I'm not trying to defend wrong doing or people being greedy, but I think all this is a matter of extent.I have no real idea about his relationship status and I suspect that few readers of this forum have either. They are not married therefore I am not sure what and what does not apply, especially as she has family in the north east and probably associated expenses. As I said before much of the discontent appears to be about his partners actions not Jims so why is this being acted out on this forum?

I don't actually support many of the things he has voted for including invading Iraq but I consider it more appropriate to express my discontent in other ways. I think the whole issue of expenses is a disgrace but picking on individual MPs who have played the system (some less excessively so than others) is not going to get us anywhere. I would like to know who of the rest of us would be saints if offered something in a job that appears legitimate and has followed custom and practice over many years.

The expenses thing has been done to death so I am curious why all this is being discussed now when the Telegraph published Jims information some time ago. Its all yesterdays news. Get a saint to stand in the next election and I'll vote for him/her in the next election but I suspect that you'll see pigs flying over se23 first.