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Viewers' anger at MPs' expenses claims

Richard Moss | 17:12 UK time, Tuesday, 20 October 2009

Digging the gardenPlenty of reaction on the phones and e-mail to the expenses story on the at the weekend.

Here's a small sample of audience reactions:

"I object to these MPs getting money for cleaning. I'm disabled, I can't clean, I can't even walk. But I have to pay someone to come and clean my bungalow."

"I'm a pensioner and I don't see why these MPs should get all these expenses. They are scamming this county left right and centre."

"My local council stopped paying me for cleaning and I now have to pay, as a disabled person, for cleaning instead of care. And I object to these politicians claiming for cleaning."

"It's not an honour any more either to be a councillor or an MP. Personally I think the majority are scumbags."

And .

Whatever your views on the rights and wrongs of our MPs' claims, the reaction shows the real alienation between elected representatives and their constituents.

The expenses system is being altered to eliminate many of the problems that have been catalogued, but it'll clearly take a lot longer to repair the relationship between politicians and the public.

There are MPs though who have not fallen foul of Sir Thomas Legg.

To my knowledge, those with clean bills of health from Legg at the moment are: Sir Stuart Bell (Middlesbrough), Stephen Hepburn (Jarrow), Jim Cousins (Newcastle Central), Roberta Blackman Woods (City of Durham), Hilary Armstrong (Durham NW), Jamie Reed (Copeland), Eric Martlew (Carlisle), David Maclean (Penrith and the Border) and Robert Goodwill (Scarborough and Whitby).

There may be more, although as they view it as private correspondence.

My favourite expense-related press release of the day came from the .

He's offered to do Conservative MP Ann McIntosh's lawn for free .

I confess it amused me, although Ann McIntosh might well say that Mr Roberts could do worse than look for alternative career options given the lack of Labour voters in North Yorkshire!

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