The Political Costs of the 2009 British MPs’ Expenses Scandal

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xiv

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2. The 2009 British MPs’ Expenses Scandal: Origins, Evolution and Consequences

   • Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson, Orlanda Ward

   Pages 1-26

3. Freedom of Information and the MPs’ Expenses Crisis

   • Ben Worthy

   Pages 27-42

4. Inside a Scandal

   • Tony Wright

   Pages 43-61

5. Should I Stay or Should I Go? The Impact of the Expenses Scandal on MPs’ Decisions to Stand Down

   • Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson

   Pages 62-87

6. The Impact of the Scandal on the 2010 General Election Results

   • Charles Pattie, Ron Johnston

   Pages 88-110

7. Where Did Electoral Accountability Fail? MP Misconduct, Constituent Perceptions and Vote Choice

   • Nick Vivyan, Markus Wagner, Jessica Tarlov

   Pages 111-131

8. Tempests and Teacups: Politicians’ Reputations in the Wake of the Expenses Scandal

   • Nicholas Allen, Sarah Birch

   Pages 132-152

9. Singing from the Same Broad Sheet? Examining Newspaper Coverage Bias during the 2009 MPs’ Expenses Scandal

   • Valentino Larcinese, Indraneel Sircar

   Pages 153-174

10. The New Regime: The Role of IPSA

    • Oonagh Gay

    Pages 175-195

11. Conclusions: A Very British Episode?

    • Justin Fisher, Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson

    Pages 196-203

12. Back Matter

    Pages 204-221

    PDF

This study examines the evolution and political consequences of the 2009 British MPs' expenses scandal. Despite claims of a revolution in British politics, we show how the expenses scandal had a limited, short-term impact.

• election
• Electoral
• politics
• revolution

'The definitive study of the expenses scandal, this excellent collection carefully documents its evolution, from its origins in FOI requests, through the painful process of reform, and sets out the prospects for another scandal. Drawing on a range of empirical data, it is written in a clear and accessible manner and challenges the conventional wisdom on the impact of the scandal on the public and politics, arguing that it was much more limited than most realise'.

Philip Cowley, Professor of Parliamentary Government, University of Nottingham, UK

• School of Public Policy, Department of Political Science, University College London, UK

  Jennifer vanHeerde-Hudson

Nicholas Allen, University of London, UK Sarah Birch, University of Glasgow, UK Justin Fisher, Brunel University, UK Oonagh Gay, House of Commons Library, UK Ron Johnston, University of Bristol, UK Valentino Larcinese, Department of Government, LSE, UK Charles Pattie, Sheffield University, UK Indraneel Sircar, University of London, UK Jessica Tarlov, London School of Economics, UK Nick Vivyan, University of Durham, UK Markus Wagner, University of Vienna, Italy Ben Worthy, University of London, UK Orlanda Ward, University College London, UK Anthony Wright, University of London, UK

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