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Taxpayers getting screwed yet again

Not content with billing us for expenses claims for second homes we are now coughing up for the government to watch people getting shafted:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7970731.stm

Comments

  • Yup! This has come out and all the apologies spew forth. But the likelyhood is they are all at it, slipping everything from the expenses for their second home, which is really their first home. To the chinese meal they had Saturday night, onto their expense sheets.
    And before anyone else says it, i don't just mean New Liebour politicians. It's just as certain the Tories/Lib Dems/the Rest, are on the same game.
    Power corrupts. Look no further than politicians for proof of that.
  • Love this Government (not)
  • Just as bad as the last lot.

    None of them are angels.

    Until the political system is properly reformed and we have a fair voting system that represents the views of the population you are always going to get sleaze.
  • True.

    I did love his Little Britain style statement tho!
  • [cite]Posted By: BDL[/cite]Just as bad as the last lot.

    None of them are angels.

    Until the political system is properly reformed and we have a fair voting system that represents the views of the population you are always going to get sleaze.

    BDL, you're spoiling it by coming out with a sensible comment! :-)
  • BDL,
    I agree, but how/what is this "fair voting system" going to work ?
  • It's always nice to know that we've paid for Mr Smith to have a w@nk while the mrs was out at work!!
  • These elected officials are meant to set an example to the country but their only persistent legacy is a re-inforcement of the selfishness that surfaced under the Thatcher administration. We are little better than a third world dictastorship for corruption. I'm not sure what infuriates me more - the pigs at the trough or the "PC" brigade.
  • [cite]Posted By: SE10Addick[/cite]It's always nice to know that we've paid for Mr Smith to have a w@nk while the mrs was out at work!!

    lol. Its quite staggering but totally humiliating for her.
  • New Zealand seem to have a decent system where 50% is elected as local members and the remainder are done by proportional representation. Minority parties have to get more than 5% of the vote to get a seat(s). Make the pay better, no allowances.
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  • [cite]Posted By: BDL[/cite]New Zealand seem to have a decent system where 50% is elected as local members and the remainder are done by proportional representation. Minority parties have to get more than 5% of the vote to get a seat(s). Make the pay better, no allowances.

    By Goerge I think he's got it...

    Never happen of course, too many vested interests an too many idiots who don't bother to vote.
  • [cite]Posted By: BDL[/cite]Make the pay better, no allowances.

    Bit unfair on members from Northern places who do need a second home and expenses to travel back and forth between London and their constituencies.

    As for voting I still think multi-seat constituencies ie the whole of Bexley would elect three seats and voters get three votes. You can vote for three people of the same party or pick who you think is the best local MP. Less "wasted" votes as there might be two torys and one Labour elected and so more representational.

    You still have a local MP rather than a name on a party list and if they are a bad MP they can be kicked out.

    As for Porngate. Just made me laugh. I think it was worth the £10 or whatever it cost the taxpayer for cheering us up.
  • edited March 2009
    I always thought that the justifications for high wages were either rare skills or reward for taking responsibilities.

    Our MPs have supinely allowed 80% of decisions affecting the UK to be made in a foreign country by a commission over which we have little influence.

    Given that fact why do MPs deserve high salaries and expenses?

    In fact given that we are being dragged in to a Federal Europe through the back door with no resistance from our supposed elected representatives we may as well save public money and abolish the Westminster Parliament completely.

    They have even deprived us of the referendum we were promised on the European Constitution or Lisbon Treaty as it has been rebranded.

    It (Parliament) is ineffective in representing the interests and opinions of the ordinary people in this country and has become a porcine self serving elite.
  • [cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]I always thought that the justifications for high wageswere either rare skills or reward for taking responsibilities.

    Our MPs have supinely allowed 80% of decisions affecting the UK to be made in a foreign country by a commission over which we have little influence.

    Given that fact why do MPs deserve high salaries and expenses.

    In fact given that we are being dragged in to a Federal Europe through the back door with no resistance from our supposed elected representatives we may as well save public money and abolish the Westminster Parliament completely.

    It is ineffective in representing the interests and opinions of the ordinary people in this country and has become a porcine self serving elite.
    `

    so you think we should pay our MEPs more as they actually run the country. Good point : - )
  • edited March 2009
    [cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: LenGlover[/cite]I always thought that the justifications for high wageswere either rare skills or reward for taking responsibilities.

    Our MPs have supinely allowed 80% of decisions affecting the UK to be made in a foreign country by a commission over which we have little influence.

    Given that fact why do MPs deserve high salaries and expenses.

    In fact given that we are being dragged in to a Federal Europe through the back door with no resistance from our supposed elected representatives we may as well save public money and abolish the Westminster Parliament completely.

    It is ineffective in representing the interests and opinions of the ordinary people in this country and has become a porcine self serving elite.
    `

    so you think we should pay our MEPs more as they actually run the country. Good point : - )

    The European Parliament is a sop to democracy and to my knowledge has never yet rejected anything proposed by the European Commission.

    However Westminster is now a charade and given the strain on public finances we may as well get rid of it as the real power now resides elsewhere and it no longer performs a meaningful function.

