Mp's expenses

[henpecked]

News tonight of a special panel being set up by the MET to examine MP's and their expenses...its a 8x4 sheet of ply with a whole cut in it





So, what do you all think about this?
It stinks in that if it had been me fiddling tax, I'd have to pay it all back plus interest, don't think a soppy excuse about 'the system being to lax' would suffice.

HP

[Pablo]

This forum has so far been surprisingly very quiet on this subject. For them to say I haven't broken the rules is like me getting my 2nd cousin pregnant on her 16th birthday. It's not against the law but that doesn't mean it's an acceptable thing to do. I'm sure there are plenty of them that are using the system in a morally correct way and I can't deny that they do need to claim for certain expenses but it's sickening to see so many of them play the game to the very limit of the rules and profit from it with our hard earned taxes. Micheal Martin should be dragged by his nostrils from the building and taken to a police station along with many of the others who had they been in our shoes and in private employment would be sacked/presecuted and made by the courts to pay it all back. If I received these benefits I would be taxed on them and if I flipped my house I would be due to pay capital gains etc. Just sickening and I feel so angry but knowing politics they'll come up with another way of getting money from the system and they'll all still be getting just as much money in the end and nothing will have changed.

[henpecked]

Old Gordon on the ropes again, this 'global meltdown' saved his bacon. Just before it they were looking at a leadership election. He's weak, in that he has forgone his own pension and no-one has noticed, but Cameron has took the hard line and jumped in the polls. What is the worst thing is they all took without any thought to limits, its not one story about a few MP's, it's THE LOT! :0
The best is to come, apparently, the House of Lords (like Nirvana for the stupefyingly greedy) is even worse, with incredibly slack expense rules......think I'll buy the Telegraph for a change this Sunday, oh, Andrew Marr might be worth a look too

[GB_Groundworks]

european mp are worse its seems, quote on radio 5 today "its only 99% of mps making the others look bad" haha

its the patronising way they think paying the money back will make us trust them, and the way the think we'll have short memories come election time.

plus the speaker trying to stop the publication, he has to go no one at all has any faith in mr martin.



Edited By GB_Groundworks on 1242416055

[henpecked]

its the patronising way they think paying the money back will make us trust them,

True, they must think we're all numpties. If you work out how much they make and rob in expenses £40000 is not even 10% plus all the directorships that come with the job.
When have you had a job where virtually all of your outgoings are covered by the price and your wages are pocket money?
What really got me was the tight sod who charged a Remembrance Day Wreath to expenses


HP

[lutonlagerlout]

its easy to judge , but when i have been on jobs where there have been earners,every man jack jumps for it
we have 2 sides of the coin in luton
margaret moran paid 22 grand to have her 2nd home dry rot treated
see here
but kelvin hopkins is an all round good guy
saintly kelvin
make of that what you will
both labour BTW
LLL

[seanandruby]

I think Oliver Cromwell got it right in his volley to the long parliament 20th april 1653

“It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.
Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not bartered your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?
Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defiled this sacred place, and turned the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redressed, are yourselves become the greatest grievance
Your country therefore calls upon me to cleanse this Augean stable, by putting a final period to your iniquitous proceedings in this House; and which by God's help, and the strength he has given me, I am now come to do; I command ye therefore, upon the peril of your lives, to depart immediately out of this place; go, get you out!
Make haste! Ye venal slaves be gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go! “

[flowjoe]

I think the system they had in place should have worked, it was the clowns paid to oversee expenses who foolishly thought that the word of an MP was a guarantee of honesty. The system should now be fully transparent and the masses will make there own minds up when its time to vote.

Ironic how the press are on this crusade about expenses, i have read a couple books on Murdoch and the fun and games he had with the press unions. False expenses, ghost employees and jobs for the boys were standard practice.

I suspect that like the Jonathon Ross malarky there are a few old scores being settled in all this.



Edited By flowjoe on 1242469956

[meany]

Do you know that bit of phlegm in a morning after 20 benson and 8 pints off beer the night before ? Thats what i think of MP's.!

[Suggers]

I'm surprised that everybody seems so surprised. As Joe & LLL implied, this goes right through our society, at all levels. If you have a greedy capitalist based system - that's the way it works.

[seanandruby]

I am once again working in London. Therefore i am entitled to tax free subsistence, (£205). this means i get 7 days allowance, rather than just five days ( or six/ seven if work weekends ) which is taxable. it costs me £92 train fare and £140 digs plus food ( i leave digs too early for b@b but they still charge for brekkie as its "optional" ). i have been there five weeks and am still fighting to get my lodge money. They have only paid me the five days travel each week, so far. to get it reimbursed i have been told "to claim it myself from the taxman." No grace and favour house, plazzie screen tele's or porno for the Plebians. hopefully this week it will be sorted, if not i have no choice but to run as a MP for tower bridge :;):