Last week's BBC interview with Tory MP Steen, blew the Tory strategy of pretending to be like ordinary people, right out of the water. The subject was the same subject matter of the past two weeks, that of MPs expenses. His interview was littered with things that Tories should only ever say to other Tories, and never within earshot of a reporter. His quotes included these gems:
"...do you know what it's about? Jealousy. I've got a very very large house. Some say it even looks like Balmoral. ... It just does me nicely."
"...as of this day I don't know what the fuss is about."
"... I took soundings from the constituents, and they are absolutely beside themselves with anger."
"... a wretched government here that has completely mucked up the system and caused resignation of me and many others, because it was this government that brought in the freedom of information act, ... actually caught me on the wrong foot, which, if I'd been cleverer, it wouldn't have done."
"...What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None. "
Well, excuse me, (I say touching my forelock, and stooping so low that eyes meet the level of Steen's kneecaps), I'm so terribly sorry to question your expense claims on the public purse, So sorry sir, I won't do it again sir. (I wave my hand in a circular motion, grovel, grovel. grovel.) Please send an escort to take me back to my sticks and mud hovel in the woods, and I promise never, ever, ever to question again what the MPs of this country are doing with our peasants tax money.
Sunday 24 May 2009
Wednesday 20 May 2009
27 Months For A Life
Toby Cooke was due to go to Ghana to help build a children's hospital. Instead he ended up on the receiving end of Harrow's Graham Cahill's fist in a road-rage incident. Toby Cooke didn't recover from the knock down. He died from his injuries.
Cahill admitted manslaughter. Cahill got a pathetic 27 month prison sentence from the judge, oh and let's not forget the 18 month ban on driving. On this occasion it seems Mr Cooke was the driving menace, the type that probably would annoy me, too. It's an awfully light sentence, though, and I would expect this to be raised in the House of Commons in the near future.
Cahill admitted manslaughter. Cahill got a pathetic 27 month prison sentence from the judge, oh and let's not forget the 18 month ban on driving. On this occasion it seems Mr Cooke was the driving menace, the type that probably would annoy me, too. It's an awfully light sentence, though, and I would expect this to be raised in the House of Commons in the near future.
Monday 18 May 2009
MPs Expenses Must Be Reformed
Local Conservative MP, Andrew Selous needs to give very serious thought to explaining how he tops the league table in 2002/3 and 2004/5 for Additional Costs Allowances, with his constituency being only some 35 miles from London.
For over a week the Daily Telegraph has published the outrageous, the ridiculous, the extravagant, the weird, and the downright dishonest, expense claims of our MPs. To the punter in the street they all seem to have been "at it", regardless of party, at some point. Only a handful appear to come squeaky clean.
But doesn't it just show that our MPs are "only human"? I mean, the highway code says the speed limit on our motorways is 70mph. But as one speeds past you when you're on 70mph, just look how many others follow suit. One gets away with it, and plenty more think they'll try it on too. Stick average speed cameras on the route, and just look how they all slow!
I say that what parliament needs is a better system to police those claims. Government owned apartments for MPs who need to travel a fair distance to work. For those who prefer to travel in, perhaps a mileage allowance, but only on those days they need to travel in. As for Kit-Kats, hob knob biscuits, flower pots, and the like, they should buy their own. As for profits on 2nd homes (that's 2nd, not 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th!), pay it back to parliament; and if you are judged by your peers to have deliberately, systematically, "milked the system" over recent years, RESIGN!
Footnote: Just as Rita Egan says, as a local councillor I have never submitted any expenses, or even claimed petrol for 2 distance trips I took last year, or for a day unpaid off work I had to take to attend a training course on the new planning system.
For over a week the Daily Telegraph has published the outrageous, the ridiculous, the extravagant, the weird, and the downright dishonest, expense claims of our MPs. To the punter in the street they all seem to have been "at it", regardless of party, at some point. Only a handful appear to come squeaky clean.
But doesn't it just show that our MPs are "only human"? I mean, the highway code says the speed limit on our motorways is 70mph. But as one speeds past you when you're on 70mph, just look how many others follow suit. One gets away with it, and plenty more think they'll try it on too. Stick average speed cameras on the route, and just look how they all slow!
