Question Time tonight

[coventrygull]

*sigh*. The BNP are nothing more than a pressure group for white thickies. They barely flicker on the electoral radar so why should anyone give a f*** what they say?

I'd rather listen to Prince Charles' opinions on architecture than a noddy party's views on the political world.

Its all about the right of reply.

 

[bigc]

This does however challenge the orthodox assumption that having two large stable parties is good for democracy. The fact is, so many, from either side, have seats that never change hands, like Soames for Tories down here, and Labour people oop north.

As a result, well, they've become institutionalised into thinking they can get away with it because their position is as safe as houses.

 

[Seagullible]

Theresa May is my local mp and generally I have a lot of time for her as she has listened to things I have said and helped out

 

[portlock seagull]

This does however challenge the orthodox assumption that having two large stable parties is good for democracy. The fact is, so many, from either side, have seats that never change hands, like Soames for Tories down here, and Labour people oop north.

As a result, well, they've become institutionalised into thinking they can get away with it because their position is as safe as houses.

And that is why I think this could become the catalyst for wider reform. The electorate are finally becoming more politically aware due to this matter, it's timing etc and that can only be positive news.

 

[CHAPPERS]

I thought Ming Campbell sounded like a right TWAT when he started banging on about how he works 73 hours a week (including travel to and from Newcastle which would be first class anyway and account for a fair bit of that so can't really be called work seeing us everyone else has to travel to work) for only 60 odd grand a year but none of that matter because HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES.

Then DON'T bang on about how long you work you GIMP. Urgh, the way they tried to weasel out of it all made me even more sick than the whole row in the first place.


''ooh ooh there's more important things to worry about like the 4 killed in afghanistan and people losing their jobs''

Do f*** OFF and don't try and GUILT trip me. Just because the papers and popular media won't report anything else doesn't mean the electorate aren't paying it any mind. Cocks, they could at least give the electorate some credit.

I hate some politicians, especially those at the business end, I'm sure most of the 'lesser' mps are going to come out of this much better than Beckett and the like.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I thought Ming Campbell sounded like a right TWAT when he started banging on about how he works 73 hours a week (including travel to and from Newcastle which would be first class anyway and account for a fair bit of that so can't really be called work seeing us everyone else has to travel to work) for only 60 odd grand a year but none of that matter because HE LOVES WHAT HE DOES.

I have a lot of respect for Ming Campbell. He made the mistake of doing the decent thing, identifying a bill that is very small beer compared to what else has been going on - and re-paying it. By doing that - he is cast in the same light as those who have been switching primary residences and making tens of thousands of pounds.

He should have just said that it was a legitimate expense. For which there was a very good argument. We need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

*sigh*. The BNP are nothing more than a pressure group for white thickies. They barely flicker on the electoral radar so why should anyone give a f*** what they say?

and nasty thickies at that.

 

[CHAPPERS]

He should have just said that it was a legitimate expense. For which there was a very good argument. We need to be careful not to throw the baby out with the bathwater.

Oh I do agree, i just thought it screamed of trying to hard when cealring one'sname of any wrong doing. He could have said what he did very differently without coming across as such a do gooder (although admittadly I would want my MP to be a do gooder!). I think I just got caught up in all the bullshit.

The McDonalds guy was very good when he said we have to distinguish between those who have used the system for legitimate expense (though may have taken that to extremes in some cases) and those who have knowingly manipulated the system for their own personal gain.

 

[Marshy]

Beckett.......

 

[The Uninvited Guest]

Is Margret Beckett the mother or Grand mother of Luke?

 

[CHAPPERS]

I'll tell you the most annoying thing about this too, I don't know where to direct my anger.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Theresa May is my local mp and generally I have a lot of time for her as she has listened to things I have said and helped out

I find her completely abhorrent. She has spun nothing but the "company" line. She never actually says anything. I still don't believe that she, amongst others, do not think they have done anything wrong and all this bru-ha-ha is just a media-hyped annoyance.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

The McDonalds guy was very good when he said we have to distinguish between those who have used the system for legitimate expense (though may have taken that to extremes in some cases) and those who have knowingly manipulated the system for their own personal gain.

