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Shall we have another MP expenses thread then?

Ford is not really what I would think of as a prison tbf. More a hospital. They have a very good record at curing senility after all.
 
Of all the dumb and generally piss-taking MP’s expenses claims that have come to light over the last few days the saddest and most delusional has to be Babara Follet’s £25 thousand pound ’security’ claim. It seems that Mrs Follett fears for her personal safety because she believes she has one of the most dangerous, sensitive and important ministerial roles in parliament – she is non other than the MINISTER FOR TOURISM!

We may mock, but anyone who has been on a political demonstration will have heard the familiar chants of “Tourists, tourists, out, out, out!” or “No! No! No! We won’t take your picture!” – it’s terrifying stuff. Maybe Follet has a point, maybe she really does need guarding from the masses (even though the majority of ‘the masses’ haven’t even heard of her), but it’s not like she can’t afford her own security – she’s married to pulp writer, Ken Follett, who happens to be one of the richest MPs in parliament!
 
These revelations have only come to light thanks to New Labour bringing in the freedom of information act.
 
weltweit said:
Thing is, these revelations are going to be bad for all parties ..

It is a smear on politicians rather than any in particular.

Will we trust any of them once this is over?
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What will the other parties have in their closets?

Stabling the horses?
Public school fees?
Nanny?
Gamekeeper?
Shotgun restoration?
 
You already have a fair idea of who the greediest cunts are by how loudly they've tried to shout down the freedom of information request (e.g. Michael Martin etc)
 
pk said:
She also claimed £528.75 to repair and clean a Chinese needlepoint rug, but was only paid back £300 after the cost was deemed excessive...
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That's fucking ridiculous. Fucking bitch. And £300 isn't excessive? Fucking idiots.

Apparently this 2nd home allowance shit was brought in by thatcher. :mad:
 
Quartz said:
How many MPs do you think are going to get deselected as a result of this?
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At most, 1, as a scapegoat, but even that's unlikely.

I know everyone expects politicians to be scheming bastards, but hopefully the scale of this will have shocked people.

It has me - claiming a housing association flat as her first home and getting amost £30k a year for it, while being a millionaire and owning other homes?* I'm tempted to go over there and ask her or her husband in person how they can possibly justify it - the only problem is they wouldn't be there; they probably haven't been there much for years. Utter fucking bastards. At least the others are 'only' taking money.


*(There have been discussions on here before about whether people who've got well-paid jobs should give up their HA/council flats. I've always come down on the side of 'no,' but that wasn't considering people who earn THAT much and have done for THAT long - wherever the income line lies, they're beyond it - and it was never considering people who own other properties).
 
from that link (scroll down) (I know it's news of the screws, but I hope it's true)

In a letter sent out to all members on Friday, the Clerk of the House and Chief Executive Malcolm Jack wrote: "Recognising individual concerns an inquiry line has been set up which will be open on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th May.

Quaking

"A senior member of staff will be on hand to assist members."

In a further sign of the terror gripping Westminster, Mr Jack told MPs they must use a special secret system to identify themselves.

Whichever of their homes they are in today, MPs will be quaking. Whips are said to have several members on "suicide watch".

At least two Labour backbenchers are thought to have had extra-marital affairs with other MPs which are about to be exposed.

They are believed to have shared hotel rooms during annual party conferences and awaydays then double-claimed for the accommodation on expenses.

If both HAVE claimed they will be exposed as fraudsters as well as love cheats.

And Labour are reportedly keeping an eye on yet another backbencher said to have made "grotesque claims".
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:D
 
Interesting Torygraph piece

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ordon-Brown-No-suggestion-of-impropriety.html

Perhaps we should look to the progressive diminution in the power of the Commons, a process that has been gathering pace over the past decade, as an important factor. MPs have been treated for many years not as responsible representatives of the people, whose duty is to protect us from wrongdoing by the executive, but as lobby fodder: party hacks whose role is to rubber-stamp and legitimise whatever the Government wishes to do.

If you reduce parliamentarians to the status of party hacks with time on their hands, some of them will spend that time fiddling the system. If, on the other hand, you force MPs to think of themselves as moral exemplars with real authority over our destinies – admittedly that requires a leap of the imagination for both them and us – then there is a good chance that Parliament will regain some of its lost dignity.
 
Prince Rhyus said:
http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/new...hero-Phil-Packer-crossing-finishing-line.html

!!!
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TOP Tory MP James Gray is exposed today as a greedy skinflint after claiming for Remembrance Day WREATHS on expenses.
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You have got to be fucking joking. A fucking Remembrance wreath? /crying smiley/

I mean a part of me admits their only doing what they're allowed to...but a lot of this stuff also looks like there could be criminal investigations as well so it's good that it is coming out. A Remembrance wreath would be, for me, an instant resignation offence.
 
A remembrance wreath is probably more justifiable than most of the shit they've been claiming for. But not by much.
 
0905-MATT-INSIDE-w_1399546i.jpg


0905-MATT-web_1399544i.jpg
 
Prince Rhyus said:
Interesting Torygraph piece

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/new...ordon-Brown-No-suggestion-of-impropriety.html

Perhaps we should look to the progressive diminution in the power of the Commons, a process that has been gathering pace over the past decade, as an important factor. MPs have been treated for many years not as responsible representatives of the people, whose duty is to protect us from wrongdoing by the executive, but as lobby fodder: party hacks whose role is to rubber-stamp and legitimise whatever the Government wishes to do.

If you reduce parliamentarians to the status of party hacks with time on their hands, some of them will spend that time fiddling the system. If, on the other hand, you force MPs to think of themselves as moral exemplars with real authority over our destinies – admittedly that requires a leap of the imagination for both them and us – then there is a good chance that Parliament will regain some of its lost dignity.
Click to expand...

Interesting piece apart from the 'past decade' point, as if this sort of fiddling is new, or as if MPs being nothing but party fodder is new.

_pH_ said:
A remembrance wreath is probably more justifiable than most of the shit they've been claiming for. But not by much.
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Actually, I'd agree with that, especially since it says 'plural.'

It's pretty easy to justify that expense by saying that he was buying them to represent the dead lost from his constituency in the past, so he was buying them on behalf of the constituency as a whole.

The wreaths could also be said to be representing the Member of Parliament paying his respects as part of his official role, rather than personally - if an MP didn't lay a wreath (or several at different memorials), he'd likely be told off for that.

Compared to claiming for cleaners, carpets and council flats, it's not worth considering.
 
Three cabinet members in particular are singled out for their "modest" claims under the second homes allowance by the Telegraph. Energy Secretary Ed Miliband had only put in claims for £6,300 a year in rent for his constituency home and for utility and council tax bills. Health Secretary Alan Johnson rented a "modest" property but claimed for food and some furniture. Environment Secretary Hilary Benn claimed only £147.78 for food from the allowance which allows MPs to claim up to about £24,000 a year.
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beeb

ok, there's a benchmark. I don't begrudge them £500/month rent plus utilities and a few quid for food. Even help with a few sticks of furniture. The few who've claimed at that sort of level can stay, the dishonourable profiteering rest of them should go at the next election. Every single one of them. Swept away on a tide of righteous anger.

What a dream for a bright sunday morning :)

I wonder if it can be done?
 
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