As far as I am aware there is no law stopping MP's from owning shares in any companies therefore there is the possibility of insider dealing.

The Government negotiates a contract with a company and MP's in the know buy shares prior to the deal being announced therefore benefitting when the price increases.

They can also act as consultants and non-exec Directors for companies are often given employment when they stand down from office by the same companies who were awarded Government contracts.

One solution:

I am no lawyer - but surely if the police do not bring actions against the worst offenders - couldn't we organise some kind of private class action against them - with the outcome being that they are forced to return their ill-gotten gains. Someone wrote here that what has happened amounts to "extortion" by the powerful and an abuse of their power - I couldn't agree more - but action is what is needed.

Any lawyers out there got a view on this?

Well, I reckon it will need to be quite a lot as the abuses seem to have been very widespread across all parties. If you looked at just those who "maxed-out" their second home allowance each year ("milking" the system we might call that) then we would be looking at perhaps 250? What do you think?