Iain Duncan Smith Has Official Credit Card Suspended

According to The Guardian, a freedom of information request has revealed that over the last year 19 MPs have had their official government credit card suspended – and amongst their number is Iain 'Satan' Duncan Smith. Duncan Smith, who has previously advocated for benefits claimants to have their benefits given to them on pre-paid top up cards because they can't be trusted to spend their money 'properly', ran up debts of over a grand on the card before having it suspended. 

From the Guardian: 

"The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (Ipsa) issues MPs with credit cards to pay for items such as travel and accommodation. The politicians then have to prove the spending was genuine by the end of the month, or they build up debts to the watchdog….Duncan Smith’s card was blocked when he owed £1,057.28. He does not currently have any debt."

Some have argues that Duncan Smith has merely been absent minded in settling his bills – he has, after all, paid all the money back. However, we'd like to see IDS trying to justify not showing up for a meeting at the Job Centre because of 'absent mindedness'. Perhaps he should be hit with similar punishment 'sanctions' as job seekers, and have his entire income cut off for a few months. He has, after all, claimed he could live quite easily on £35 a week. 

Admittedly Duncan Smith is not alone in this. 19 other MPs have also had their government issue credit cards suspended for not filling in their claim forms properly. Special mention has to go to Eric 'nutter' Joyce; the former Labour MP for Falkirk racked up a frankly insane £12,919.61 in debt before getting his card pulled. To be fair, Joyce is no stranger to the insane, having previously been charged with headbutting another MP in the House of Commons Bar, beating up two teenagers that he assumed were shoplifters, and (allegedly) having an affair with a 17 year old who was working for his campaign office. You go Eric.