MP's Expenses

[Dave]

So this has long been coming over the last few months. After the exploits of Jaqui Smith's expenses and what her husband got up to one night we've been told what exactly the MP's have been spending.

Most people are outraged that they have claimed all this money and demand they pay it back and then resign. Some haven't even claimed much, some haven't claimed at all.

If you've not heard about it (mainly for people in the US), its the MP's of Parliment who have an expenses scheme, they can borrow up to a certain amount to help pay mortgages, bills, or any important things MP's need to buy to maintain their jobs.
Some have been more callous then others, like the MP who claimed £18,000 for a mortgage that never exsisted.

I personally think the ones who have deliberatley exploited the system should resign and the rest who have used it fairly shouldn't apologise and should keep their jobs, they did nothing wrong, just following the rules. Just people trying to find something wrong and exploit it to the max by our sick plague like journalists.
Still think this and the issues about Swine Flu is a call for media censorship about what can be reported and what can't, as some thinks I really don't care about.

Btw, how many of you would've exploited this system if you had the chance? As Im sure you would, easy money, not too many strings attached?

 

[Ben]

I got to the point where you thought censorship is a good thing... HUHUHUH?!?!

 

[Stone Cold]

But how do you define "deliberately" exploiting the system?

Whilst squirming around like a high class hooker on Question Time, Margaret Beckett claimed she made mistakes on her returns because when she was busy, she didn't pay enough attention to it, assuming the fees office would sort it out.

It'd be difficult to prove she is lying, as unfortunately "she's clearly a deceitful money grabbing harpy" wouldn't stand up in court. If people in the commercial sector did this, some accountant Nazi would reject the claims, as the fees office did with some of the claims, thus Margaret Beckett could rely on the fact that she would expect the fees office to reject anything that was incorrect.

Necessarily, Wholly and Exclusively for the business is also one of the most woolly tax terms going, so, as stupid as it sounds, it will be difficult to prove that moat cleaning, regency chairs and £400/month for food did fall under this definition, albeit through the proviso of needing a second home.

There is I suspect a small group of people who knowingly put forward fraudulent expense claims, perhaps Elliott Morley and his 21 months of mortgage interest repayments is an example of this.

What has annoyed me most is MPs who have said that "What I've done is within the rules; no further comment" because that just means they're too spineless to admit that they are greedy and grasping.

Besides you could easily use that argument to defend what Northern Rock in terms of aggressive mortgage selling, nothing illegal, just unethical. Except the only difference is, bankers don't have Rt Hon. before their name.


To solve the problem, they should either be given standard accomodation in a big tower block near Westminster (I'm sure one could be found, apparently it's a buyers property market) and remove the second home allowance all together, and furthermore, publish expenses online, so that constituents could complain about anything out of the ordinary.

Sacking MPs who have not committed fraud would be a bad idea on the basis that if their claims are too appalling they'll be kicked out of their party by the party of out of their seat next year by the electorate.

 

[Ketchup]

Still think this and the issues about Swine Flu is a call for media censorship about what can be reported and what can't, as some thinks I really don't care about.

You seriously want press censorship? Oh dear...
1984, here we come!

 

[Dave]

Not like a facist state, just how they report things, not so over the top.

 

[Ben]

Um, no, I prefer keeping human rights where they are, thanks.

 

[tks]

If I was an MP I would've done the same thing tbh. FREE MONIES? Yes please.

 

[marc]

After just seeing the news I am quiet angry about it tbh.

Its theft and they should have to stand down they have robbed us all.

 

[Harvey]

If I was an MP I would've done the same thing tbh. FREE MONIES? Yes please.

I like this man's honesty,

 

[Sam]

This can suck my cock.

 

[BetaKitten]

Stone Cold is right

I think it's clear that most of them knew they were being deceptive or immoral in their claims when so much money is being paid back...

Did anyone see the Lib Dem on the news about the trouser press he claimed for?

'I think it's important to be well turned out, but i can see how this can not seem justified to other people' (Why is he returning the money if he thinks it's ok and it falls into the expenses rules?)

Also has he not got an iron?

It's turning into some sort of hilarious race to return as much money as possible to make your party look 'honest' and such....

I wouldn't do it to be honest... they must have known it would catch up with them sooner or later... and public opinion is a powerful thing in politics...

 

[divvie_dave]

Everyone tries to get the most out of their expenses... i know i would too

 

[danielfitzgerald99]

I don't know why everyone is so suprised. It is common knowledge that the majority of politicians are crooked.

What I think is disgraceful is the fact that they are being let off the hook once they have paid it back. They should do jail time.

If someone was caught robbing a house and said

"Ok, you got me, I'll just put this TV back and we can call it dust under the rug"

It would not be acceptable. That person should still be taken to court and fined/imprisoned.

It is the justice system that is shocking. Society is built on crime and there are no consequences.

 

[Smithy]

Shut up Dan.

They were told they were allowed to claim it. Yes, some of them took advantage of the system (Blears, that Scunny MP) but most of them that did pay it back shouldn't be scrutinised for acknowledging their mistakes and acting on them. Much better than the silly bitch Sally Keeble who claimed one of the highest amounts (147000) and still had the nerve to say she feels she underclaimed.

Most of the people that are returning are doing so to try and save their image, as they know how the media will paint them if they don't.

 

[Dave]

I hate how they are making The Speaker the scapegoat! Its not all his fault, yes its his fault because he wouldn't accept reform of the expenses system. But he didn't sign the forms allowing the MP's to buy trouser presses, cleaning moats, installing swimming pools, helipads etc.

 

[Smithy]

But he is in charge of it, and just as a manager gets sacked if his team performs badly, the speaker is ultimately the head that rolls when things go wrong.

 

[RJM]

I believe this all came from MP's being some of the most underpaid in Europe. We live in a very well off country, despite the recession. And weather we hate their views or not, the MP's and our Government has done this for us. Yes I do believe that this country has gone downhill since Labour and Blair/Brown etc etc, and I also believe that it is time for change (Though I must add that the British Nazi Party would NOT be my choice this year.)

Before I go horribly off topic. The MP's are underpaid for the jobs they do, in return, they think sod it I'll just abuse the system. They are wrong for doing so. In my opinion the ones who have stolen large amounts should be inprisoned for it because of the fact that huge sums of money cannot be excused through the excuses that the MP's are using. We ALL know that the "no comment" lark is all to do with them having no answer for it other than their own greed, but let's face it, we are the public. They believe (just like many of the bankers) that they are higher up the social ladder than we are. They have voice, power, and many, many excuses to lean on. We have anger, and rioting. We also need MP's... There is no way out of this other than public anger and no correct action being taken.

It's part of the human condition to be selfish and corrupt at times. It's also part of the human condition to do 'wrong' things when we know we can get away with it. They're just everyday people, corrupted by power, much like the police. This is everywhere, and just because it now affects our money we're all pissed off (another sign of human selfishness).