Fiddling MP F.Conway should be made to repay the whole amount of £45,000 he gave to his son. It's taxpayers' money and should be given back. It's just another example of how 'honourable members' steal our money. They should be more accountable, as everybody else is. We have to present receipts for everything - so should MPs. I hope Conway is deselected - he's been on the make for years.

B. Jackson, Harrow, UK

MPs should be banned from employing any members of their family - full stop!

OK it might upset one or two genuine cases but it would stop all those who are rorting the system.

Don't forget it is taxpayers' money that is being fraudulently used here!

Peter Morris, High Wycombe, Bucks

after 10 years out of government the tories are still not eligible to be of a standard to rule. typical greedy tory - milk it for all you can ! the only good think is that he hasn't been a minister - imagine if he was - his son would be a 'special advisor' telling civil servants what to do while he's still learning how to get drunk at university ( and it's not even a first rate university )

Peter, London,

It annoys me when people dig up cases like this. Most people I know who work in Westminster, including spouses/children etc. work very hard, and could earn a lot more in the private sector.

Tim, London,

People are saying "why shouldn't he hire his wife or his son?" - This is not the point. The point is his son is contributing absolutely nothing and effectively stealing £1000 a month of tax payer's money. Even as a strong Conservative supporter I can't defend this. Disgusting behaviour.

Nick Defty, London,

This practice is commonplace in Mediterranean countries, where government ministers regularly employ their children, spouses, household pets etc. as advisors. It is also near-impossible for a trained economist or political scientist to get such an appointment. There are two possible solutions. One, that the electorate responds (in a future election) to the lack of integrity and professionalism of the politician; two, that the government of the day outlaws such abuse of public money. I don't imagine for one second that Blair would disapprove of this, though...

Martin Baldwin-Edwards, Athens, Greece

Anyone who works in Westminster knows that this happens.

I could name at least another 10 MPs doing a similar thing. AT LEAST

Sarah, London,

The labour party are content on pouring away public money, I'm just impressed that this honest Senior MP is being just that about it. He certainly is more deserving of the money than the labour upstarts, in fact I think the Tories should be compensated for putting up with this government for the last decade!

Sarah, London, UK

How sordid.

No wonder they voted to hide from the Freedom of Information legislation.

Paul Middleton, Yorkshire,

And why shouldn't he hire his son and wife? Why not? It should be a question should be whether they are doing the work or not- if they are doing the job, and it's a job that needs doing, then what's the problem? Of what relevance are these intimate personal details of his son- it's the journalists I'm scared of, not the politicians.

Michael Davis, Douai, France

I believe MPs need to employ pasionate and trustworthy staff and so why not employ a family member?

If they choose to spend their staff allowance on a family members who is incapable/not doing the work then it is the MP who will suffer.

We sould trust that a majority of MP's will employ a person who will help them with their stressful job.

Fiona, Keele, Staffordshire

In business those found guilty of theft (for that is what it is) by false expense claims are summarily terminated, or "sacked". There is NEVER a reasonable excuse for theft of this nature. If David Cameron wants to distance himself from the "nod and wink" culture of previous Conservative heirarchies he must nip this in the bud now. Unless... how are his expenses?

John Hasson, Hove,

What about the scandal of MPs buying second homes with public money just so they can cash in on Londons booming property market?

m j, doncaster,

In the "real" world if one claims unreceipted expenses at work the Revenue & Customs count it as a benefit in kind which you have to pay tax on. Further under Section 660 if one employs a spouse to do a non job again there are penalties. These crippling rules are of course courtesy of Gordon Brown.

I no doubt should be surprised that the rules on small businesses are so onerous since we actually generate employment and revenue for this country but sadly I'm not. Pigs snouts deep in troughs spring to mind. I rather think Guy Fawkes had the right idea.

Stephanie, London, England

Stop moaning about it and write to your MP requesting that the practise is made illegal. No nepotism, everyone should be screened. This is our money.......demand that something is done.

Judy , Liverpool, england

There's nothing like keeping it in the family. How predictable.

Paul, Blackpool, England

I run a small business, three years ago the Inland Revenue queried the amount I paid my daughter who helped in the office whilst I was out of the country.
I had to produce "evidence" that she had answered the telephone and dealt with correspondence. I paid my daughter £5/hour for 20 hours a week.

I wonder how many MPs have to justify these payments to the Inland Revenue and how often they undergo Inland Revenue investigations

Christopher, Esbjerg, Denmark

Didn't Paul Wolfowitz recently lose his job for a similar reason?

Probably after much pontificating by British "MP's".

Why do we need politicians? The country is run by civil servants anyway! (Jobs for the boys maybe?).

