Latest mp to quit

[siclean]

julie kirkbridge is the latest gravy train parasite to quit as an mp...why dont the lot just own up and quit a ?? so many families are struggling to make ends meet...yet most them mps have a licence to print money.. and if it wernt for the telegraph those leaches would have been getting away with it for many more yrs to come!!rant:

 

[Tricky Dicky]

julie kirkbridge is the latest gravy train parasite to quit as an mp...why dont the lot just own up and quit a ?? so many families are struggling to make ends meet...yet most them mps have a licence to print money.. and if it wernt for the telegraph those leaches would have been getting away with it for many more yrs to come!!rant:

I am annoyed about this whole business as much as anybody, but I thought "most" of her answers yesterday seemed quite reasonable if you listen to them. However, I don't think she answered the biggest question about her and her hubby both claiming for the same house as 2nd residences.

P.S. I've just noticed that Margaret Moran has quit too. Now, she really was taking the p*ss.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

I still think that the system itself is very much to blame for this. If an MP says to the expenses department, "My moat needs cleaning" and the stupid bastards say..."ok then, it is covered under the policy, charge it", the to be honest the political system itself deserves all it gets.

Every company I have worked for has an expenses policy that people take to the max. If you have a hotel when you stay away you put in a claim up to value of your allowance as set down by that policy, which is then checked by the company bean counter and paid ( or reduced) that is how business works.

these MP's are governed(sic) by a department of westminster that has set these obscene rules.

It should be the policy that is changed, then they would be forced to claim within a policy that was transparent and equitable, ie one that reimburses expenses paid and perhaps an allowance for the buggeration factor of say, staying away from home.

this business about turning the expenses over to an independant body is madness as they will not be covered by the Freedom of Information Act!

BTW The bloke who was the whistleblower, on the news the other day, I used to catch the train with him to London every day..

 

[siclean]

I still think that the system itself is very much to blame for this. If an MP says to the expenses department, "My moat needs cleaning" and the stupid bastards say..."ok then, it is covered under the policy, charge it", the to be honest the political system itself deserves all it gets.

Every company I have worked for has an expenses policy that people take to the max. If you have a hotel when you stay away you put in a claim up to value of your allowance as set down by that policy, which is then checked by the company bean counter and paid ( or reduced) that is how business works.

these MP's are governed(sic) by a department of westminster that has set these obscene rules.

It should be the policy that is changed, then they would be forced to claim within a policy that was transparent and equitable, ie one that reimburses expenses paid and perhaps an allowance for the buggeration factor of say, staying away from home.

this business about turning the expenses over to an independant body is madness as they will not be covered by the Freedom of Information Act!

BTW The bloke who was the whistleblower, on the news the other day, I used to catch the train with him to London every day..

think your right there.... what i would do is just give em a basic wage, and tell them to take any expenses out of it...they would soon put the brakes on buying them fancy expensive goods then !!!

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I still think that the system itself is very much to blame for this. If an MP says to the expenses department, "My moat needs cleaning" and the stupid bastards say..."ok then, it is covered under the policy, charge it", the to be honest the political system itself deserves all it gets.

Every company I have worked for has an expenses policy that people take to the max. If you have a hotel when you stay away you put in a claim up to value of your allowance as set down by that policy, which is then checked by the company bean counter and paid ( or reduced) that is how business works.

these MP's are governed(sic) by a department of westminster that has set these obscene rules.

It should be the policy that is changed, then they would be forced to claim within a policy that was transparent and equitable, ie one that reimburses expenses paid and perhaps an allowance for the buggeration factor of say, staying away from home.

this business about turning the expenses over to an independant body is madness as they will not be covered by the Freedom of Information Act!

BTW The bloke who was the whistleblower, on the news the other day, I used to catch the train with him to London every day..

All true Dave. I think a lot of this is that the public in general having been frustrated at politicians for years now, and in part this hullabaloo has brought it to a head. They DO seem to stay in their ivory towers and they DO seem to live different lives to the rest of us, divorced from the real world - instead of be representatives for us. Of course, the recession has also heightened these feelings (tell me about it !!). Now would be a good time to change some of this for the better.

I didn't know this new panel wouldn't be subject to FoI - surely that can't be right.

 

[desprateseagull]

she isnt exactly quitting, just 'standing down' (ie, accpeting she has no chance at the next election..)

i cant see why their respective parties have not sacked them, and call for a bi election? thats if they really want to be SEEN to reform the crocked house of scammons..

 

[Easy 10]

There's nothing wrong with claiming expenses per-sé in the line of doing their jobs. But the whole system is loose and vague, and has enabled MP's not just to use the system, but to actively and conciously EXPLOIT it.

Any MP with an ounce of decency would have in the forfront of their mind the fact that they are taking public funds - our money - to pay for this stuff. Sadly in most cases, it seems that even common decency was too much to expect, and we've just ended up with a gaggle of graspers who have milked us for as much as tey can get.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

she isnt exactly quitting, just 'standing down' (ie, accpeting she has no chance at the next election..)

i cant see why their respective parties have not sacked them, and call for a bi election? thats if they really want to be SEEN to reform the crocked house of scammons..

