Snouts in the trough

The Daily Telegraph has gained the biggest scoop of 2009 so far with their ongoing series of articles pillorying MPs' from all parties for their ludicrous expenses claims.

It is not usually my newspaper of choice but I must commend Britain's most popular 'quality' newspaper for bringing traditional expose journalism to the forefront.

It has also avoided making this a party political issue and slaughtered each of the main parties for their spurious claims for dog food, swimming pool maintenance and light bulbs.

Of course, some MPs have acted with disgust that the newspaper has broken the story now, rather than waiting until July when Parliament was due to publish the details.

Arguably the most notable critic has been House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin.

He has come under fire and now potentially faces a vote of no confidence for trying to block any publication of expenses and criticising MPs who have backed The Telegraph's revelations.

After all, how dare the pesky free press uncover details tantamount to fraud from our elected representatives before the coming elections on June 4!

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While many MPs are correct to say they have acted within the existing rules, they should have realised the problem was that these rules were generous at best.

And so, after their cross-party competition to see who could make themselves most unpopular, the humbled MPs are now falling over each other to apologise and make repayments.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown has requested all claims since the last election should be independently reviewed.

And Conservative leader David Cameron has even threatened to withdraw the whip from any Tory MP who refuses to pay back the money gained from "excessive" claims.

This would seem to leave the former agriculture minister Douglas Hogg in an awkward position as he says he has acted "within the letter and the spirit" of the law.

Despite this, he has admitted to claiming over £14,000 for a housekeeper in his country residence.

And he included with his expenses claims the cost of having the moat cleared, piano tuned and stable lights fixed according to The Telegraph.

In the Labour ranks, immigration minister Phil Woolas has threatened to sue the newspaper after it was suggested he was reimbursed for panty liners, tampons, nappies and a ladies' blouse.

And Labour peer Lord Foulkes, who was an MP until 2005, also took a swipe at the media when he appeared on BBC News.

During the interview, he demanded to know the salary of BBC presenter Carrie Gracie.

When she revealed that it was £92,000, he said she was being paid "nearly twice as much as an MP to talk nonsense" and undermine democracy.

I cannot agree with Lord Foulkes that The Telegraph's work (and media coverage of it) has undermined democracy as the MPs seem to have done a good enough job of ruining the institution of Parliament themselves.

But it was fascinating to hear the presenter reveal her salary.

As another journalism blogger, FleetStreetBlues has pointed out, BBC presenters and national newspaper writers tend to enjoy handsome pay packets.

But this is in sharp contrast to local newspaper reporters who struggle on an annual salary £14,000 for long and sometimes unsociable hours.

And the low pay of the regional hack makes a complete mockery of the parliamentary motion, signed by no fewer than 22 MPs, which urges journalists to disclose their income.