We will exclude Norman Baker from that. He deserves all the criticism that is coming his way .................................

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I find her completely abhorrent. She has spun nothing but the "company" line. She never actually says anything. I still don't believe that she, amongst others, do not think they have done anything wrong and all this bru-ha-ha is just a media-hyped annoyance.

I thought she was just trying to put it in context. And it does look like it was seen by the Parliamentary authorities as a way to pay additional salary - without looking like they were doing so. Before 2002 they did not need to provide any supporting documents to their claims (which I assume is why they are only going back 5 years).

Also some credit should be given to all May, Beckett and Ming for going on the programme - it was obvious it was going to be a witch-hunt. And didn't the BBC love it - there was barely any attempt to stop the heckling.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

I thought she was just trying to put it in context. And it does look like it was seen by the Parliamentary authorities as a way to pay additional salary - without looking like they were doing so. Before 2002 they did not need to provide any supporting documents to their claims (which I assume is why they are only going back 5 years).

Also some credit should be given to all May, Beckett and Ming for going on the programme - it was obvious it was going to be a witch-hunt. And didn't the BBC love it - there was barely any attempt to stop the heckling.

oh, I agree that they deserve some credit for going on there, it was never going to be easy, and they were never going to be able to say anything "right" in the minds of the crowd. I just can't help feeling that they would walk off the stage, say to each other "that was a bit rough wan't it ? ........ Drinks anyone ?" - and carry on as normal. I may be getting cynical as I get older, but I think that they see us as an annoyance getting in the way of their "work".

 

[Seagullible]

I find her completely abhorrent. She has spun nothing but the "company" line. She never actually says anything. I still don't believe that she, amongst others, do not think they have done anything wrong and all this bru-ha-ha is just a media-hyped annoyance.

to be fair to her, she does a lot of local stuff and does work for her constituancy. I believe she was also lower down on the expenses list but might have that bit wrong. In terms to her following the 'company line' she probably doesn't have too much choice as she could cause more controvasy by saying anything else

 

[Tricky Dicky]

to be fair to her, she does a lot of local stuff and does work for her constituancy. I believe she was also lower down on the expenses list but might have that bit wrong. In terms to her following the 'company line' she probably doesn't have too much choice as she could cause more controvasy by saying anything else

That's fair enough if you have actual experience of her, most of us can only go by what we see in the media. She's certainly better than H. Blears, in my book anyway, but then who isn't.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The most shocking comment of the night came from Beckett, who, when quizzed about bogus invoices in her own expenses, claimed that:

"I'd collated the data and pulled together the invoices late at night when extremely tired, then handed them to a junior member of staff in the morning and told them to prepare the claim, I didn't appreciate some of the invoices were non-business".

So basically she'd done what a lot of sole traders do at the end of a long working day and collated her records when knackered. Except that when HM Revenue & Customs spot the thousands of pounds of bogus expenses included in sole trader accounts there is interest, penalties, prior year enquiries and, possibly, criminal charges of fraud and tax evasion.

I find the double-standards absolutely STAGGERING. Even poor old Ming Campbell was unable to answer Dimbleby's question about if he'd paid back £1,500 of professional fees re tarting up his flat that, on reflection, he considered to be private rather than business then why did he claim for them in the first place.

 

[bigc]

And that is why I think this could become the catalyst for wider reform. The electorate are finally becoming more politically aware due to this matter, it's timing etc and that can only be positive news.

Yes, well that's what we can hope for.

I personally think we need a proper codified constitution. If we had one of them, with breachs of MP's trust such as this, surely we could dismiss them and have more power over them?

In the emerging democracies of Central/Eastern Europe I have been studying for my degree for the last few years, these representatives would have been removed like a shot. It is ironic that us and the US(with all their faults) spent years telling them how to create their systems and they probably now have a fairer and cleaner system than ours, which is all the more surprising considering what they had to begin with.

 

[seagullsovergrimsby]

nice pair of tits on now

Will ask Russ later to see if he recognises them.