According to many commentators, Britain’s politicians still don’t get it. On one hand, they make the laws in Parliament where the rest of us have to obey. On the other they argue that many of these same laws do not apply to them.
Witness the spectacle of seeing four parliamentarians in court in relation to their expenses claims. All of them pleaded not guilty, and bailed to appear back at a later date. If found guilty of such offences they face up to a maximum of seven years in prison each.
The reputation of politicians has fallen to an all-time low, and will continue to fall. If one follows the expenses investigations to their obvious conclusion, then in theory every single person serving in both Houses of Parliament (including Prime Minister Gordon Brown) should be arrested and charged, but at present that isn’t going to happen. The point is that at last politicians will be subject to the same laws that they impose on the rest of us mere mortals…. and that should be a good thing.