Where to start?

 

:laugh3:

 

Just as you think it can't get any more juicy it does, it's quaking

what? :confused:

sorry, i should give a bit of background to the story, for the past couple weeks the daily telegraph has been printing juicy stories of what the MPs have been claiming for as expenses

 

Like clearing a moat, maintaining swimming pools, a £1,645 "duck island" and a claim to fit mock Tudor beams to the front of a house

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7840678.stm

oh, :laugh3:

I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. I mean, aren't British people aware they already pay for the salaries of all these politicians anyway? You finance every single thing they do. Get over it.

I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. I mean, aren't British people aware they already pay for the salaries of all these politicians anyway? You finance every single thing they do. Get over it.

 

The salaries aren't a problem. They can't be abused.;)

Moat claim MP to quit at election

 

 

Mr Hogg's moat claim featured prominently in recent MP expenses revelations

 

Douglas Hogg - who repaid £2,200 apparently claimed for clearing a moat at his country estate - says he will not fight the next election.

The Conservative MP for Sleaford and North Hykeham said all his claims had been agreed with the fees office.

But he said he repaid the money so his claim was "seen to be reasonable".

Mr Hogg said he wanted to give his Tory association "time to select a new candidate to best represent local and national interests".

He had maintained he had not claimed the money but agreed it had not been "positively excluded" from paperwork submitted to the Commons fees office.

In a statement Mr Hogg said: "In the 30 years I have been in Parliament, I have tried to serve my country and constituents with independence, integrity and principle. I hope that I have succeeded.

"Looking back on my time as a backbencher, the best decision that I ever made was to stand against the second Iraq war from the very beginning.

"Over the last 12 years I have stood against Labour's steady erosion of civil liberties which has been quite scandalous.

"I have also had the privilege to serve in both the Thatcher and Major governments which together left the incoming Labour government a golden legacy which Mr Brown and Labour have comprehensively squandered.

"I look forward to a new prime minister in David Cameron, who is clearly the right leader for our country in this time."

So far these are my top 3:

 

1) A Herefordshire MP under fire for claiming for a mortgage that did not exist on his second home has said he made "a mistake".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/8062090.stm

 

2) MPs EXPENSES: Kitty Ussher claimed £20,000 for 'bad taste' Artex ceilings

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1179990/MPs-EXPENSES-Kitty-Ussher-claimed-20-000-bad-taste-Artex-ceilings.html

 

3) Stephen Byers claimed £125,000 for flat his partner owned

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1179991/MPs-Expenses-Stephen-Byers-claimed-125-000-flat-partner-owned.html

My favourite:

 

 

 

British MP made claim for 'duck island'

 

 

07:05 AEST Sun May 24 2009

4 hours 14 minutes ago

 

VIEWS: 0

| FLOCKS: 0

| 0 comments so far

 

 

 

Tory MP Sir Peter Viggers has quit over an attempt to claim a duck island on expenses.

 

 

 

A British Conservative lawmaker said on Saturday he felt "ashamed and humiliated" over claiming expenses for a "duck island" to put in his garden pond - and admitted that the ducks didn't like it anyway.

Sir Peter Viggers was forced to announce his resignation on Thursday over the STG1,600 ($A3,253) aquatic home, the latest embarrassing revelation in an expenses row which has shaken Britain's House of Commons.

On Saturday, he issued a statement pointing out that the claim had been refused by the Fees Office - which has come under fire over claims ranging from swimming pool and tennis court repairs to cleaning a moat.

But he admitted that he should never have claimed for it in the first place.

"I have made a ridiculous and grave error of judgment. I am ashamed and humiliated and I apologise. As has been reported my claim for the duck house was rightly 'not allowed' by the Fees Office.

"I paid for it myself and in fact it was never liked by the ducks and is now in storage."

Viggers, who has been Member of Parliament (MP) for Gosport on the southern English coast since 1974, was ordered by Conservative Party chief David Cameron to quit or be fired after the revelation.

"Gosport is my home town and I have always worked hard for constituents. I am very proud to have been a member of parliament," he said on Saturday.

The expenses row, revealed in leaked documents published by the Daily Telegraph newspaper over the last two weeks, has rocked Britain's lower house of parliament to its core.

On Wednesday, House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin became the first person force to resign from the prestigious post in over 300 years, while a series of MPs have had to announce they will stand down.

I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. I mean, aren't British people aware they already pay for the salaries of all these politicians anyway? You finance every single thing they do. Get over it.

 

Not sure? Then don't make such asinine remarks.

 

The Parliament that accused the banking sector of acting irresponsibly and illegally, thereby causing all our economic woes, has acted irresponsibly and illegally, and lost all moral authority on the issue.

 

The loss of moral authority goes further - why should anyone in Britain obey the laws that this bunch of crooks has passed?

 

The Government and Parliament are currently utterly paralysed by this issue. Not only are important decisions on the economy not being made (a lack of action that could extend our woes for many many years to come) but in case you hadn't noticed, Britain is involved in Iraq and Afghanistan, where lives continue to be lost every day.

