LONDON - Revenge may be a dish best served cold, but British voters are hungry now -- and they want politicians to pay for expense excess.
Radio phone-ins were jammed Friday with voters debating the merits of an immediate national election, following a poll which showed that 54 per cent of Britons want to go to the ballot box as soon as possible -- despite the fact that Prime Minister Gordon Brown says now is not the time.
For the past 15 days, voters have been greeted by front-page splashes detailing lawmakers expense excesses. They have charged taxpayers for items ranging from moat cleaning to floating duck houses, chandelier installation and toilet seats.
The public, facing a challenging economy, is upset with lawmakers over using taxpayer money for things that have nothing to do with their jobs.
The political future of a senior lawmaker with the governing Labour Party was in doubt Friday after the newspaper reported he claimed expenses for a London apartment that was home to his grown daughter and allegedly tried to cover up the arrangement.
An opposition Conservative Party lawmaker also was named Friday by the paper for claiming expenses on a property that was home to her daughter.
The Populus Poll released Thursday night for ITV News showed 39 per cent of voters support the Conservative Party -- 12 points ahead of the 27 per cent who back Brown's Labour Party.
Populus interviewed 1,000 adults by telephone this week, and gave a margin of error for the survey's results of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Numerous lawmakers from both parties have been caught up in the scandal, and the poll indicates voters are increasingly inclined to back fringe parties -- with nearly one in five voters saying that's where their support lies.
Brown is required by law to call an election by the middle of next year.
While the majority of voters say they think a poll should be called as soon as possible, it's not clear that they all would end up turning out.
The scandal appears to have increased voter apathy. Only 45 per cent of people polled said they were certain to vote in the next election, down from 57 per cent before the revelations came out.
