MPs' expenses - I might combust soon!

[Sooty]

Oh hark at David Cameron - 'pay it back, or else'. Well, the system is wrong; plain and simple. MPs are legally entitled to make free with our money, using rules they voted in themselves. They can have a second home, furnished at our expense, then sell that home with no CGT because they can swap that allowance from their first home at will. But, in fairness, wouldn't anyone who was given an unlimited source of wealth, be tempted? Not Hilary Benn, amonst others. Anyway, my point is:

These people are stupid. One of them has paid good money for horse manure. I pay good money to get rid of mine; he can have it for nothing! I am even willing to build a trebuchet to deliver it to his house.

Put them all in a large block of Government-owned flats in London, which they can use for nothing when they are working there.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8044998.stm

 

[kit279]

Has anyone seen the Wire Series 3 ??! It's like an English version.. Think Michael Martin is definitely on the endangered species list though.. I especially like the article in the Times today entitled 'Bad Day at the Cave for the Neanderthal Man'.

 

[Sooty]

I have long wondered how both Michael Martin and John Prescott ended up with their jobs. I can only assume they have some sort of hold over others...

 

[kit279]

You mean like a gravitational field...?!

 

[Sooty]

Yeah, something like that...

Maybe they have mastered the art of hypnotism!

 

[brighteyes]

<font color="blue"> These people are stupid. One of them has paid good money for horse manure. </font>

I have always thought so and now I know for sure

If their grasp on economics is so flimsy, no wonder this country is in the mess it is.

 

[Weezy]

The thing that keeps irking me is cleaning - why the flip should we pay for their cleaners???!!!! And nappies!!!!!! FFS having a child is, I am sure, NOT on any MPs *must do or you are out* list. I could go on, but I cannot, as I too will combust.

 

[WoopsiiD]

My favourite is the 'lady products' bought by a man!!!!
Oh, and the moat cleaning!

 

[brighteyes]

Oh, I don't know Weezy - I have a specialist company come in to do my chandeliers

 

[MooMoo]

Kinda makes those commiting benefit fraud look a tiny bit better.


Only a tiny bit though.

 

[Stateside]

But what do they spend there wages on.... They claim for everything, even food.
Just pay them the cost of a travel lodge per night parliment is sitting, &amp; NO MOORE.

 

[Flyingbuck]

And why do they appear to believe that paying the money back makes everything all well with the world again?

By all means, let them pay the monies back - then sack them!!!

 

[Happy Horse]

The whole thing is a disgrace. They should get an allowance for each day they are officially working in Westminster to cover accommodation, travel etc, no more, no less. That is what I can claim for as a non-MP if I have to work away from home. They can then decide if they want to put this towards a flat where they pay the rest or a Travelodge room.

 

[hairycob]

The manure thing really got to me. Even without the ethics of some of the claims, I thought if that's how rubbish they are at getting value for money sack the lot &amp; start again

Edited to say that's unfair as some MPs haven't milked the system &amp; I expect that they have a healthy attitude to spending tax payers money so they can stay. My MP, many of whose constituents commute to London claimed over £22k so he can go.

 

[Sooty]

Same county - my MP claimed an annual total of £148k! I have met him several times; seems a nice chap but complained about his salary of £68k. Bloody joke!

 

[emma69]

A travellodge for the night would cost in excess of 17,655 pounds. the cost of travel to and from London would be around 14,000 for a season ticket for the trains (unrestricted). I could maintain a second home for less than that!

I don't find things like cleaners / caretakers that outrageous. An empty house is a target. Many MPs entertain at home, so having it cleaned isn't unreasonable - companies allow this sort of expense, because ultimately, it costs them less than the equivelent restaurant bills that would be submitted.

I certainyl don't find claiming for food wrong at all - every company I have ever worked for has allowed a per diem amount for food, or they will repay receipt amounts.

 

[Sooty]

It's the swapping of CGT allowance that is the real outrage, along with total abuse of the rules. Don't forget MPs are in recess for several months of the year, and not actually in Parliament for all the rest of the time. The answer would be a grace-and-favour house in each constituency, the same as members of the clergy have, or a block of flats free for MPs to use whilst based in London.

 

[hairycob]

It certainly wouldn't cost £14k for a season ticket from the South East &amp; South East MPs would only need the travel lodge a few nights a month at most so nowhere near the costs you are thinking. And there is no real reason they can't rearrangethe working day to minimise late sittings. Obviously MPs whose constituencies are outside the normal commuting zone do need a London base. If MPs had to put up with commuter train services every day we might see a different attitude to improving them.

 

[spaniel]

If Mr S can manage to survive a Premier Inn 4 nights a week then Im sure an MP can.

Given that he works in Bucks and our home is in Somerset I feel I too should be able to claim an allowance to provide us with a 'family home' in say Swindon.....that way we could have a 'proper' marriage.

I cant see that as being unreasonable, after all an MP has done it.....

 

[MooMoo]

I hate how they hark on about "I was within the guidelines"

Well that doesnt make it bloody right!!!!

 

[Sooty]

Well no, as they devised the guidelines in the first place.

 

[perfect11s]

[ QUOTE ]
I have long wondered how both Michael Martin and John Prescott ended up with their jobs. I can only assume they have some sort of hold over others...

[/ QUOTE ] yes they are 3rd rate morons imployed by 2 rate ones .. the dont get anyone clever working for you thing that useless managers do to try to make themselves look good and not get upstaged by underlings

 

[hairycob]

Have you seen today's - the MP who "mistakenly" claimed £16k for a mortgage that had been paid off. He seems to thionk if it's a mistake rather than a fraud that's ok - er no! Firstly, do we believe him &amp; secondly, if we do &amp; that's the level of competence of our government no wonder we are in the mess we are in. Would you trust him to get the best value from the supermarket shop let alone multi million £ contracts.

 

[girla]

I think the new advert on TV about the Benefit Fraud should be as follows

BENEFIT FRAUD if you know of an MP who is commiting BENEFIT FRAUD shop him to a member of the public.

What pees me right off is that not once has these so &amp; so's been told that they have committed BENEFIT FRAUD AHHHHH i'm going off to swear like a trooper into my pillow.
They are all coning B'Stardo's.