SENTINEL WATCH December 21, 2009 Issue

PRAYER TO COUNTER CORRUPTION

TONY LOBL

IN BRITAIN THIS YEAR the phrase "Christmas has come early" has been associated with actions by members of Parliament (MPs). Their inflated, and in some cases potentially illegal, expense claims have dented their public reputation.

The annual expense to UK tax payers of MPs' disputed claims has run to millions of pounds. Distributed among 646 MPs, the individual sums involved pale in comparison to the kind of tragic corruption associated with officials in certain African, Caucasian, and Middle Eastern countries, pinpointed in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index. But coming on the heels of public disquiet at the banking crisis and ensuing recession, it has contributed significantly to cynicism about institutional leadership.

The picture is not all bleak. The Daily Telegraph, which broke the story of the expenses scandal, was able to compile a list of 50 "saints"—MPs whose record included no questionable claims.