Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

[Tubby Isaacs]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Sure, but he hasn't at all established the point he's implying that one MP rips the system off because she's not as socialist as her neighbour. Sinn Fein are still to the left of Ed Milliband and Hillary Benn, I would think.

I note the example of Berlusconi but don't you think a leftist party would do well out of the current sense of mainstream politicians having let everyone down?

Here's something I noticed on the BBC, of Ben Bradshaw:

the Telegraph claimed he had switched his second home designation to a more expensive jointly-owned London property and claimed full mortgage interest payments, in order for his partner to "benefit from the system".

I have no regard for Bradshaw, but the spectre of "a partner" benefiting from the system stood out. We haven't hear about Elliott Morley's wife, have we? Then I remember Bradshaw's gay.

What a cnuty paper the Telegraph is.

[E10 Rifle]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

There isn't really a leftist party around to benefit from the anti-politics mood though. Which we could have a really involved debate about.

But none the less, with the exception of Leyton's Harry Cohen, the smattering of remaining lefties in parliament have come out of all this comparitively unscathed.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

I'd love to have that debate sometime.

[David Agnew]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

E10 Rifle wrote:

There isn't really a leftist party around to benefit from the anti-politics mood though. Which we could have a really involved debate about.

But none the less, with the exception of Leyton's Harry Cohen, the smattering of remaining lefties in parliament have come out of all this comparitively unscathed.

But ten if the lefties had hammered the system, you can bet they would have been exposed before we heard about moats and expired mortgages.

Dennis Skinner had the second lowest expenses of any sitting MP. The only lower (Philip Hollobone) spent just £400 on staff.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Equally we're hearing a lot about moats and tennis courts- the tennis court was only mentioned because some pipes went under it. The amounts involved here were by the standards of the fiddles gone on, pretty trivial. The Telegraph, which has driven these stories, hasn't seemed that interested in fingering only lefties.

We're going round in circles but I'm not convinced by banishing Sinn Fein from the left. They haven't come out of it unscathed.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Kate Hoey just said she didn't even know you could claim for food when away from their first home. She's right to be bewildered. The MPs have second homes (this has been in the news a bit recently). Why does food cost more in a second home than a first one?

Anyway, that debate:

In Labour CLPs people get pissed off with the incumbents- chance for new candidates. Don't know how many leftists are in there, but the mood generally post-bank crashes would help the left. Leadership chucks out a couple of people who didn't pay the poll tax or whatever, still seems quite positive overall.

[DCI Harry Batt]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Do they still have CLPs? Do they still get to choose their own candidates?

[Wyatt Earp]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

I sincerely doubt he was that bloody rich when he went into politics, on his supposedly meagre MP's salary ... 20 years of claiming £20k adds up to quite a lot, perhaps, before you get "found out" along with your peers ...

A few months before, while celebrating Boat Race night, I had fallen into the clutches of the Law for trying to separate a policeman from his helmet, and after sleeping fitfully on a plank bed had been hauled up at Bosher Street next morning and fined five of the best. The magistrate who had inflicted this monstrous sentence -- to the accompaniment, I may add, of some very offensive remarks from the bench -- was none other than old Pop Bassett, father of Gussie's bride-to-be.

As it turned out, I was one of his last customers, for a couple of weeks later he inherited a pot of money from a distant relative and retired to the country. That, at least, was the story that had been put about. My own view was that he had got the stuff by sticking like glue to the fines. Five quid here, five quid there -- you can see how it would mount up over a period of years.

[E10 Rifle]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

I could bore for England on the subject of CLP selection processes - though the one in my CLP in 2007 had a fair, but horribly unfortunate, outcome. (See the current Erith furore and the recent Calder Valley one to see just what an ugly mess the leadership are prepared to make of things if it means keeping out faces that don't fit).

But the control-freakery that characterises these processes, and other aspects of internal party democracy, is indeed germane to the problem, which is one of the reasons I linked to the Milne article - unlike his more patrician colleagues Toynbee and Ashley he doesn't just see the problem as replacing one unelected leader with another.

[wingco]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Wyatt, from The Code Of The Woosters! My bedtime re-reading at the moment.

[Guest]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

The guy who claimed money to get his castle moat cleaned is the same arsehole who helped to get Pat Finucane killed in 1989.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

He did vote against Iraq, so his hands are relatively clean by current standards.

