Another cheating MP gets off Scott free

It's all too easy these days to make mistakes when calculating the bills for extremely complex electricity usage. Yes, this can entail such intricate operations as reading a five digit number from a digital screen; or for those mathematically minded taking readings from five dials on a mechanical meter.

Very heady stuff. More Einstein than the average eejit could handle. But surely not so hard for a millionaire Tory businessman who has a BSc in Chemical Engineering and co-founded  the international internet-based market research firm YouGov.

So, it's reasonable to expect MP Nadhim Zahawi to be able to properly manage his leccy bill. You'd say it should be piece of piss for someone of his educational attainment. But no. Somehow or other Mr Zahawi got into a muddle when he put in electric bill claims for parliamentary expenses. Apparently he overlooked the fact that he has a stables business attached to his home; and he has been unlawfully claiming parliamentary expenses for a business interest.

Now call me a penny pinching purse-padlocking tightwad, but if my bill fluctuates by more than say 10%-20% over a quarter I'm checking old bills and on the blower to my rapacious supplier asking why and threatening to pull the plug on them - figuratively speaking of course; since they're better placed to literally pull the plug on me!

Through the laughter Cameron says to Zahawi: "You thought £6000 was a normal leccy bill. Behave, it's me you're talking to; not some mug MP on the Enquiries Committee. Best plead ignorance; the MP's defence of choice". 

Yet,  MP Nadhim Zahawi, didn't think it strange that his electricity bills were coming in at nearly £6000; that though his home had a personal meter and the stables and stable manager's mobile home a separate meter; this unconcerned MP didn't think it a bit odd that he was only receiving one bill from his supplier.

Here we go again. A mega rich man who sits in parliament legislating for the rest of us hides behind the defence of ignorance while promising to pay back the money he fiddled. So, when are people who make mistakes with their benefits claims going to be afforded the same get out?

If ignorantia legis neminem excusat holds for one, it should hold for all. So Mr Zahawi stop being a coward using your parliamentary and wealth privilege as cover and resign. You're a wrong 'un, mate. How dare you remain in place as an MP making laws for the rest of us to follow when you have no regard for the very laws that you pass.