The Snouts Remain In The Trough!

So Gordon Brown survived a meeting of the Parliamentary Labour Party last night and was not asked to stand down as Prime Minister or to call a General Election. Surprise, surprise!

Let’s suppose I’m a member of that Gentleman’s Club called Parliament. But not one of those who have been making improvements to their principal homes at the taxpayers’ expense, claiming interest payments on non-existent mortgages or enriching myself by buying an expensive pad in London which I intend to sell off at vast profit without having to pay capital gains tax on it. Let’s suppose I’m not one of them.

But let’s suppose I’m an ordinary member of parliament who quietly makes full use of the parliamentary allowance system by taking the maximum possible. Maybe I’m paying my wife to be my secretary and, maybe, my sons occasionally work as my researchers at extraordinary rates of pay. I’m taking as much as possible out of the system but, of course, all strictly within the present rules. Hey! I don’t want to rock the boat by doing anything that might attract the attention of the Daily Telegraph, do I?

So now someone comes along and asks if I would like to sign a petition asking the awful Gordon to step down in favour of another man so that a new prime minister can be appointed and parliament dissolved a month or two after that. I’m all for it, I say. Let’s have a change of man, some new policies and, maybe, just maybe, the British public might get to like us a bit more and some of us might get re-elected next time round.

But wait a minute. If we get a new man who then dissolves parliament so that we have to have a general election shortly afterwards, I and all my mates are out of a job. Instantly. And I will lose all my lovely allowances.

To hell with that. I think I’ll keep quiet, keep my snout in the trough and hopes it all lasts for another lovely year!