Trying to make sense of the expenses scandal

I'm afraid that among those listed in this week's papers was Bexhill's Tory MP Greg Barker. He has, it turns out, made an enormous amount of money from selling a flat originally paid for by the taxpayer. At a time when we are all feeling the squeeze of the financial crisis, this revelation is extremely galling.

Certainly this does not quite compare to a Conservative MP's claim to have his moat fixed, or a claim for a chandelier in the headline-grabbing stakes. But as a multi-millionaire and one of the richest MPs in the country, I am surprised that Barker sees it as acceptable to use for his own profit money which was originally intended to cover an expense incurred '“ second homes are not intended as 'perks'.

The Prime Minister has done the right thing by calling for an independent commission to examine MPs' expenses claims. The onus is on MPs now to comply fully with the findings and recommendations of the enquiry (something the Tories are so far alone in not committing to). Otherwise, voters will seem even less connected to their elected representatives, and extremist fringe parties will benefit from the recent expenses scandals.