MP number 2 is sent to prison and number 3 is convicted.

Yesterday, Eric Illsley, the recently resigned MP for Barnsley Central, who pleaded guilty (reluctantly) to theft from the taxpayer, was sentenced to 12 months in prison. On the same day, in the same court, Jim Devine, who replaced the much respected MP Robin Cook, was found guilty of fraud relating to parlaimentary expenses.

His offence was creating false invoices for things like printing which never occurred (apart from the false invoice, of course).

These people never learn.

Benefit Cheque abuse

Just seen in my local MP's tweet. A local resident took her benefit cheque into Curry's and purchased a 42" HiDef Plasma TV which cost £1,099. Apparently, this shop sees a lot of this sort of purchase (and clearly makes a lot of money out of this). My taxes are funding this lifestyle. It is time that our MP's changed the rules for benefit payments. Give the recipients vouchers to be spent in supermarkets (for food), and other shops for basic clothing needs. Do NOT give them cash which no doubt will be spent on high value luxury goods that ordinary honest taxpayers normally cannot justify buying, and Sky TV subscriptions, and online gambling.

It is time that parlaiment acted to stop this waste of public money.