MPs bringing politics into disrepute

When Carter-Ruck and Trafigura attempted to curb the free reporting of Parliament, which most of us thought had been guaranteed by the Bill of Rights, I complained in House Points that while:

Nick Clegg, David Heath and Paul Burstow all spoke out in defence of the public’s right to unimpeded reporting of Parliament ... their expenses were far dearer to the hearts of most members. Second houses, furnishings, gardening... that was what moved them.

It seems that Labour MPs have now remembered the Bill of Rights. Yesterday's Sunday Times reported:

Three Labour MPs being investigated for expenses fraud are arguing that they should not be prosecuted because their suspect claims are covered by parliamentary privilege.

The MPs have hired legal experts to assert that the 1689 Bill of Rights protects them from prosecution.

The three MPs in question are Elliot Morley, David Chaytor and Jim Devine.

Why should any party worker bother to defend Parliament against widespread cynicism when this is how MPs behave? They show no interest in defending the rights of the public, yet seize upon the very same piece to legislation when their own deeply questionable financial dealings are brought into question.

More and more, the British political elite resembles the nomenklatura of the old Soviet Union.