MPs still don't get it do they

[beorhthelm]

In this context, he is a public servant there, paid for by you and me, to represent his constituency in Parliament, not to behave like an executive of a large company.

the underlying question is, do you want your parlimentry representitive to be efficently working on his way to work/meetings like an executive, or reading the metro like the average "public servant".

the guy has made himself look like a tit, but reall this just highlights how stupid the debate is with people largely following the media line of "oh how terrible, they are stealing from us" without any real debate on what we think should be a workable, sensible system. at the end of the day in the budget of just running parliament a first class rail ticket a speck, in fact the all of the expenses combined is a rounding error. we shouldnt be worried that they have expenses but what is claimed on them: rail ok, duck houses not.

his attitude to those in normal class should be the focus here, not that he want to claim travel on his employer.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

One Nil to Stephen Nolan. End off. This family are local to me,and local feeling is sick and tired of them. The pair have been found out for whar they are,just wish it had been ten years earlier.

 

[mcshane in the 79th]

He said he hardly ever gets the train as he prefers driving down with his wife. We should be angry at him for not be environmentally friendly

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

You never fail to disappoint with your posts.

The guy has abused the expense system and sees nothing wrong in what he has done. He sees himself superior to the vast majority of people by birth but he isn't. And to cap it all, he is standing down at the next election which means he is entitled to a bumper pay day in excess of his yearly salary. In fact, He and his wife are likely to get £200k between them in salary and a futher £2m in pension.
He's resigning because he is a crook and we are still paying for it.

Read what I wrote again. I just liked the bloke for standing up for himself.

 

[The Large One]

He's standing up for a snob culture that has no place for an publicly-funded elected parliamentary representative.

He's there to represent us, not himself.

 

[Nibble]

We could argue tit for tat about all the finer details of what they should and shouldn't be allowed to do forever and a day. The fact is that this man stole from the citizens of the UK. End of.

There should be a system in place such as Court Marshall for these theives. At the end of which if found guilty they should face a dishonourable discharge from parlaiment. No pension, no payoff, get your stuff and do one. You have disgraced your position, disgraced the UK and disgraced the intstitution. Pay back the money and hang your head in shame. Live the rest of your life on a state pension and realise what it is like for the millions of others that you stole from. I direct you towards my quote at the bottom of this message and ask for your support in a campaign to rid the world of these evil machines and Skynet.

 

[Easy 10]

We could argue tit for tat about all the finer details of what they should and shouldn't be allowed to do forever and a day. The fact is that this man stole from the citizens of the UK. End of.

There should be a system in place such as Court Marshall for these theives. At the end of which if found guilty they should face a dishonourable discharge from parlaiment. No pension, no payoff, get your stuff and do one. You have disgraced your position, disgraced the UK and disgraced the intstitution. Pay back the money and hang your head in shame. Live the rest of your life on a state pension and realise what it is like for the millions of others that you stole from. I direct you towards my quote at the bottom of this message and ask for your support in a campaign to rid the world of these evil machines and Skynet.

Best post on the thread.

 

[Tooting Gull]

We could argue tit for tat about all the finer details of what they should and shouldn't be allowed to do forever and a day. The fact is that this man stole from the citizens of the UK. End of.

There should be a system in place such as Court Marshall for these theives. At the end of which if found guilty they should face a dishonourable discharge from parlaiment. No pension, no payoff, get your stuff and do one. You have disgraced your position, disgraced the UK and disgraced the intstitution. Pay back the money and hang your head in shame. Live the rest of your life on a state pension and realise what it is like for the millions of others that you stole from. I direct you towards my quote at the bottom of this message and ask for your support in a campaign to rid the world of these evil machines and Skynet.

It's up to MPs to improve their image and reputation - but humiliate them too much and they'll f**k off and do something else. For some, you might say the sooner the better. But you'll end up with no one of any real talent or achievement or character at all, they'll all go and be better paid working in industry somewhere.

Personally I think they should be paid more, and then slash the expenses. Otherwise you're going to end up with a whole House of Commons of junior union activists and bored trust-fund Tories who don't need the money.

 

[pork pie]

In this context, he is a public servant there, paid for by you and me, to represent his constituency in Parliament, not to behave like an executive of a large company.

Well, he might be an executive as well, but to claim back through the public as though he were one is not appropriate.

Why not? At least he has been elected! There a large number of "cronies" like Meddlesom who have not been elected by anyone with their snouts in the trough.

In my opinion, MPs are entitled to a reasonable level of remuneration and perks. We all know things have become a joke. I think that their "perks" should be limited to those which HMRC would accept as not being taxable for any other taxpayer.

 

[Nibble]

It's up to MPs to improve their image and reputation - but humiliate them too much and they'll f**k off and do something else. For some, you might say the sooner the better. But you'll end up with no one of any real talent or achievement or character at all, they'll all go and be better paid working in industry somewhere.

Personally I think they should be paid more, and then slash the expenses. Otherwise you're going to end up with a whole House of Commons of junior union activists and bored trust-fund Tories who don't need the money.

As for the argument of paying them more and taking away their expenses, why? They should learn to live on their not insubstantial income and use their expenses accordingly and respectfuly. They had it good. They got busted. It's over and their reaction is one of either shame or indignation.

If you stole the petty cash from your workplace over a period of years, were caught and when asked why, your reply was "I dont get paid enough" would you expect to keep your job?

