Them & Us

Gravy for MPs...

MPs have awarded themselves even cheaper posh meals.

A three-course meal at the Commons' subsidised restaurant used to set members back Ł15. The average cost of serving each MP was Ł78.07.

Last year, the parliamentary expenses watchdog stopped MPs' dinner allowance for when debates run late - also Ł15. Clearly it considered the subsidy excessive.

In response, MPs on the Commons Administration Committee have lowered the price for three courses to Ł11.50.

Smoked halibut with slow-poached duck egg. Gressingham duck with sweet potato fondant and crisoy kale. Salt-baked celeriac with pea velouté. All for less than the price of a medium ham and pineapple from Domino's - if you're an MP, of course.

...peanuts for us

No such luck for workers.

According to the Office for National Statistics, basic foodstuffs may have actually risen in price last year.

A new method of measuring food price changes found the cost of 500g of dry spaghetti had leapt up by nearly a fifth. And forget grating any cheddar on top - one kilo added 15% in price.

The agency measured the average cost increase for goods monitored in the trial system as 8%. That's some way above official inflation figures, hovering around zero.

If MPs can vote on what their food costs, why shouldn't the rest of us?

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