I say that what parliament needs is a better system to police those claims. Government owned apartments for MPs who need to travel a fair distance to work. For those who prefer to travel in, perhaps a mileage allowance, but only on those days they need to travel in. As for Kit-Kats, hob knob biscuits, flower pots, and the like, they should buy their own. As for profits on 2nd homes (that's 2nd, not 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th!), pay it back to parliament; and if you are judged by your peers to have deliberately, systematically, "milked the system" over recent years, RESIGN!
Footnote: Just as Rita Egan says, as a local councillor I have never submitted any expenses, or even claimed petrol for 2 distance trips I took last year, or for a day unpaid off work I had to take to attend a training course on the new planning system.
Thursday 14 May 2009
Friday 8 May 2009
SCANDAL OF MPs EXPENSES
2-jags apparently claimed twice in two years for fixing a WC in his private house. Perhaps the reason he has had so many loo problems is that he's been shoving so much food - £400 a month on food expenses - down his greedy gob. I always thought he was full of cr*p.
Harriet Harman says the House of Commons authorities check that the expenses of MPS are within the rules. Well, clearly the rules need changing!
"I have only ever had 1 small flat at any one time in London" says Hazel Blears, swiftly ignoring the facts that the Torygraph today publishes information stating she claimed for three different properties in one year. I say she should resign.
And so the expenses come out. And most of them ARE NOT expenses in the course of doing a job. Farleys rusks, Mouse killer, a pizza wheel, a chocolate santa, cat food, potato peeler, X-rated movies... They are making money hand-over-fist on 2nd homes. It is scandulous what is being claimed on MPs expenses.
I just fear that MPs will now get the idea that the sh*t has really hit the fan. Watch them. They'll now be putting in expense claims for new fans, and specialist cleaning operatives! Not to worry, Gordon Brown knows just the cleaner they can employ. The Prime Minister paid his brother for cleaning, at a neat £10.50 per hour (and that's probably a lot more than this top executive at EDF energy pays his own cleaners!)
Parliament is clearly a gravy train. The authority that settles the claims needs to be brought to task, not the people lapping up the gravy "because every one else on the train is lapping up the gravy". If something is not a legitimate cost in the course of a performing a job, then "nothing doing".
While I discussed this little lot with work colleagues, a package arrived for me. "Watcha got, Al?" they enquired.
"Oh, that's a guillotine I ordered off E-bay".
** chuckles all round **
... So just ask the MPs to queue up at my desk, and place their heads ..."
Harriet Harman says the House of Commons authorities check that the expenses of MPS are within the rules. Well, clearly the rules need changing!
"I have only ever had 1 small flat at any one time in London" says Hazel Blears, swiftly ignoring the facts that the Torygraph today publishes information stating she claimed for three different properties in one year. I say she should resign.
And so the expenses come out. And most of them ARE NOT expenses in the course of doing a job. Farleys rusks, Mouse killer, a pizza wheel, a chocolate santa, cat food, potato peeler, X-rated movies... They are making money hand-over-fist on 2nd homes. It is scandulous what is being claimed on MPs expenses.
I just fear that MPs will now get the idea that the sh*t has really hit the fan. Watch them. They'll now be putting in expense claims for new fans, and specialist cleaning operatives! Not to worry, Gordon Brown knows just the cleaner they can employ. The Prime Minister paid his brother for cleaning, at a neat £10.50 per hour (and that's probably a lot more than this top executive at EDF energy pays his own cleaners!)
Parliament is clearly a gravy train. The authority that settles the claims needs to be brought to task, not the people lapping up the gravy "because every one else on the train is lapping up the gravy". If something is not a legitimate cost in the course of a performing a job, then "nothing doing".
While I discussed this little lot with work colleagues, a package arrived for me. "Watcha got, Al?" they enquired.
"Oh, that's a guillotine I ordered off E-bay".
** chuckles all round **
... So just ask the MPs to queue up at my desk, and place their heads ..."
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