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Locusts, caterpillars, and horse leeches

Justin Rowlatt | 19:25 UK time, Monday, 22 March 2010

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"Locusts, caterpillars, and horse leeches," that's how one writer described MPs caught fiddling their housing allowances back in the mid 17th Century.

Another described them as an "excoriating rabble of pestiferous vermin".

You don't express yourselves quite as colourfully, but your sentiments about the current expenses scandal are much the same.

A couple of weeks ago we asked you to tell us how this scandal - and all those others (non dom billionaire donors, cash for honours, Chilcot etc...) are affecting how you feel about politics and politicians.

It's part of a project Newsnight is calling Pop-Up Politics.

It's an all expense-spared, austerity approach to reporting the coming election.

The idea is that, just like the temporary shops that pop-up in the vacant lots on our recession blasted high streets, Newsnight will pop-up in your community to discuss the issues that matter to you.

We received hundreds of replies but one e-mail in particular caught our eye (and not just because it contained no profanity).

It was one of a number from Livingston, in West Lothian and was from Maureen Kerr who says she's lost faith in most of our politicians.

Maureen used to be a Labour supporter but is now backing the SNP and in recent weeks has been out knocking doors and handing out leaflets on their behalf.

"It is astonishing how big a percentage didn't want to vote at all because they think everyone is the same," she told me as I wheeled her golf bag around the local golf course.

She says eight out of 10 people she spoke to on the stump said they don't plan to vote.

"They are angry," says Maureen. "They feel they are being taken for granted," she says and worries at the damage this haemorrhaging of trust is doing to the political system.

So how can trust be rebuilt?

To try and get some answers we set up our own pop-up shop right in the heart of The Centre - Livingston's vast new shopping mall.


We rounded up 20 or 30 shoppers to take part in an impromptu debate. No fancy props for us, just a maker pen and pile of cardboard boxes.

There was a lot of talk about how the public has become disillusioned with our leaders. Then one woman said she thought that the problem was more complicated that that:

"We're not stupid," she said. "We know what is coming. We've seen what has happened to finances worldwide. So they don't trust the electorate.

"If they told us what's going to happen I think we could accept it because we understand there isn't the money around that there used to be."

It's an interesting perspective - the problem is as much about politicians not trusting us as us not trusting them.

Do you agree?

And, while we're at it, tell us where the pop-up politics team should go next.

We'll be covering the budget on Wednesday.

So, have you been affected by the recession? Do you believe that the politicians aren't being straight about how to get the country back on track? Or do you think people just don't understand the challenges they face?

Whatever you believe, tell us where we should pop up and why and who knows, we might come and watch the Budget with you.

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