THERE was a story on TV recently about a teenage soldier who was seriously injured in Basra. The Ministry of Defence offered him compensation of £57,000.
Compare this with the expenses claimed by our MPs in addition to their salaries. Darlington MP Alan Milburn claimed almost three times that amount last year (£160,888).
His train travel claim alone was £15,785, the highest of any MP in the country.
Added to their salaries and expenses, some MPs also have additional earnings from consultancy "work", positions gained through contacts made in the course of their Parliamentary duties.
Low turnouts at election time is often attributed to a public disillusionment with politics and politicians. Is it any wonder?
Alf Hutchinson, Darlington.
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