Crime and Punishment: Britain's parliamentarians to escape justice

If transgressions are committed by governments, say in the case of the Iraq war where fictitious information was used to justify killing perceived enemies of the state, why will members of the British parliament will be pardoned over their expenses?

The furore in Britain's parliament over the expenses debacle has added fuel to the fire now raging as the country faces its worst economic crisis of modern times, with the Exchequer laid bare for a decade or so to come.

Michael Martin, who was perceived to be the overseer for a legion of so-called fraudsters has been forced to resign as the House of Commons' speaker in a row over MPs expenses and is the first speaker to be forced out since 1695.

Anger is brimming over at the moment as MPs have been caught with their hands in the till and, from now on, will be banned from "flipping" their designated second homes in order to milk the Commons allowances system.

David Cameron, the Conservative leader, has stopped the Additional Cost Allowance being used for furniture, household items and food -- the sort of "extras" that has so incensed the public since details were published by the Daily Telegraph.

It is being suggested that the expenses claims are technically not illegal, although among all sorts of dubious expenses parliamentarians have claimed include swimming pools, chandeliers, horse manure and moat cleaning. But is it?

In a statement the Crown Prosecution Service and the Metropolitan Police said: "Due to the increase in subsequent allegations received by the Metropolitan Police, the Commissioner and Director of Public Prosecutions have jointly decided to convene a panel to assess allegations in order to decide whether criminal investigations should be started. A panel, comprising officers and a senior CPS lawyer, will commence a series of meetings next week." Read, whitewash. No minister will ever see the inside of a courtroom as far as this scandal is concerned.

Although PM Gordon Brown has outlined plans to dismantle what he described as the "gentlemen's club" of parliament by handing power for the oversight of every aspect of MPs' pay, expenses and pensions to a new statutory independent regulator, he is said to be "angered and appalled" by the scandal when he was right up there "flipping" with the best of them. He even put his apartment in his wife's name so that he could claim on his Fife home, whilst living in a grace and favour home in Downing Street. He also paid his brother £6,577 for "cleaning services".

This one does indeed go right to the top as Chancellor Alistair Darling is one of six MPs who is said to be facing a police probe over their expenses. Another leading minister who could be the subject of a Scotland Yard investigation is Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon, who is alleged to have built up a property portfolio worth £1.7 million with the help of the expenses system while living free in a ministerial flat. Minister for London Tony McNulty claimed £60,000 for a house that his parents live in.