WHAT a depressing sign-of-our-times are the latest revelations about some of our elected Parliamentarians and their manipulation of the more-than-generous expenses-system they have.

Especially when members of the House of Lords are involved.

One automatically assumes when the epithet “Lord” or “Lady” is seen before a person’s name, then that person, the title refers to, should be beyond reproach in all they do.

Probably this is a rather rose-tinted-spectacles view of the peerage-system, and is totally out-of-step with the modern Lord and Lady scheme, which sees peerages handed-out for being good at spinning (lies for ministers to use, that is, and not cotton) or building a fortune from making cheap computers etc.

So when the names of three peers of the realm are printed in newspapers, along with articles explaining that these people have had their sleazy expenses claims checked out by the police who have forwarded them to the CPS, for possible prosecution, the feeling of, “What has this country come to?” is very powerful.

No doubt these plastic peers of the realm will defend their sleazy expenses by trotting-out the much-used, and ludicrous “I did nothing against the rules” mantra, but it is totally meaningless, and made even worse when it comes from a lord or lady.

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge.