<p>A Dyson floor lamp, a £4,000 fountain pen, boxsets of Scandi noir TV dramas. These are just a handful of the items that former SNP Chief Executive Peter Murrell purchased with the £400k he embezzled from the party over the course of a decade. The full list is even longer. Murrell has been remanded in custody and likely faces lengthy prison time.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Ever since the eruption of the 2009 MPs’ expenses scandal, there’s been a dark cloud of mistrust over politicians. Yet some politicians still play fast and loose with public trust, morality and transparency.&nbsp;</p><br><p>Today, we discuss the shady world of money in politics. We'll also debate whether MPs ought to have a pay rise - and you might be surprised about the outcome.</p><p>Find the best clips from the podcast and more from Helen and Cleo on the show's Instagram page <a href="https://instagram.com/intheroom.pod" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><br><p>This podcast is part of The Independent Podcast Network and is produced in association with Next Chapter Studios</p><br><p>Executive Producers: Olivia Foster and Carrie Rose</p><p>Producer: Sam Durham</p><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>