As I have previously stated, the glut of stories in the media concerning the alleged expenses and allowances abuses of certain leading Tories should not blind us to the fact that all the Establishment parties are well and truly addicted to the Westminster and EU troughs! Which is why, of course, that our “representatives” in the Lib-Lab-Con-Ukip quartet are so reticent about putting their detailed expense claims into the public domain.

My stance, in that respect, has always been – if you’ve nothing to hide, then you have nothing to fear!

In addition, of particular interest to your news team at present, is London Mayor, Boris Johnson. If anyone can shed any light on the details of his claiming activities whilst a Westminster MP, then we would be delighted to hear from them. That is not to imply, of course, that Boris has broken any rules – it is merely that we are intrigued as to why someone representing a commutor town so close to London would need to claim over one hundred thousand pounds in Parliamentary Additional Claims Allowances (ACA)! We are sure there must be a perfectly reasonable explanation!

And, for your further information, yet another excellent report in The Times. It begins:

Quote: The row engulfing the Tory party over expenses deepened this weekend as it emerged that Sir Robert Atkins, the MEP and former minister, used his parliamentary expenses to fly to his son’s wedding in America.

Atkins, 62, who served in the Thatcher and Major governments, attended the ceremony at Montclair, New Jersey, in November 2006. He said that it “coincided” with an official invitation, making it possible for the taxpayer to pick up travel and hotel bills.

The disclosure that public funds helped to pay for Atkins’s trip will add to the pressure on David Cameron.

Caroline Spelman, the party chairman tasked with ensuring that MPs’ expenses are beyond reproach, was this weekend defending her decision to use expenses to pay her nanny for secretarial work. She is to refer the matter to the parliamentary standards commissioner. “I thought I was entirely within the rules – and that is still my belief,” she said.Unquote.

Tory MEP Sir Robert Atkins flew to wedding on expenses - Times Online