Can they sack them ? Surely they've been voted in by the people. You can withdraw the whip which makes them independant. You could sack them from ministerial posts but I'm not sure you can as an MP (I'm guessing though I know little about politics)

 

[Brovion]

There's nothing wrong with claiming expenses per-sé in the line of doing their jobs. But the whole system is loose and vague, and has enabled MP's not just to use the system, but to actively and conciously EXPLOIT it.

Any MP with an ounce of decency would have in the forfront of their mind the fact that they are taking public funds - our money - to pay for this stuff. Sadly in most cases, it seems that even common decency was too much to expect, and we've just ended up with a gaggle of graspers who have milked us for as much as tey can get.

I think that sums it up. No one minds an MP from the Scottish Highlands claiming for a second home in London, it's obvious they need it so they can do their job and so quite rightly there is a second home allowance. Also, quite rightly it isn't set in stone how far you have to live from London before you 'need' a second home but instead it's left to individual MPs to work out. Some have done so, but some have thought, "Second home allowance, great, I'll have some of that even though I only live in Luton."

There's legitimate expenses and there's taking the piss. Dave mentions that all companies have an expenses policy and when staying in hotels people claim to the maximum. Well, yes they do; but only to STAY there, not to BUY the sodding thing, refurbish it and then sell it for a tax-free profit.

 

[Tooting Gull]

There is a certain irony that it is journalists who are exposing these abuses of expenses. Not that any of them in the past have ever asked a taxi driver for 20 receipts, or a restaurant for copies of all the day's bills...however these days even papers are cracking down, so maybe there's a bit of bitterness coming out in the coverage.

 

[Easy 10]

There's legitimate expenses and there's taking the piss. Dave mentions that all companies have an expenses policy and when staying in hotels people claim to the maximum. Well, yes they do; but only to STAY there, not to BUY the sodding thing, refurbish it and then sell it for a tax-free profit.

Quite.
And claiming expenses from a business is VERY different from claiming expenses from public funds, ie yours and my wallets.

I heard a lovely anecdote mentioned on Newnight the other week, where one of the 'disgraced' MP's was apparently in his local butchers buying steak, when one of his constituents queuing behind him reached for his wallet and said "I'll just pay for that now, shall I ?". Dunno if that was a true story, hope it was though.

 

[countrygull]

There is a certain irony that it is journalists who are exposing these abuses of expenses. Not that any of them in the past have ever asked a taxi driver for 20 receipts, or a restaurant for copies of all the day's bills...however these days even papers are cracking down, so maybe there's a bit of bitterness coming out in the coverage.

I think you could certainly say that about Julie Kirkbride - a former BBC producer - a rather average one at that - who rose to unlikely heights under Cameron. I'm sure there won't be too many tears shed at BBC HQ: certainly not at Newsnight who led on the story last night and the Today Programme which had a report just on her this morning (ie none of the other moat-owners)

 

[siclean]

mind you i used to be a taxi driver in brighton for 9 yrs...and so many drivers were cooking the books...fiddling the the expenses that you hardly paid any tax !! not me mind you..oh no !

 

[Goldstone Rapper]

Is Celia Barlow (MP for Hove) on the way out too?

She has some explaining to do...

Celia Barlow claimed 28,000 before switching home - Telegraph

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

When a MP says they are standing down at the next election it is not entirely their decision. They have a choice of resigning straight away or remaining in office and still get paid a salary. The reason they have to stand down is that they have been told there is no chance of them being reselected at local level. The only option for them to stand as a MP in a constituency will be as an Independent.

 

[Milton Keynes Seagull]

Phllis Starkey, New Labour MP for Milton Keynes (the other one is Mark Lancaster a Tory), claims for a second home in London, looked particularly embarrassed when asked by a commuter from MK as to why she couldn't get the train to London like he did every day? Its about 45 minutes away. Granted the house may be sitting late, but then she could stay in a small hotel when it does.

They're all at it Lib/Lab/Con and UKIP in the EU Parliament. The worst thing is not just being ripped off, but that they really think they're above us mere mortals.

 

[Storer68]

I
these MP's are governed(sic) by a department of westminster that has set these obscene rules.

It should be the policy that is changed, then they would be forced to claim within a policy that was transparent and equitable, ie one that reimburses expenses paid and perhaps an allowance for the buggeration factor of say, staying away from home.

this business about turning the expenses over to an independant body is madness as they will not be covered by the Freedom of Information Act!

QUOTE]


MPs are NOT governed by a Department of Westminster (whatever that might be). They set their own rules for expenses and the House of Commons Fees office impliments it - therefore if the MPs don't like the rules, ONLY they can change them

 

[siclean]

if they done nothing wrong, as they are all claiming why they standing down ??

 

[Uncle C]

Is it just me or does Julie Kirkbridge have a future as a MILF.

 

[Storer68]

I didn't know this new panel wouldn't be subject to FoI - surely that can't be right.

It could be covered by FoI IF the panel was a public body. If it isn't (ie a company lof accountnts ike Price Waterhouse for example) then it won't be.

As I understand the information wopuld be passed over to a private body, it will not be publically held information thereby being outside the jurisdiction of the FoI Act