It began with a small news story which the DUP hoped would discredit the Shinners.
Look at the vast sums of money that Sinn Fein members in the House of Commons are claiming as reimbursement for their allowances, the unionists barked. Everyone knows that Irish republicans boycott the House as a matter of political symbolism. Back in 1919, after the Shinners swept the elections, they refused to go to London, and the habit did not end with a peace treaty and partition of the island.
The story didn't go far. The family that received British government money to cover the cost of renting space to Sinn Fein for lodging that was rarely used was a staunch Sinn Fein family. If the amount of rent that they charged seemed exorbitant, everyone supposed that much of the excess was funneled back to Sinn Fein to support the struggle.
The next shoe dropped. DUP darlings David Robinson and his lovely wife Iris were harshly criticized for the outrageous bills they submitted for reimbursement. Their food bills reflected lavish spending, and all at taxpayer expense.
Michael Martin, Speaker of the House of Commons, was blasted as one expense report after another became public and the public became outraged. Not a single notch of belt-tightening was seen among the M.P.s, while the British people were cutting back at home in the face of a financial crisis.
Mr. Martin resisted calls to step down over his mismanagement of the debacle, but he cannot beat back the tide any longer. He's heading out the door, shouldering the blame for runaway expenses. Due to his failure to act, to protect the public's trust in Parliament's expense account system, his will be the face of the pampered and selfish politician, gorging at the public trough.
Gordon Brown has urged his fellow Labourites to hit the streets and meet the angry voters, to soothe irate feelings before the next election.
Whether or not damage has been done to Labour remains to be seen. A great deal depends on the length of the voting public's memory.
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