    The only justification for keeping it would be if we took back our independence and left the EU.

    The pigs in "power" receive too many sweeteners to do that though even though a majority of people would like to get out of the EU.
  • [cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]
    [cite]Posted By: BDL[/cite]Make the pay better, no allowances.

    Bit unfair on members from Northern places who do need a second home and expenses to travel back and forth between London and their constituencies.

    As for voting I still think multi-seat constituencies ie the whole of Bexley would elect three seats and voters get three votes. You can vote for three people of the same party or pick who you think is the best local MP. Less "wasted" votes as there might be two torys and one Labour elected and so more representational.

    You still have a local MP rather than a name on a party list and if they are a bad MP they can be kicked out.

    As for Porngate. Just made me laugh. I think it was worth the £10 or whatever it cost the taxpayer for cheering us up.

    Porngate is, as Piers Morgan said on Adam Boulton's show yesterday, a newspaper editors wet dream come true.

    As for the Nothern constituencies, you know what you are getting into when you stand for parliament. The Gravy Train has to stop, but so long as the MP's have the final say it'll keep on chugging along.
  • I think legitimate expenses are just that, legitimate.

    Travelling to and from Carlisle every week, renting a home, however modest in London, paying someone to do necessary secretarial work would take up most of a northern MPs wages. I know as northerners they should be happy to have a job and to be able to live in London but that's not the point.

    Because some MPs abuse the system is not a reason to scrap it. It should however be reviewed and MPs themselves should police their own spending, under scrutiny, so as to not bring themselves into further disrepute.

    MPs should be paid a fair wage and given reasonable expenses otherwise it will be a role open to only the very wealthy or those who are being paid for, as so under the influence, of rich organisations be that Unions, Parties or corporations.
  • edited March 2009
    The French had the right idea 200 years ago. A few hundred politicians hanging from lamposts would have a profound effect on their successors.
  • edited March 2009
    [cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]I think legitimate expenses are just that, legitimate.

    Travelling to and from Carlisle every week, renting a home, however modest in London, paying someone to do necessary secretarial work would take up most of a northern MPs wages. I know as northerners they should be happy to have a job and to be able to live in London but that's not the point.

    Because some MPs abuse the system is not a reason to scrap it. It should however be reviewed and MPs themselves should police their own spending, under scrutiny, so as to not bring themselves into further disrepute.

    MPs should be paid a fair wage and given reasonable expenses otherwise it will be a role open to only the very wealthy or those who are being paid for, as so under the influence, of rich organisations be that Unions, Parties or corporations.

    The answer to this is fairly simple really. Every MP who lives (say) 30 miles or more outside of London, should be entitled to a 'grace and favour' one bedroom fully furnished flat in London. They would be the tenant for the duration of their job as an elected MP. If they require food during their working day at Westminster, they can do what the rest of us do. Buy food in the works canteen (i'm sure the quality would be rather better than that i used to 'enjoy')
    For someone like Jaquie Smith to claim her first home is the one bedroom in her sisters London house. When her husband and children live in a house in the West Midlands, is an insulting lie. Designed to screw as much out of us the taxpayer, as possilble.
    I happen to think MP's are already paid a 'fair wage' at over £60K/year. And they have just voted themselves a 2.3% rise effective from April 1st ( a very appropriate date) Most people on this forum aren't telling us about their percentage rise, they tell us about their redundancy.
  • Doctors and nurses probably do more for this country's citizen's than politicians, nurses at a fraction of the price. They work excessive hours and arent entitled to second homes within the vicinity of their hospitals should they need to work non- commutable hours. They make do with kipping down in the accomodation at the hospitals as far as i can make out from my extensive research of snip bits of Holby City over the years.

    As someone pointed out on Question time the other night what would be the problem with building residential dormitaries near westminster for the parasites.
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  • If we had PR in the UK at the last General election, we would now have 3 BNP members sitting in The House of Commons. Doesn't work for me I'm afraid.

    Abolish party politics now.

    Anybody who wants to become an MP stands in whatever constituency they wish. The person that receives the highest votes becomes that constituency MP. The 650 (independant) MPs then vote for indivduals who wish to stand for the Governmental posts. They therefore vote for who they believe would be best in each post.

    Re-elections for these Government positions are held every 18 months.
  • Second homes so MPs can turn up for votes or propose green papers or make legislation or put their points across in debates is just a gravy chain excuse.

    This forum is a debating chamber where people can read what I write, respect my views, argue with me, put across opinions and see what I vote for, all from the comfort of my study. Why can't the Government do it. Have they never heard of 'E-Commerce'?
  • edited March 2009
    [cite]Posted By: SE10Addick[/cite]It's always nice to know that we've paid for Mr Smith to have a w@nk while the mrs was out at work!!

    It could have been worse. He could have got tickets to watch Charlton, how would he explain that one to the wife?
  • What Daggs said
  • Yeah I liked hearing about them getting a 2.3% rise (who exactly would vote against a pay-rise) when I won't be getting a pay rise or even be certain of keeping my job beyond the next 12 months. Tossers. Nice that it co-incided with my council tax bill coming through the door which has increased again. Cheers for that one too peeps.
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