Oligarchies often seal themselves off from public opinion. Only rarely do they rebel, actively and scornfully, against the people they are meant to serve. David Wilshire, the retiring Tory MP for Spelthorne who paid £105,500 of his allowances to a company owned by him and his girlfriend, reportedly claims that his pay per hour “comes dangerously close to working out as the minimum wage.” The Labour backbencher Alan Simpson says he will not repay £500 for cleaning bills. Others rumble that their written dealings with the fees office have the force of contract and that Sir Thomas cannot override them. Sir Christopher Kelly’s separate review of the rules governing expenses is not due to be published until November 4, yet the whispering campaign against it has already begun. Yesterday, The Daily Telegraph revealed that 27 MPs are under investigation by HM Revenue and Customs over possible breaches of tax law. Could it be worse?