 

[The Large One]

Why not? At least he has been elected! There a large number of "cronies" like Meddlesom who have not been elected by anyone with their snouts in the trough.

I don't think you'll find any Government minister in the Lords has been elected. Ever.

In my opinion, MPs are entitled to a reasonable level of remuneration and perks. We all know things have become a joke. I think that their "perks" should be limited to those which HMRC would accept as not being taxable for any other taxpayer.

Of course they're entitled to remuneration. No-one is disputing that.

But why should they be entitled to perks at our expense? If someone else wants to give them a little extra, that's down to them. But to automatically be entitled to that little extra above and beyond their pay and fairly generous expense allowance - I'd need to see a lot more justification for that.

This is about someone who believes his job is far more important than anyone else to the extent that he derides people who don't travel in First Class. If he was in the Government, he may have a case, but to abuse his electorate...?

 

[clapham_gull]

Also £ 65k a year for the responsibilty of the job is utter cack. It should be about £ 150k.

Not really, it can't be compared to any other job. Many people would do it for much less to have it on their CV.

After resigning or getting selected MPs can walk into another job, many walking into them whilst remaining a member of parliament.

If they want to paid the figure you suggest than the whole system needs to be changed.

For example, no outside employment and probably a paid period of gardening leave after they stop being a MP, no unelected people allowed to sit in the cabinet.

The whole system of interest groups needs to be looked at as well which are potentially as big a scandal as the expenses.

 

[pork pie]

He's standing up for a snob culture that has no place for an publicly-funded elected parliamentary representative.

He's there to represent us, not himself.

"snob culture" that sounds like a real left-wing comment. In case you are not aware, the comunist elite if the former Eastern Block were the worst culprits when it came to taking from their States.

Why shouldn't our elected representatives be properly rewarded? If what MPs had claimed in their previous term of office was made public at each election, so the public could decide if they had received good value for there money, I think that may be a good method of controlling their "greed".

 

[Nibble]

Not really, it can't be compared to any other job. Many people would do it for much less to have it on their CV.

After resigning or getting selected MPs can walk into another job, many walking into them whilst remaining a member of parliament.

If they want to paid the figure you suggest than the whole system needs to be changed.

For example, no outside employment and probably a paid period of gardening leave after they stop being a MP.

The whole system of interest groups needs to be looked at as well which are potentially as big a scandal as the expenses.

A good post. If they do need more salary then yes, this would be the only real way of acheiving a good balance. Personally i don't think they do need more money. Their wage + a basic travel and accomodation allowance should be enough.

 

[pork pie]

If he was in the Government, he may have a case, but to abuse his electorate...?

If he was in this Government, then he would be so discredited that he should be made to walk!

 

[The Large One]

"snob culture" that sounds like a real left-wing comment. In case you are not aware, the comunist elite if the former Eastern Block were the worst culprits when it came to taking from their States.

Not disputing the Eastern Bloc stuff there.

I'm not opening up a left v right debate here. I'm commenting on a humility v conceitedness debate.

The 'snob culture' comment is a response to the fact that, as an MP, he regards himself as higher or better than us - and therefore deserving better treatment than us as a matter of obligation and right. For me, he has to earn that right, and even then, approach it with far more tact and dignity than that. That attitude is, at best, misguided, and at worst, indicative of completely misunderstanding the concept of what being a parliamentary representative is.

"snob culture" that sounds like a real left-wing comment. In case you are not aware, the comunist elite if the former Eastern Block were the worst culprits when it came to taking from their States.

Why shouldn't our elected representatives be properly rewarded? If what MPs had claimed in their previous term of office was made public at each election, so the public could decide if they had received good value for there money, I think that may be a good method of controlling their "greed".

MPs ARE properly rewarded. They receive a decent salary and generous expenses.

I don't have a problem with MPs' costs being made public, but for the electorate to judge them on that criterion alone isn't, I don't think, a good example of democracy.

For exmaple, one MP may have spent X thousand pounds, and may have been considered to have represented their constituency with verve, vigour and decency. The next MP might have spent the same amount on the same things, and been utterly self-absorbed, out for themselves, and whining about things that they have no real place to whine about.

Not easy.

 

[The Spanish]

MP's are f***ing EXCELLENT.

 

[beorhthelm]

He's standing up for a snob culture that has no place for an publicly-funded elected parliamentary representative.

He's there to represent us, not himself.

thats fair comment. And you certianly dont have to belong to one political leaning to be snobish.

he's not just out of touch, he's clearly feel complacent about his position. Nearly 40 years as an MP, he probably doesn tknwo any better. it makes me wonder if there should be a limit on service as an MP or for single seat.

 

[vulture]

latest poll
tory 39
labour 32
lib 18

hung

 

[SittingbourneSeagull]

The old boy had the balls to say what 90% of all MP's of all parties probably think and stuck his head above the paraphet and was shot down for it. But I admire someone who has his own mind and does not bow down to the PC way now and say it how it is. He stood his ground and would not back down and for that I rather respect him regardless of the rights and wrongs.

No he came across as someone completely out of touch with the real world, a view that is not going to change by travelling 1st class. The presenter actually gave him the opportunity to retract one statement but he did not have the intelligence to do this or to realise how he was coming across. Your comment about the type of people travelling on your train the other day makes you sound just like him!