[E10 Rifle]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

So we've got that bar nice and low then.

[Duncan Gardner]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

vennegoor strokes wrote:

The guy who claimed money to get his castle moat cleaned is the same arsehole who helped to get Pat Finucane killed in 1989.

Accusing Finucane of, effectively, being a Provo is hardly helping to kill him- even if you think the UDA hadn't already jumped to the same conclusion.

[Guest]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Well, that wasn't a predictable post at all.

[Banana Banana]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

I think people with principles behave and those without don't.

If we want MPs with principles we need to know the facts. The Telegraph expose really does nothing for this, other than confirm the beliefs of those who always believed that every MP and councillor was on the take.

We need to allow MPs to live in London and in their constituency. If it is near London they will have the occasional £50 taxi or central London hotel bill because of a 2am sitting. They need to do this without some 23 year old journalist in a local paper thinking that this is some sort of scandal.

It is also reasonable that MPs should have reasonable accommodation when in London. We don't really need to be prescriptive if someone wants a two bed flat in Vauxhall so that their children can visit them or if someone else wants a one-bed flat in Pimlico. A hard-working MP will have a 14 hour day in London Monday-Thursday: stretching to 17 hour days during all night sittings so being nearby is, to my mind, reasonable.

We also do not need to celebrate those MPs who claim nothing because they do nothing e.g don't employ a secretary so they don't answer their mail.

[Banana Banana]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Rogin the Armchair Fan wrote:

Is there such thing as a person of modest means entering Westminster politics?

David Davis, erstwhile challenger for the Tory leadership, grew up on a South London council estate. After an admittedly successful career in business, he entered politics at the age of just 38, over twenty years ago.

He now lives in a £3m country estate, complete with stables and peacocks strutting about on his lawn. Go figure ...

There are two Tory MPs called David Davis. Are you sure it is the same one?

[DCI Harry Batt]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

MPs don't sit that late any more - a couple of 10pm finishes, that's about it. Plenty of people manage to get home from such a "late" finish and get in for an early start.

Knock up a hostel - maybe convert a bit of Millbank tower. A few spare rooms for the odd visitor. A canteen. A launcdry. Bob's your uncle.

[Duncan Gardner]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

vennegoor strokes wrote:

Well, that wasn't a predictable post at all

I'm only pre-empting your libel sub-editor.

Chippy and I had a chat about this the other day when he kindly offered me a lift across country. As a result, I directed him down the wrong exit from the A14 and straight into John Major's home village.

[chrisS]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

It's all about where the line is, isn't it? This isn't something that hasn't been expressed a hundred times or more by many more articulate than me, but it's pretty much the whole point. If an MP needs a place in London, I don't mind them claiming for a TV. I do mind when that TV is a 42" plasma.
Also, I'm sure I'm being really naive over this, but if expenses are claimed to pay a mortgage for a second home in London, as opposed to rent, what happens to that place once the mortgage is paid? If the mortgage is an expense incurred by acting as an MP, surely the taxpayer shouldn't be effectively buying the MP a place in London for use after their political career is over?

[Guest]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Am I right in saying that an MP's or Minister salary is tax free?

Thats what I vaguly remember from reading an artical back in the when. If so this £64k becomes a fair bit more in real money.

Working for a place with a generous allowance scheme is one thing, but where lies have been told when claiming those expenses should be a criminal matter. Though I doubt the plod will get involved*.

The Telegraph eh? Their owners being such stout beleivers in democracy.

(Am I the only one who thinks £2000 for clearing a moat is pretty good value? Thats got to be 4 or 5 days work for 3 maybe 4 blokes)

*What odds the next Police pay review to be a good one.

[chrisS]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

True; at least the chaps who cleaned the moat didn't take the piss!

[Guest]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

Absolutly cent.

I had a disussion with a mate last weekend down the pub and we were trying to guess what the Tories would be claiming for. I think I was closest with having their turrets roof's repaired.

Can't believe he claimed for a fucking moat! Hahahaha. Twat.

[chrisS]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

I just don't get what kind of expenses claim administrator doesn't go, "He's claiming for WHAT? A FUCKING MOAT? What next, getting his portcullis descaled? Fuck off!"
Apart from a really corrupt one, obviously.

[Levin]

Where's The MP's Expenses Thread?

I'm a little confused by the fact that an MP could claim expenses up to more than double their salary. How does that work?