Perhaps His Constituents Should Send Him Gordon Brown’s Book On Courage…?

Southend MP David Amess knew just what to do when confronted by the local newspaper with questions about his expenses.

He ran away and cowered behind the skirts of a hairdressing salon owner:

MP David Amess ran from the Echo to avoid questions after his expenses showed he claimed the maximum of £400 for food every month for the past four years.

The Tory MP sought refuge in a hairdressers’ as he tried to duck the issue.

He eventually made his escape when a car arrived at the salon in Westcliff and drove him away, with Mr Amess hiding his face behind a leaflet.

Could he have avoided this embarrassing episode?

Why, yes:

Mr Amess has refused to answer or return phone calls about the expenses affair, so the Echo tracked him down while he was out canvassing in Westborough ward in Westcliff.

Good for the ‘Echo’! But what did the patrons make of the sudden appearance of this harried vermin going to ground in their salon?

They said Mr Amess had explained to them we wanted to talk to him about expenses and he admitted claiming for a second home.
One customer, who did not want to be named, but lives in Milton ward, said: “He should explain himself. Running like that makes it looks worse.

“All the MPs should be exposed for what they are. They get a salary and that should be enough. They should live off of that, like the rest of us do. It’s such a scandal.”

Heh…!

It seems he chose that salon not just because it was the nearest bolthole, but because he could count on a sympathetic ear from the owner, if not her customers:

Manager of the salon, Lisa Haggerty, said: “I know Mr Amess and he has helped me out in the past. He’s always very helpful and hard working.

“If the money is for taking people to lunch or tea for constituents when they visit his surgery, that’s fine. If you work for a big firm you get an expenses account and so should MPs.”

Err, that’s certainly true, Lisa, you do indeed get an expense account.

The difference being, if caught padding it or misclaiming, you’ll be sacked rather than elevated to the House of Lords.

And it isn’t taxpayer’s money, either, extorted from us by a government agency backed by the power of the State.

Apart from that, it’s exactly the same. Stick to highlights, love, and leave the political commentary to the grown ups.