On Today this morning there's been a flood of expenses backlash, with the likes of Anne Widdecombe pleading for those who need their boilers fixed. We need somewhere to live, they bleat. How could we possibly live in the constituency and in London without buying a house? Then surely we need money to get our garden path fixed and to buy a 12 inch black and white telly?
Rent, people.
It's obvious that you need somewhere to live in the constituency and somewhere in London, and taxpayers must (reluctantly, perhaps) help that happen. Do what you like in your constituency with your own money, then rent a furnished flat in London. Charging for a mortgage and you benefit from it. Rent somewhere and your constituents have an MP equipped to do his or her job with no additional profiteering. Why is this so complicated?
I'd prefer return on the investment by the state paying mortgages for properties on which they would retain the title. Then they could presumably keep them for other MPs or sell them on if they weren't wanted to purchase other housing.
I think we should build them a tower block, somewhere that's an easy half an hour commute from whitehall and allocate one bedsit each for those who don't have constituencies in London.
We could even put a moat around it, if it would make them feel more at home.