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D I @ 17:33, you have a good point regarding our parliamentarians. I wonder what the consequences will be for an MP who recently was found to have claimed £931.20 in expenses for phone calls, and has now (24th January 2019) paid them back?

This amount includes £97.22 for a phone bill which was claimed twice instead of once, and a bill of £367.98 which the said MP stated was submitted shortly after April 2016, but the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority is adamant was electronically claimed on their system on 16th September 2016 and the hard copy invoice was sent on 19th September 2016.

The IPSA also noted that it turns out his £6,000 claim for some of the costs of setting up a website was paid to his mate's wife, albeit he breached no rules in doing so. The said MP's response to this part of the investigation against him was:- "in terms of nepotism or favouritism or anything like that, people like me are acutely aware of that, but the reality is if you have the best person for the job, the fact that they are your friends wife is irrelevant..."

Name of said MP? Mr Johnny Mercer, member for Plymouth Moor View who recently criticised Martyn Day in Parliament (but refused to repeat his comments outside Parliament where he would not be able to rely upon Parliamentary privilege).