Cause and Effect

So David Laws, having been suspended from Parliament for 7 days could be facing a police investigation - to which one has to say why not? James Kirkup posted his views on the matter of Laws' possible return to front-line politics yesterday and Richard North, EUReferendum, has added his own coruscating view. Cameron and Clegg are reported to be calling for Laws to remain 'in public life'. We also learn that MPs wish to reform the just reformed expenses system as they are unhappy with what they call draconian measures and complain about having to account for every penny. Adam Afriyie complains that some MPs were facing possible investigation for some "very minor, almost irrelevant issues.* Of course, in the private sector had any director, or someone of similar status, carried out a fraud as serious as this they would no doubt by now be residing in free accommodation provided by Her Majesty - oh, hang on - just remembered Fred Goodwin who got 'Sirred' for his lack of fiscal probity.

We learn of the rise in youth unemployment and that there is alarm over falling standards of A-levels and GCSEs. It surely does not require a degree in logic to realise that a link exists? Oh hang on, since when did our politicians have degrees in logic?

An article - apparently not on-line - by Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent, in today's Daily Telegraph reports that the Treasury bill for the Libyan operation has reached almost £130million and that if the campaign runs for a year the cost will escalate to £1bn. Harding goes on to report that today marks the 55th day of the operation and that the 170 missiles and bombs that have been dropped on tanks and command centres have cost £48million; that a Typhoon costs £6,000 an hour to run and that tankers and other aircraft needed in the operation have cost a further £13million. The cost of stationing a frigate, minesweeper and submarine off the coast of Libya has cost £14million. Much has been written both in the MSM and blogs about cuts to public services affecting the elderly and vulnerable in our society and the question has to be asked why are we expending so much money purely on the whim of our elected dictators? I can but repeat, should we not be spending this money on our own people, thus raising their living standards, rather than attempting to raise the living standards of a foreign people?

*As an aside we are also informed in the Daily Telegraph that wasteful aid budgets are being told their budgets could be cut (no link) - one has to wonder whether, included in the wasteful aid budgets, is the MPs expenses system.