Andrew Munn, Bangkok, Thailand

I now live in a Mediterranean country and most politicians in the region are held to be corrupt to a greater or lesser degree. One cannot always blame them as most of them and their counrtymen had little enough to start with. We used to be able to point to the UK as being sufficiently "evolved" to be past all that, but obviously not so.
The real failure lies in the collective inertia of ALL political parties and their leaders, to do anything about it. Perhaps the UK has finally got the government that it deserves?

david reeves, Kyrenia ,

It is said that people get the politicians they deserve. Do we really deserve this greedy, selfish, self-centred and cosseted bunch of 'numpties' that we presently have in the House of Commons? Apart from their £61,000 basic salary, when you add up the various allowances plus £10,000 for postage and £10,000 for 'communication purposes' it comes to a nice tidy sum of £206,715 per MP, making a total of approximately £135 million a year for the 654 MPs and that is without pensions. And, that sum is without the free first-class travel by rail and air throughout UK, plus subsidized food and booze in the House of Commons and unlimited travel expenses, which recently were estimated at between £70,000 and £137,000 and you can see that MPs are living off the backs of the people. It is time that the rules were changed to clearly state that MPs are not allowed to hire spouses, family and any other relatives to provide paid secretarial, administrative or any form of assistant support.

Kenneth Armitage, Suffolk, England

Might I suggest that we all write to our local MPs and request details of who they are employing on their expenses - then we might be able to consider whether we feel confident to continue supporting them - or face up the sorry state of affairs that suggest nothing more than personal profiteering at public expense.

Maria Mills, Wallington, UK

The Tories are extremely unlikely to get into power again while they have 'senior' MP's doing this sort of thing. Give them an inch... Cameron, time for some serious discipline and lots of publicity. Are you strong enough for that or will those with snouts in the trough rebel?

colin, Shrewsbury, UK

If you can claim £30,000 a year for your wife, £12000 a year for your son and dubious travel and motgage payments and do it in the framework provided then you would be a fool not to. It is the framework that is corrupt.
This is taxpayers money and it is being abused by the government - not just one party but all of them.
We are allowing too much in the way of 'perks'. We should have an independent-of-government office responsible for checking all employees taken on by MPs , all mileage claims, and all other expenses. We should ban the employment of family members of any MP using taxpayers money. We should either ban the purchases of 'second homes' with mortgages paid for by the taxpayer, or when a funded house is sold ALL capital gains should return to the taxman.
This is our money and we have a right to know who is lining their pockets with it and we have the right to demand every cent is accounted for on any claim.
They should lose their jobs if they have been making false claims

David Thijm, Stourbridge, UK

to add to the comments nobody cares any more-RUBBISH
WE DO CARE THATS WHY WE COMMENT. politicians are
not above the law as we all know and if they don't understand the rules get them out corrupt government is
no-good for the country so keep commenting and maybe
we will get the fair and honest government we all deserve
lets put the GREAT BACK IN BRITIAN.

george william taylor, HULL, UK

Just another example of a spoilt brat basking in the sun in the luxurious lawns of his home while the people who are paying for it, like you and I, are actually letting it happen.

Trent, Clapham South,

I think that the people of UK should read and support "The Declaration of Scotstoun".www.youscotland.com/ We have a hard neck telling others that they should be democratic, it makes me embarrassed to be a Socialist.

Dave Madley, Alicante, Spain

I work for a member of Parliament and I have to say the abuse of the staff wages system is a disgrace. Members of Parliament are already paid an exceptionally good wage at the public expense, but the household income can receive up to an extra £40,000 p/a if Derek Conway's situation is anything to go by. This is an abuse of the system!

How many professional working men and women employ their spouses? I can't think of a single example; most couples want to have a separate life outside of the marital home. However, most elected members are at it, with spouses often carrying out negligable duties. Even if they don't, it looks far too fishy to be acceptable.

The only option is to ban all Members of Parliament from employing immediate family members on a paid wage. It is an abuse of power and privilege not to.

Parliamentary Staff, UK,

I would think paying relatives for assistance is extremely common with MPs, but expeses without any receipts would not be sanctioned by any other company or organisation.

Patsy Gill, Goole, E Yorkshire

Unfortunately yet more examples of them having their nose so far in the trough, only difference now is that it has reached the point where no one is suprised (or cares) and the politicians have ceased to be even embarassed about these things. Conrad Black must feel aggrieved .......

Tony, Nantwich, England

so a tory mp is paying his wife and son ashis assistants what is new,our so called guardians of the law are nothing but a bunch of freeloaders,they set themselves above everyone and dare you to question them,it is almost as if they thnk rules and regulations are for the proles not them.mr conway will brazen this out,the press will go away in a couple of days and life wil go on for our fat cat mp

william rogers, cardiff, wales

This matter is disgraceful and downright dishonest. 'Phil, London' says: 'Wake up MPs'. I say - wake of voters.

David , London, Great Britain

I am a lowly paid civil servant and i am repeatedly told that i am unable to put in an expense claim for a mere £4.50 without a receipt and here, i read that MPs can put in claims for up to £650 A MONTH without receipts/expanations! I am lost for words.

Annie, Cambridge, UK

Not to mention the world's best pension plan!

Neil , Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Daylight robbery ! More expenses can be claimed per MP than minimum wage earners get in a year ! And Politicians wonder why there is a climate of mistrust ? Voting in favour of exemption from FOI act is tantamount to a potential criminal being allowed to prevent the Police seeing his criminal record. Who do they take us for ? Wake up MPs ...

Phil, London,

And you wonder why the British Public have no faith in politicians anymore, they are just in the game to feather their nests at our expense.

The House of Lords should not therefore allow the Freedom of Information act to be perverted and excluded for our dear MP's since it's plainly obvious to all that this sort of blatant theft of taxpayers hard earned money needs to be stopped in its tracks.

MikeL, Manchester, UK