Stephen Fry: Public anger over MPs’ expenses is ‘revolting’
Openly gay broadcaster Stephen Fry has waded into the row over MPs’ extravagant expenses claims, saying public anger over the scandal was “revolting”.
Speaking to the Big Issue, he said: “Thereās nothing worse than the British in one of their fits of morality. It is a revolting sight because everyone just points a finger and blames others.ā
He added: āWhere do journalists get off trying to pretend that itās somehow worse to fiddle your expenses if itās the taxpayersā money than if itās Rupert Murdochās? Itās morally indefensible.
āBy all means tell the story ā itās a very important story to tell, and Iām not sympathetic to the MPs at all. I donāt think theyāre sorry, I only think theyāre sorry theyāve been found out.ā
Fry continued: āEveryone I know whom I deeply respect and like and think is honest would never become a politician, because theyāre not allowed to be normal human beings by the press, by us.
āOn one hand we want the world to be perfect but we donāt want to pay more tax. We want the environment sorted and to keep our cars. No one can square these circles.ā
He added: āWe think that whatās wrong with the country is not us, but the person next to us. We prefer to say itās the fault of some Scot who happens to be the Prime Minister ā thatās just not the way the world works, in my view.”
His comments came as openly gay Chief Whip Nick Brown was exposed by the Daily Telegraph for claiming Ā£18,880 for food expenses between 2004 and 2008 without submitting any expenses.
Brown, who is in charge of disciplining Labour MPs who break the rules on expenses and claims, also claimed Ā£200 a month for ārepairsā, Ā£200 a month for āservice and maintenanceā and Ā£250 a month for a cleaner without submitting any receipts.
The latest revelations are particularly embarrassing for the government because Brown has been given the task of disciplining Labour MPs for fraudulent and outlandish
In the last week, he has suspended MPs Elliot Morley and David Chaytor over allegations that they claimed for mortgages which had been paid off.
