That is my view on the expense claims scandal, utterly immoral.
If I hear one more MP say it was "all within the rules" then I will choke them, with my own hands. We put our trust and our faith into these people, to represent us, we cannot all go to Westminster after all, we have to send someone on our behalf. And we expect them to be dignified and decent, and do their best.
We do not expect them to rub their hands in glee as they rake in oodles of tax-payer's hard earned money. Nor do we expect them to disappoint and anger almost the entire population, so that our democracy suffers such a wounding blow.
To paraphrase Mr Bumble, the rules are clearly "an ass"!
We should pay MPs a salary of £100k each, and let them sort themselves out with where they want to live, from a park bench to Park Lane. No more of this, no more
7 comments:
The biggest offender was your great pal Hazel Blears!!!
"It is not the function of our Government to keep the citizen from falling into error;
it is the function of the citizen
to keep the Government from falling into error."
- Robert H. Jackson, Chief Judge, War-Crimes Tribunal, Nuremberg -
The biggest loser in all this will be democracy. I think the next general election will be the lowest turnout for many years.
In the short term, I am equally worried about the Euro elections.
These elections to a parliament that has great decision making powers that affect us all usually suffers from a very poor turnout.
The expenses fiasco will diminish the turnout even further, and I worry the only ones to gain from a very poor turnout will be the racist BNP.
The Westminster MP's have a lot to answer for, and before Fib Dem anonymous takes a sideswipe,all parties are culpable in this, it is your parties turn in the telegraph over the next couple of days.
I couldn't agree more Louise, I've just vented my spleen. http://bit.ly/R75i2
This whole business really has angered me.
I have to say that if Labour MPs were treated the same way as ordinary party members in bringing the party into disrepute then we would be sacking a good proportion of them. As it stands, double-standards will prevail and the average party member will be berated to go out and deliver more leaflets, make more phone calls and knock on more doors without a second thought.
No real apologies to the public, just warm words from people who have been found out; and no apologies for those traipsing the streets trying to keep the BNP from "representing" us.
The whole episode has sickened me. My thoughts veer from wanting to write out so many P45's I'd be going all year, to a depressed "bang goes the election".
And I'm sorry - I really liked Hazel I really did. Always a nice person, always ready to defend her line (even when I disagreed) and a feisty woman who refused to be bullied. But after the latest revelations, I really feel let down by her. I don't think I'll be able to look at her in the same way.
It has been a demoralising week for Labour and sadly, it has been those we choose to lead us who are to entirely to blame.
I share your anger Louise, but I have to disagree with your assertion that MP's should be paid £100k. When vast numbers of their constituents are surviving (and I do not use that word loosely) on far less, I think the majority of ordinary people think that £60k is enough.
What we need is a strict set of rules fairly applied, that means that MP's can claim for expenses WHOLLY incurred in doing their jobs.
Travel is an easy one. Food, no, they have to eat anyway. No moats cleared, or leaky tennis courts repaired, or mock tudor beams, or gardening, or 'cleaning' services, or porn for that matter either. (Quite why anyone would want to pay for porn, let alone claim the cost back, when you can get it for free anyway is quite beyond me!)
All expenses should be a taxable benefit, as is the rule applied to every other of the Queens subjects, courtesy of HMR&C.
And any of the current crop of MP's who have abused the system, from any party, if they really want to retain the trust and respect of their constituents, should immdeiately resign and force a by-election. Then we could really see what their voters thought of them.
No-one is immune from criticism regarding this issue, but to my mind, David Cameron has been the only one to show some genuine leadership.
Brown twisted and turned trying to blame 'the system'. No Mr Brown, it was not the fault of the system, it was the fault of greedy corrupt people who exploited it, and they should be held to account.
The problem with all of this, the Lord Snooty's of the Tories and the "well they're doing it so why shouldnt we" is that the only party to benefit will be the BNP, there's got to be some sort of root and branch clearance give it all back, say sorry, put a system together that doesnt look bent.
I pity the poor sod who has been "done" for a bit of part time work on top of their dole just to survive and make life a little easier who has been castigated by a minister who has tens of hundreds of thousands of pounds "legally" obtained income. I think we all need a bit of common sense and Gordon taking some effective action otherwise it's curtains for democracy methinks!
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