"Parliament's Darkest Day" and "House of Ill Repute."
LONDON — Britain has seen its share of sex and sleaze scandals over the years, but few have tarnished all three of the country's main political parties in a single stroke.
Leaked lawmaker expenses for chandeliers, pornography, moat upkeep on country estates and other claims have enraged voters _ many of whom have lost jobs and homes during Britain's deepening recession.
Talk show lines buzzed Friday with irate callers. Web sites flashed reader comments comparing politicians to greedy bankers. And commuters clenched newspapers with such headlines as: "Parliament's Darkest Day" and "House of Ill Repute." Many politicians were being heckled during events that had been scheduled long before the leak.
"It's not just one or two rotten apples, it's the whole lot," said Randy Wallace, 41, an unemployed London electrician. "Our Parliament used to be the envy of the world. Now, it's a laughing stock." Thousands of pages of expense claims were leaked to the Daily Telegraph more than a week ago. Although around 80 of the 646 House of Commons lawmakers have been named so far, the newspaper says it will continue to roll out details as it plows through the rest of the documents. The Labour Party, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have all been damaged by the data.
Leaked lawmaker expenses for chandeliers, pornography, moat upkeep on country estates and other claims have enraged voters _ many of whom have lost jobs and homes during Britain's deepening recession.
Talk show lines buzzed Friday with irate callers. Web sites flashed reader comments comparing politicians to greedy bankers. And commuters clenched newspapers with such headlines as: "Parliament's Darkest Day" and "House of Ill Repute." Many politicians were being heckled during events that had been scheduled long before the leak.
"It's not just one or two rotten apples, it's the whole lot," said Randy Wallace, 41, an unemployed London electrician. "Our Parliament used to be the envy of the world. Now, it's a laughing stock." Thousands of pages of expense claims were leaked to the Daily Telegraph more than a week ago. Although around 80 of the 646 House of Commons lawmakers have been named so far, the newspaper says it will continue to roll out details as it plows through the rest of the documents. The Labour Party, Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have all been damaged by the data.
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