Redacted? My aâ–ˆse!

By Julian Ware-Lane

I am mightily sick of this expenses story. I am beyond being interested in who claimed what and am not looking to put one over any political opponent. It pains me to see politics dragged so low and elections made to look like those stalls at a school fete where prizes are awarded if you can hit the teacher.

Instead of making choices over policy decisions the electorate have been engaged in a grotesque version of “I’m a grasping politician, get me out of here”, where eating worms has been with replaced detailed examination of claims for paperclips, petty cash and food bills. Trial by gas bill (if only you could be sure it is a gas bill, so many black blobs have obscured even the most mundane of facts) means that the last one standing gets to be elected, regardless of where they are on the serious issues of the day.

Just as it all seemed to be calming down we have the publishing by Parliament of the redacted receipts. Redacted it ain’t, since redacted means “to put into suitable literary form; revise; edit, to draw up or frame (a statement, proclamation, etc)”. I understand that the huge volume of information coupled with the impatience of the general public has meant a rushed job, but this has only poured oil on the flames; the story has been given fresh legs. This has not helped Parliament clean up its act or shone a light; this is telling the truth in much the same way as a Soviet show trial.

What we have been given is unsuitable, not literary, and far from a statement or proclamation. Three quarter of a million pages of terminological inexactitudes.

Something like half a million has been repaid, which sounds a lot until you consider that it has cost at least one and a half million to process the three-quarter of a million pages of receipts. I am more outraged by this waste of money. How I wish the Duke of Wellington ran the Fees Office.

I am mightily sick of this expenses story, yet am seduced by it – hence this post. I am deeply uncomfortable with mob rule, yet see at every turn our MPs compounding their errors – errors of judgement begetting more errors of judgement.

Before we see the guillotines dusted off (and sales of knitting patterns receive a boost) I am minded of the saying “he who is without sin cast the first stone”. I now want to see Benedict Brogan’s expenses claims and salary details.