremely suspicious regarding the reasons that became a major news story. It was presented as the media holding MPs to account, but I feel there was more to it than met the eye. All of a sudden all of the broadcast media was screaming blue murder about expenses, which is to be expected as they all copy each other and follow the same news agencies and basic agenda, which they'd never paid any attention to whatsoever before. It went on for weeks if not months. But it wasn't a new story. Nothing had changed; this had been going on for years, if not decades. Obviously everyone involved in Westminster knew it was going on, it wasn't some sort of revelation.

I just feel that MPs were being warned to play ball, that it was just a way of making them more compliant. I'm not exactly sure what was going on with it, but the fact that this massive fuss was made, and as you say, nothing has changed since and it's not exactly a hot story any more, suggests to me that there was an agenda at play with it.

It was odd alright. I was thinking it might have served to fool people into forming the impression that the problem had been dealt with - but then why expose it in the first place? I'd love to know what really goes on behind the scenes.

The public were given a good reason to vent and feel self righteous. They need that occasionally them publics. Then they can get back to compliance.

I have no evidence for this, but I just have the feeling that it was a warning to MPs. It was being demonstrated to them how expendable they are, and how it's being compliant and doing what they're told that buys them their Bang & Olufsen TVs. I don't know if the whiff of some sort of possible rebellion instigated this, or if it's nothing out of the ordinary, and they're all kept in their place every so often. This was all based on leaked information, none of the newspapers actually found anything out. But to this day we have no idea whom the source of the leak was:

news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8115998.stm

^^
A bit like when Charley boy was driven into the crowd of protesters by accident,a little message most likely to play ball.

All mp's are degenerates in one form or another,they are allowed to get to there position for this very reason.

The real people in power will have amassed large amounts of info on them to use as bargaining tools when they see fit.

Agreed. You dont even want to sit in the houses unless you're into 'power'. So when you're 'in' and comfortable I can imagine you get into it...
Never good to forget others may have more 'power' than you.