One of the Chartists' "six points" called for the:
4. Payment of members, thus enabling an honest tradesman, working man, or other person, to serve a constituency, when taken from his business to attend to the interests of the country
No mention of trouser presses, moats, moles, or artex removal, I note. On the other hand, there's still a barrier to entry, as the modern-day 'honest tradesperson' seeking a parliamentary seat will probably have to make several attempts at selection and take a couple of runs at an election before they finally get the keys to their office in Portcullis House and their hands on the expenses forms. Doing this requires a lot of unpaid time off work, trips across the country, nights in hotels and, as a friend-of-a-friend quoted one current MP, a fortune spent at every tombola, raffle and dinner that you're expected to attend during the campaign (and, of course, the year or two before that when you've been selected for your constituency). These are not sums that most us of could meet lightly.
There may also be something to be said about the performative aspect of Parliament: part of us wants them to look succesful, important, and somehow different from us. That's why they're making up the rules, not us. When their cover is blown and expenses reveal an all-too-human side, we get annoyed, perhaps more by that than because of the amounts involved.
We had some election expenses on display, dating from the 1780s, which included the joyous fact that a mob cost one guinea to rent during the election season. Of course, these were expenses met out of the MP's own pocket, not the public purse.
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