THE NEWLY elected Speaker, John Bercow, tells us that most MPs “had not entered Parliament to feather their nests”.

It does not seem to occur to him that this is precisely the impression that many people have had and which has been confirmed by the Daily Telegraph’s recent revelations.

Quite apart from the duck houses, the moat-clearing, the loads of manure, the adult videos and countless digital cameras (how can an MP use more than one at a time?), what irritates many of us is the fact that the vast majority of MPs have claimed the maximum of £400 per month for food.

What on earth do they use their salaries for?

Us mortals have to pay for our food from what income is left after taxation – and we now know where that goes.

The other astounding factor in this sorry saga is the number of “mistakes, oversights and administrative errors” which have been made and which have suddenly come to light.

If our parliamentary representatives are as careless as this with their own affairs, how can they be trusted with ours?

GORDON CLACK, Witney Road, Ducklington