The ongoing revelations of some of our MPs' expense claims continue to shed light on the darker side of politics; self interest, greed, a lack of principle and downright fraud.

"I think I got into politics too late, all the perks are going!" said one prospective MP, who shall remain nameless.

To make a joke of that kind in the current climate is poor.

It shows complete contempt for the system, and is further evidence that some of our politicians, even prospective ones, are completely out of touch with the mood of their constituents.

Ordinarily, most people are willing to believe our leaders and our representatives and accept their explanations.

This might be, for example, that invading other peoples' countries is in our own best interest.

It might be that we must bear the tax burden of billions of pounds of debt to bail out the greedy banks.

It might be that the current economic climate could not have been predicted.

Or it might be that the price of fuel is solely down to market forces.

We are willing to believe this.

But in expecting us to believe that the cost of a floating duck house for a pond in the back garden is a legitimate MP expense, or that the cost of watching two adult movies during a hotel stay can be reclaimed from the taxpayer, is, to put it politely, extracting the Michael!

One expense claim that I personally found hilarious was by Douglas Hogg to have the moat around his residence cleaned.

He has a moat?

My home is inadvertently protected by complete strangers parking their cars on the pavement outside my house.

I have difficulty getting out, let alone anyone coming in.

But I suppose Douglas Hogg needs the moat to protect him from irate peasants, sorry, constituents!

All he has to do is raise the drawbridge. (Of course I'm assuming he has one).

I think he may have more problems from the flying, fire-breathing dragons. Steady on; haven't we hunted those to extinction?

Seriously though, some of our MPs live in a completely different world.

The moat conjures up images of Camelot; a utopia of justice and good governance, where all are equal under the law.

Sadly though, moat or no moat, The Mother of all Parliaments has become a quagmire of deceit and self interest.

Camelot has devolved into Scam-a-lot. King Arthur must be spinning in his grave.

There is now a line of shamed MPs offering to pay back some of those ridiculous expense claims.

Maybe, if burglars were allowed to pay back what they stole, we wouldn't have to imprison them.

Perhaps they deserve a second chance, too?

It would certainly solve the problem of prison overcrowding.

I wonder if that policy makes it into any political party's manifesto.

In the meantime, even though we the electorate are dangerously disillusioned, we must remember the many countless brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives defending this country from the grips of fascism.

They gave their lives so we, today, could have the right to vote.

Let us honour their memory.

In the local and European elections on June 4th, let us all use our right to vote. Vote for anyone.

But let us work together to keep the fascists out.