Well, Gordon Brown has kept his promise for openness and clarity on MPs expense. As he promised the MPs expenses are now online. But he has done it in a way that doesn't really match the promise of 'openness'.
Would the expenses have been put online if the expenses had not been leaked and published in the press already?
I think not. And my view is supported by the fact that there is this disclaimer on the website
The scans have been edited to remove information which could cause serious security issues and breach the privacy of the MP, their staff and other third parties.
This 'editing' would seem to stop people knowing some of the more important 'abuses' such as home flipping and second home expenses. Why? Because all addresses are blacked out and there seems to be no distinction of which properties the expenses refer to.
So Gordon Brown has kept his promise, but he has done it in such a way that the promised 'openess' has not occurred! Back to the newspapers to see what has really happened!
Brown could have arranged for the phrases 'home 1' or 'home 2' to replace the addresses in order to present the expense details properly, but he didn't!
Almost no MPs have actually done anything outside of the rules of the system introduced by this government. It is just that the system is so out of order when one considers what most of the population of the country has to cope with.
And don't forget that this whole system of MPs expenses is the responsibility of this government and this Prime Minister (because he is in charge!).
Keywords: brown, expense system, expenses, mp, new labour, parliament