Interesting Facts

According to analysis of the expenses claims of MPs in the UK, 25% of them have given jobs to relatives. (Figures from the IPSA (Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority) show that 155 MPs – nearly one in four – have wives, children and even parents on the public payroll. Their relatives (aka “connected parties”) enjoy salaries as high as £50,000 for office duties. This is the perfect opportunity for me to introduce a new bit of vocabulary:- nepotism noun the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs. ) !Note There is an online map where people can look at how much their MP is costing them, which is nice, but most people don't even know about it. http://www.parliamentary-standards.org.uk/InteractiveMap.aspx

The BBC spent a massive £14m on taxis in 2008. (That works out at more than £38,000 a day. BBC staff took more than 406,000 taxi rides. I wonder how many times round the world that would go?) Source - Daily Mirror

British MPs can claim up to £250 a month in expenses without producing receipts. (I'll try that with the tax man shall I?)