All this expenses bollocks

[Tom]

BBC NEWS | Politics | Expenses system 'wrong' - Blears

Is it me, or does everyone else think that someone who says that something is wrong, but uses that 'wrongness' to her advantage, is a hypocrite?

Seriously love, if the system was so wrong, why did you continue to use it? Why didn't you persuade your colleagues to do something about it in the 12 years you've been in power? Why are you bleating on about how 'wrong' it is now you've been caught making money from it?

Am I missing something?

 

[Embattle]

I've been thinking why no one on the forum has mentioned this whole debacle and come up with either that we aren't that shocked or happen to be totally disgusted with this whole event that we are lost for words.

 

[ECA]

Whiter than white.
They must use a different washing powder than me over at new labour HQ.

 

[Jaberwocky]

MPs are for their position underplayed (60K a year), take a look at comparable city or judiciary pay packet. A few years back this expenses systems was introduces with all party support to dodge the politically uncomfortable issue of a MPs pay rise, now the hack job them made of it has come back to bite them.

I'm starting to get suspicious of the number of Labour MPs having their expenses leaked compare to just one Tory MP and no Lib Dems, while the press is starting to selectively report a few expense claims to make them sound out of context, e.g. Brown's cleaning contract covering both his second home and his brothers London residence, this was perfectly legit.
For convince Brown paid his half of the cleaning fee to is brother to pay off to the cleaning company, the recites and payment history all came out squeaky clean (pun). The Telegraph on the other hand sold this as some sort of scam carried out by the PM. Other papers have listed items that where just happened to be on recites handed in for other items that where never calmed for, over all there's a fair bit of dodgy reporting going on besides the dodgy expense claims.

 

[00dave]

I think people are just so frustrated by it all, everyday another scandal comes out about how some mp has wasted thousands of pounds of money we just don't have as a country right now, and there doesn't seem to be a damn thing we can do about it. The smugness of it all is what gets me, perhaps they think they'll just get a slap wrist and carry on getting away with it just like the bankers have done.

 

[ramathorn]

Its fucking disgusting, every one of them should be taken to court for fraud, or what ever law this falls under. I'm disgusted that I live in this country, these people, voted into office by the people are doing everything they can to screw the people and line their own pockets.

Big changes need to happen in this country, huge changes. That the people still stand by and do nothing completely blows my mind.

 

[ramathorn]

excuse the enraged overuse of the word "people"

 

[Cadelin]

MPs are for their position underplayed (60K a year), take a look at comparable city or judiciary pay packet. A few years back this expenses systems was introduces with all party support to dodge the politically uncomfortable issue of a MPs pay rise, now the hack job them made of it has come back to bite them.

They get £60k+ a year for a part time job that requires no qualifications. Also why were they trying to hide their pay rise from the public in the first place?

I'm starting to get suspicious of the number of Labour MPs having their expenses leaked compare to just one Tory MP and no Lib Dems, while the press is starting to selectively report a few expense claims to make them sound out of context, e.g. Brown's cleaning contract covering both his second home and his brothers London residence, this was perfectly legit.
For convince Brown paid his half of the cleaning fee to is brother to pay off to the cleaning company, the recites and payment history all came out squeaky clean (pun). The Telegraph on the other hand sold this as some sort of scam carried out by the PM. Other papers have listed items that where just happened to be on recites handed in for other items that where never calmed for, over all there's a fair bit of dodgy reporting going on besides the dodgy expense claims.

The whole thing got leaked to the telegraph. Its allowed to publish whatever it likes. MPs could have chosen to publish the whole lot in a fair way but they continued to try and hide it.

Also I don't care if its within the rules, why does a household cleaning bill count as a business expense? Normal people get taxed on their income and at that brackets its 40%.

 

[DaGaffer]

MPs are for their position underplayed (60K a year), take a look at comparable city or judiciary pay packet. A few years back this expenses systems was introduces with all party support to dodge the politically uncomfortable issue of a MPs pay rise, now the hack job them made of it has come back to bite them.

MP's salaries are deliberately low; they're not supposed to be in it for the money.

I'm starting to get suspicious of the number of Labour MPs having their expenses leaked compare to just one Tory MP and no Lib Dems, while the press is starting to selectively report a few expense claims to make them sound out of context, e.g. Brown's cleaning contract covering both his second home and his brothers London residence, this was perfectly legit.

