Colleagues who were elected in 1997 tell me that when MPs used to claim expenses for the second home it was common practice to simply take the annual figure of, say, £20,000, divide it by 12 and then claim that much each month. No need to itemise or account for anything, let alone provide receipts.
And in those not so distant times MPs didn't have to bother about declaring donations to the Electoral Commission under the Political Parties Elections and Referendums Act. For the very simple reason that neither the Commission nor the PPERA existed yet.
Complying - or rows about not complying - with Freedom of Information Act requests? Releasing minutes of Cabinet meetings? An Information Commissioner and Information Tribunal ordering the Government to do so? Nope, none of that either.
Just thought I'd mention it... Any chance of any recognition that we've been trying to do the right thing? Nope, thought not.
