MP's - why do I bother defending them?

All my life I have been asked two questions by people when they find out I am interested in politics, and I suspect I am not the only one.

1. Do you want to become Prime Minister?
2. Why when all politicians are a bunch of no good s**ts?

The answer to the first is no (and I dont want to become an MP). The answer to the second is that there are a few bad apples but most politicians are decent people.

This story makes it all the harder to defend MP's. They just dont get it! Yes most MP's find it hard after leaving Parliament to get a new job so deserve a parachute payment. The thing that grates is they get to decide their own pay. And then they go against a recommendation of an independent board.

As our poster says (see last post on this subject) there are some things money cant buy...for everything else there are MP's expenses.

This area represents a real opportunity for David Cameron, if he has the courage to tackle the old guard on both sides head on in the Commons. With the economic situation meaning 'good news stories' will be hard to come by in the first few weeks of a new Conservative Government, measures to tackle the expenses issue will go down well with the public. I A manifesto committment could also win a few votes in key seats as well.