Actually the whole league table of expenses has been published, but the Telegraph are plowing through the details MP by MP. Its hardly surprising that Labour are getting the bulk of the stick at the moment; they're the party in power and have routinely claimed the moral high ground against Tory sleaze since 1997. Having said that, the Tories will be at least as bad when it comes round to anlaysing them; they'll just be slightly less hypocritical. As for the Brown cleaning expenses, yes, legit within the system, but it was £6K for a flat in Westminster when he has 10 Downing Street and Chequers as well as his constituency home, why are WE paying for a cleaner on what is essentially his fourth residence? Why are we paying for a cleaner at all?

For convince Brown paid his half of the cleaning fee to is brother to pay off to the cleaning company, the recites and payment history all came out squeaky clean (pun). The Telegraph on the other hand sold this as some sort of scam carried out by the PM. Other papers have listed items that where just happened to be on recites handed in for other items that where never calmed for, over all there's a fair bit of dodgy reporting going on besides the dodgy expense claims.

No doubt, but the self-righteousness of these so-called public servants is still pretty sickening. There's no denying that a lot of MPs have a lot to hide, otherwise they wouldn't have been collectively so reticent to hide this stuff in the first place; there's hardly a democracy in the world (certainly not in the EU) where politician's finances aren't available for public inspection.

 

[Trem]

Its getting "leaked" and treated so badly because Labour are the ones who fucked this country up and they are still milking the public for every penny they can get.

They should earn no wage and just get expenses for their travel, like DaG said they aren't meant to be in it for the money. They can go work at Burger King or something.

 

[Chilly]

London mps shouldnt get second home allowances and and those that do should be made to hand any property bought with it back to the public for sale/next mp when they get out.

I dont really care about the odd dodgy lunch or cleaner, its the millions they extract through property which isnt cool.

 

[Wij]

I read that Tony Blair re-mortgaged his old house to the tune of £300,000 and then put the mortgage payments on expenses.

The system stinks. The Tories and Lib Dems may have been doing it too but Labour have been in power for 12 years and should have sorted it. They haven't because they fucking loved it.

BROWN ENGULFED BY EXPENSES SCANDAL AS POWER PASSES TO JOANNA LUMLEY - The Daily Mash

 

[00dave]

btw has everone seen this?

YouTube - MPs expenses

 

[Tom]

The man is so utterly fucking fake in that setup. I can't even begin to describe how much I hate the tutoring and media-prep. Gordon, you can't smile. Stop trying you wazzock.

Its a shit camera angle too, and poor lighting.

 

[nath]

It's bizarre, everyone can see it's a fake smile. It's clearly off-putting, why the hell haven't they told him to stop?

 

[ramathorn]

that cock brown should be ashamed of that video, my two year old nephew could spout that scripted bullshit in a more believeable manner than him. fuck you gordon brown, fuck you in your stupid ass.

 

[Jeros]

/devils advocate on

Its discusting

after all, THEY ARE ONLY RUNNING THE COUNTRY!

/devils advocate off

 

[Bugz]

It's fuckin disgusting.

I can't say much more than that really...

people are losing their jobs, their homes, their families, their whole existences, whilst these fuckwits claim on expenses.

The sad thing is, we can't do ANYTHING about it until the election. And when we vote in the next group, they will simply do the same.

 

[Trem]

/devils advocate on

Its discusting

after all, THEY ARE ONLY RUNNING THE COUNTRY!

/devils advocate off

Are they? Or did you mean ruining?

 

[throdgrain]

And now we see the Conservatives are at it just like the lefties.

Suprise?

Of course not. They're politicians, hence they're not to be trusted.

 

[Raven]

I like John Prescott even more now, £300 for some cladding and £200 to fix the toilet. I used to despise him but after seeing interviews where he no longer needs to tow the party line so much he comes across as a pretty down to earth honest person.

While I understand the need for a second home if you are not based near London I can't understand why it is not better managed, I would have thought the allowance would be for rent/mortgage on a property, not things like gardening and cleaners. I don't think any party can take the moral high ground on expenses really, they are all guilty of abusing what has been a self governed system.

I don't know why they don't build a block of apartments near to the houses of parliament and live there. They could then increase security and save money by living in a managed block.

 

[Milkshake]

I don't know what to think about this.

