Obscene expenses claimed

With local authorities' financial problems, hospital closures, and a reduction in staffing levels everywhere, I found it rather obscene, to read three Shropshire MPs claimed expenses totalling more than £750,000 last year.

Liberal Democrat Lembit Opik made the second highest claim of £128,539. This is on top of a current salary of £59,686.

The cost of pay and allowances for all 645 of them rose by £12.5 million last year to more that £131 million, with the average individual receiving more than £200,000.

With 60 members of the Welsh Assembly each receiving in excess of £100,000, and 73 Powys County Councillors costing the taxpayers in the region of £1 million in allowances, is it any wonder that services are having to be cut and redundancies made?

If we all had such handouts, council tax and other increases would not be a problem.

The fact is that we don't, and have to make do on far less. It is well to remember that the majority of these individuals are wealthy in their own right.

These representatives of the people are discussing proposals to introduce council tax "snoopers", who will have the power to enter homes to check for improvements, on which they will be taxed.

If opposition MPs and AMs were paid out of party funds, instead of the public purse, it is highly likely that these expense claims would soon come to an abrupt halt.

Sooner or later the lucrative gravy train will come to a halt.

B Jones, Powys