Human nature has inspired a whole host of wonderfully complex and intriguing debates; nature/nurture, original sin, predisposed personalities. So surely the next debate will be, if nobody’s watching, does everybody take what they can?

After cash for questions, honours, peerages and porn, we now have cash for nothing. For succumbing to temptation, the politicians of Westminster are being ordered, bit by bit, to return the little treasure trove they acquired; starting with the Wisteria.

Seeing how the other half live whilst unemployment soars to new levels and the country slips further into recession, debt and general despair, has given us all an interesting week or two.

While the Tory’s claims for moats and manure reaffirmed particular stereotypes, there were some surprising and disappointing revelations. Namely, Menzies Campbell’s interior designer, Julia Goldsworthy’s chair and Lembit Opik’s claim for a court summons for non-payment of council tax!

Thanks to the general range and extent of the claims the story is like a four course, five star feast for the press. MPs say politics is at an all time low and democracy has been undermined by the revelations. Which begs the obvious question, if it’s so bad why did you do it?

The information was obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. Campaigning journalist Heather Brooke and two other reporters were nearly bankrupt by the legal battle waged by the government since they made the request in 2004.

In trying to cover their own backs, the Government fought the reporters in the High Court, tried to introduce laws to exempt themselves from FOI requests and even promised then delayed information no less than four times.

Now the calls are for Cameron and Brown to “come together to salvage the reputation of Parliament”, which will be interesting to see considering their inability to come together and save the country in the wake of the banking crisis.

Just as with the banks, when people think nobody can see they line their own pockets. It’s little wonder now that Fred Goodwin got off so lightly.

So who do we blame: The system? The people? Is it human nature, and therefore excusable, to so ruthlessly promote our own interests, or is it simply a personality “trait” of powerful people?

In a Panorama branded showcase of his multi-lingual abilities, Michael Portillo explored violence in human nature. Discounting the violence, irony of his career and the hilarious experiment whereby they tested how willing people are to hurt each other, it raised some interesting points.

One psychologist explained: “We learn from socialisation, from the interaction with our parents, teachers, peers. The more interactions like that we have the more our behaviour increases in frequency and intensity”

The so called expenses culture, like the banks before it, was set up to fail and the fact the claims were made confirms the system was rotten. But the nature of the claims shows how MPs never change, always lie and will do anything to get out of a tight spot.  

The medieval justice employed in the wake has been satisfying, but no one should believe it’ll be the last time MPs are caught with their hands in the till.