Obviously, it's a problem. People claiming for things they shouldn't. Not just MPs, but people all over the world in all sorts of important and non-important positions claiming and taking things that - by the letter of the law - might apply to them but by the spirit of the rules does not.
For the spirit to shine through though, you need loyalty and integrity from your peers and your employers - yet society is descending into a world of 'fuck him, take it'.

Wages decreased and redundancies posted while companies continue to make profit on already pressed individuals.

People suing anyone and everyone they can for mistakes they've made.

The media portraying falsities and negativities, ramming them down your throat for a quick buck.

Obviously MPs should be considered above all this. They are people we should look to for moral guidance and substance - we have voted these people in to represent us. They may, however, just be a representative of what we are now as a society and as a group of people.

'Fuck im. Take it.'

 

[Trem]

I don't know what to think about this.

Obviously, it's a problem. People claiming for things they shouldn't. Not just MPs, but people all over the world in all sorts of important and non-important positions claiming and taking things that - by the letter of the law - might apply to them but by the spirit of the rules does not.
For the spirit to shine through though, you need loyalty and integrity from your peers and your employers - yet society is descending into a world of 'fuck him, take it'.

Wages decreased and redundancies posted while companies continue to make profit on already pressed individuals.

People suing anyone and everyone they can for mistakes they've made.

The media portraying falsities and negativities, ramming them down your throat for a quick buck.

Obviously MPs should be considered above all this. They are people we should look to for moral guidance and substance - we have voted these people in to represent us. They may, however, just be a representative of what we are now as a society and as a group of people.

'Fuck im. Take it.'

Good post apart from we voted them in bit, no one voted Brown in, he was not chosen by any of the public, we voted grinner in and no matter how bad he was he was still the one fairly chosen.

 

[Lazarus]

one thing I have NEVER been able to fathom out - this came out in one of the local papers.

One of the MP's bought a bed and claimed this back on expenses. they then sold the house they were in and shifted all of the furniture they had bought including items bought on expenses back to their "original" house in the country.

Well, excuse the fuck out of me. That bed is NOT theirs, but they can over look this little bit of truth. btw - the bed was over £1000

 

[Chilly]

I don't know what to think about this.

Obviously, it's a problem. People claiming for things they shouldn't. Not just MPs, but people all over the world in all sorts of important and non-important positions claiming and taking things that - by the letter of the law - might apply to them but by the spirit of the rules does not.
For the spirit to shine through though, you need loyalty and integrity from your peers and your employers - yet society is descending into a world of 'fuck him, take it'.

Wages decreased and redundancies posted while companies continue to make profit on already pressed individuals.

People suing anyone and everyone they can for mistakes they've made.

The media portraying falsities and negativities, ramming them down your throat for a quick buck.

Obviously MPs should be considered above all this. They are people we should look to for moral guidance and substance - we have voted these people in to represent us. They may, however, just be a representative of what we are now as a society and as a group of people.

'Fuck im. Take it.'

In private enterprise, I see no problem at all of an employee acting within the rules to their maximum benefit. What do you think accountants do for the companies them selves? If my employer is acting ruthlessly, how can they have a problem with me acting in a similar manner?

However, in the public sector where the nature of the job is not to make money but to get things done or provide a given service, it is totally different. This, historically, is why public workers tend to get better benefits and so on (and quite rightly, work for 30% better wages in private and fuck all pension or less up front and better long term support public).

 

[Milkshake]

In private enterprise, I see no problem at all of an employee acting within the rules to their maximum benefit. What do you think accountants do for the companies them selves? If my employer is acting ruthlessly, how can they have a problem with me acting in a similar manner?

However, in the public sector where the nature of the job is not to make money but to get things done or provide a given service, it is totally different. This, historically, is why public workers tend to get better benefits and so on (and quite rightly, work for 30% better wages in private and fuck all pension or less up front and better long term support public).

That's a good point, I'd never considered the distinction between public sector workers and private.

 

[Insane]

That's a good point, I'd never considered the distinction between public sector workers and private.

I so mis-read that at first as "public sector wankers"

 

[Marc]

Put it this way. If I was an MP, I would do the same.

 

[`mongoose]

Rare quick post from me.

It's a disgrace.

Think Tories are as bad as Labour.

Don't trust any of them.

Wish I could vote for someone I could believe in.

M

 

[Macey]

Vote for that welsh guy with the girlie voice on Britains got Talent, you can believe in him Goose