A bath plug, a patio barbecue set, a toothbrush holder, a mantelshelf for the Aga, a packet of lightbulbs, a pair of oven gloves, a TV subscription and four films, a wheelie-bin, a hosepipe and a cuddly toy. The last one is made up (as far as we know) but didn't they do well?

What an array of things that MPs can get for nothing. It must be like winning one of those competitions where you get to run around the supermarket piling stuff into a trolley. If anything, the devolved authorities are even better. Last year, a Conservative member of the Welsh Assembly claimed for an iPod and a trouser press. A Liberal Democrat Member in Scotland claimed 42p for a pint of milk. Just the one pint, all year.

The big claims are odd enough. To be sure, it does not seem right that the rules have not prevented an MP taking rental income while living in a paid-for house in Central London. Or that an MP can claim for a house he doesn't live in. But the sheer pettiness of some of the small things makes the case for reform even better.

It is probable that lots of people fiddle their expenses. It is possible that it may have happened in journalism at some point. But the difference is obvious: this is public service and this is public money. The Times poll today shows the scale of public concern.

The Prime Minister is constantly using the idea of a calling to heap praise on public servants. Well, that cuts both ways. When asked about the latest cases, he brushed them off with a list of important global questions that mattered more than a barbecue set and heater. True enough, but trust is draining down the plughole. Get a plug. Don't claim for it.