Tough At The Top

MPs like to project the image of self-sacrifice for the good of the nation but the recent resignation from parliament of the Conservative MP Mark Simmonds is hardly a good example of such sacrifice. He had a housing allowance of £27,875 on top of his £89,435 salary and yet revealed that the financial drain of being an MP was too hard to bear.  'The sacrifice to my family has become intolerable' (Sunday Times, 17 August) Such hardships were too much for Mr Simmonds to bear even though he had claimed £170,000 in expenses last year. Ah, the unimaginable rigours of being an MP! RD