The police investigation of MPs expenses - The get out

This Is London excitedly report that:

"Detectives examining complaints about MPs' expenses are to seek a meeting in the Commons with officials from the Parliamentary fees office.

Commons officials are to be asked by police for an explanation of the rules governing MPs' expenses. The move is part of an exercise to help Scotland Yard's fraud squad decide on whether to launch a full-scale inquiry. "

But before we start to think that maybe, just maybe, justice will prevail and some of the lying, cheating, fraudsters in the House of Commons might actually get their comeuppance, read this (my emphasis)

"Inquiries have been carried out by a team led by acting commander Nigel Mawer. Police say it is crucial to establish details of the arrangements between the fees office and MPs.

One senior Yard source said: "On the face of it there would appear to be cases of fraud but the difficulty we face is we have to prove a criminal intent and we have to understand the relationship between the fees office and MPs.""

They are all going to get off, aren't they. The Cabinet multi-flippers, the up to the maximum with no required receipts Ministers; all of them will get off on this technicality and then laugh their heads off at those members of the public who actually thought that the police would dare to charge a Labour cabinet minister. Maybe one Labour MP might be considered expendable and of course all Conservative MPs are fair game, but Labour ministers are the bosses and it seems that not only do they consider themselves above the law, the police consider them to be so too.