Sir - There appears to be no end to the revelations about the avarice and money grabbing of our elected representatives.

Principle has conveniently been erased from the minds of politicians when greed becomes paramount.

While politicians fiercely pursue proposals to increase their outrageous salaries and allowances, and protect their pensions, they encourage means testing to reduce Government expenditure.

People who, due to their prudence, have capital by saving long and hard, are denied welfare benefits that appear to be distributed in abundance to those who fail to help themselves.

A prime example is the new means-tested pension Credit, much heralded by Oxford East MP Andrew Smith, mistakenly, as the panacea for all pensioners.

The forthcoming Freedom of Information Act being introduced on January 1 will reveal the blatant trough syndrome.

The population will then be able to challenge the overvalued and overpaid elected representatives to justify their rocketing emoluments. JOHN BULLIVANT, Leiden Road, Headington, Oxford