MPs lose court appeal over expenses

The Supreme Court has ruled that three former Labour MPs should face criminal trials over their expenses claims. They are David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine and they have been claiming that their cases should be heard by Parliament, not the courts. They seem to think that they will get a more favourable hearing before their peers in Parliament rather than their peers in a jury. I would tend to doubt it. As they are no longer MPs, the current House of Commons, with its vast intake of new members, will want to keep them at arms length. Their best bet is to plead not guilty (as they claim they are) and put their case. It's been done before. The late great George Carman QC, in defending Ken Dodd, said, "some accountants are comedians, but comedians are never accountants".

Perhaps a similar sentiment could be put before the courts in their cases.

Posted in: David Chaytor,Elliot Morley,Jim Devine