COULD someone please explain why Gordon Brown is pussyfooting around with reports and committees supposedly investigating the expenses of members of Parliament, which will possibly take some months?

And will inevitably result in no action being taken. And doesn’t appear to be looking into the affairs and procedures of the fees office itself.

Where I envisage there could be more wrongdoings going on with possible bribes and incentives to individuals to approve and pay out expenses.

Surely, isn’t it time that the action that is required is required now – not tomorrow! And that action must be to engage investigations by the fraud squad immediately.

Rod Brittle (life-long Labour supporter), Woodlands Avenue, Wigginton, York.



• IF ONLY Members of Parliament had to hold down a proper job before being elected, this whole embarrassing episode over exorbitant expense claims could have been avoided.

As little as a fortnight at “the coalface” in any boardroom in the land would have give them a small insight into what is a reasonable, or failing that, the correct descriptive procedure.

For example – “one ton of manure” – obvious bull. However, “purchasing cost incurred procuring a sample of natural fertiliser to ascertain its efficacy within an urban garden environment (including special reference to odour transference and adjacent properties) with a view to a future Early Day motion” – self-explanatory and perfectly acceptable under any level of close scrutiny.

I really don’t know what they are teaching them at Eton these days.

Richard Bowen, Farrar Sreet, York.