BBC News: MPs’ expenses in detail, Speaker quits ‘for sake of unity’ and A guide to what the expenses furore is all about 

British Members of Parliament have abused an all to willing expenses system to enhance their wages. In recent weeks more and more of the abuses have come to light and all big parties tried to come clean … somehow.

Now the more or less honourable Speaker of the House was forced to resign, because he was head of the expenses system and (ab-)used it as well. He was hardly the most serious offender …

Once again it shows that politicians can’t "oversee" themselves. Even reasonable checks and balances don’t work if it’s done by people within or to close to the "system" they should control.

Citizens and the Press are required to stick their noses into the affairs of the so called elites. There is no system that can make it all perfect, sooner or later loopholes are found or installed.

People in power have to be watched. Not because they are all bad, but because power and money are always too tempting for some. But most important: it’s the job of the voters to watch those they voted into power.

Democracy is not a nice automatic process – it’s constant work for all. Only an active electorate guarantees "clean politics".

In Britain there will be a big ruckus, some changes, some ghastly figures will disappear (and reappear in other positions).