Corrosion spreads in MPs' expenses row  I don't know which is
sillier - the House of Commons explaining to itself how it is
absolutely vital that their pay and allowances are increased
(apparently failing to give them the moolah would bring about
the swift end of representative democracy in this country) or
MPs clambering into sackcloth and flagellating themselves with
barbed-wire flails.  As they were yesterday. Gosh, they felt
guilty. "There is a strong feeling among the public that we are
on the make," said David Winnick. Tim Boswell talked about the
"corrosive effect this is having on public trust in the
integrity of all politicians". Tony Wright, the mild chairman of
the public administration committee, said it was "rather a large
understatement to say that we are in a bit of a mess".  He
thought it was impossible to overstate the danger and the
corrosive effect on all of politics. They loved that word
"corrosive". You'd think parliament was a rusting old banger
with holes in the floor and a crumpled bum