25 May 2007: One Final Perk

Elected representatives in Italy get lots of perks, including generous pay, free lunches, free city-centre parking and a daily expense allowance, all paid for by taxpayers. But the citizens of Venice decided enough was enough when the regional council decided to give its members a 5,000 pound contribution towards the cost of their own funeral.

"It's a stupid privilege which makes no sense." said an opponent of the measure. The perk is to be challenged in a future meeting.

Italian politicians are already engaged in a bout of soul-searching after opinion polls showed the low esteem in which they are held by the electorate. One poll showed that only one in 10 people had any faith in elected officials.