MPs against IPSA

Let's look at how some of our MPs refer to those working for IPSA:

“monkeys”, “f*****g idiots” and “nutty”

And here's how they describe the new expenses system:

“This system is a f*****g abortion.”

And here's how MPs behave towards IPSA and its employees:

A male MP who reduced a volunteer to tears 10 minutes into the induction later returned with a note and a box of chocolates by way of apology, while a female MP used the word “f**k” and said: “I am going to murder someone today.” Some MPs reacted angrily to the release of the information, accusing the standards authority of acting like secret police, and threatening to try to have it closed down.

Now, the system may be shit, but bureaucracies often are. Furthermore, this system was only put in place because some MPs not just too the piss, but took everything that wasn't nailed down. IPSA may be flawed, but the fact that it exists is down to the flawed, and downright criminal, behaviour of MPs.

But the shit nature of the system is not the fault of those people working for it, and it is no excuse for appalling behaviour toward those people. It wouldn't be tolerated if a private citizen was absolutely vile to the employees of the government, and I really don't see why it should be tolerated from MPs.

Still, there is an upside to all this; MPs being truly inconvenienced and shafted by a government department should give them a sound understanding of what it is like whenever an ordinary person in this country has to deal with a government department. You never know, it might create some empathy between representative and represented.