 

The unprecedented disgust with, and loss of confidence in, the mainstream political parties among the public will likely lead to a big rise in votes for fringe parties, including the BNP (British National Party - fascists).

 

Etc etc etc.

The unprecedented disgust with, and loss of confidence in, the mainstream political parties among the public will likely lead to a big rise in votes for fringe parties, including the BNP (British National Party - fascists).

You'd have to be an idiot to vote BNP. Unfortunately, there are a lot of idiots in the UK.

if i get what this thread is about :thinking:

 

similar problems are here, and politicians refuse to reckon their mistake, and yet blame the opposition about that, like coming up with fake stories of getting things for free to "wash" money for their party.

 

not to mention that one of our Ministers has to be banned from his charge because he went hunting for free and with no hunting permission, the funny thing is that just a week before news said that, they accoused the opposition of the "wash" money thing, and ta dah on the hunting there were along with the minister (Justice), the judge that came up with that accusation and the Police boss too. :dozey:

 

the big thing here is that obviously it goes worse but the government keep accousing the opposition with no proof (and stupid things from the past to which opposition is not related to), and citizens seem to believe it (mainly because media is intentionally divided, and few newspapers say the truth), so they will be voted again and they will keep doing that, and in the meanwhile they are changing laws for their own interest (i mean there's no real social need to those changes right now), and laws that should be changed for real they don't do anything. :dozey:

 

no big surprise that it all come out now as we all have a big economic crises, the question is since how long they have been doing that?

Not sure? Then don't make such asinine remarks.

 

The Parliament that accused the banking sector of acting irresponsibly and illegally, thereby causing all our economic woes, has acted irresponsibly and illegally, and lost all moral authority on the issue.

 

The loss of moral authority goes further - why should anyone in Britain obey the laws that this bunch of crooks has passed?

 

The Government and Parliament are currently utterly paralysed by this issue. Not only are important decisions on the economy not being made (a lack of action that could extend our woes for many many years to come) but in case you hadn't noticed, Britain is involved in Iraq and Afghanistan, where lives continue to be lost every day.

 

The unprecedented disgust with, and loss of confidence in, the mainstream political parties among the public will likely lead to a big rise in votes for fringe parties, including the BNP (British National Party - fascists).

 

Etc etc etc.

 

Moral authority? What moral authority has the British government ever had? Are you making some "divine right to rule" argument?

 

Look, when you elect a politician, that means you pay their salary with your taxes. You're paying for their toilet paper, the gifts they give to their girlfriends, the gas-guzzlers they buy, their flats in London, their subscription to pornography websites, etc.

 

That's what a salary is! It's what you use to pay for EVERYTHING, even the crap you don't happen to agree with.

 

So what makes this expenses outrage justified? Just give the politicians a raise or something, so they can pay for their duck ponds. Then you won't even see what they're buying, and you won't be outraged anymore.

So far these are my top 3:

 

1) A Herefordshire MP under fire for claiming for a mortgage that did not exist on his second home has said he made "a mistake".

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hereford/worcs/8062090.stm

 

 

that one is beyond belief, and I'd like to know why he hasn't been arrested for fraud or theft? some of them were milking a system, and stayed within the rules (doesn't justify it but you can see why they tried it on). anyone else who had done such a thing would be down at the police station trying to explain themselves.

 

Moral authority? What moral authority has the British government ever had? Are you making some "divine right to rule" argument?

 

Look, when you elect a politician, that means you pay their salary with your taxes. You're paying for their toilet paper, the gifts they give to their girlfriends, the gas-guzzlers they buy, their flats in London, their subscription to pornography websites, etc.

 

That's what a salary is! It's what you use to pay for EVERYTHING, even the crap you don't happen to agree with.

 

So what makes this expenses outrage justified? Just give the politicians a raise or something, so they can pay for their duck ponds. Then you won't even see what they're buying, and you won't be outraged anymore.

 

yes we pay their salaries, and everyone is entitled to spend their salary on what they want. but to use their expenses for such things is wrong. expenses are for things that enable you to do your job, not bits & pieces that you might like just for the hell of it.

 

and they definitely don't need a raise to pay for their duck houses, if they managed their finances properly they could afford it on what they are paid. Who need to spend £2k on a chair in a house that they don't even live in half the year?

that one is beyond belief, and I'd like to know why he hasn't been arrested for fraud or theft? some of them were milking a system, and stayed within the rules (doesn't justify it but you can see why they tried it on). anyone else who had done such a thing would be down at the police station trying to explain themselves.

 

 

 

yes we pay their salaries, and everyone is entitled to spend their salary on what they want. but to use their expenses for such things is wrong. expenses are for things that enable you to do your job, not bits & pieces that you might like just for the hell of it.

 

and they definitely don't need a raise to pay for their duck houses, if they managed their finances properly they could afford it on what they are paid. Who need to spend £2k on a chair in a house that they don't even live in half the year?

 

 

Must be quite a chair! Is it gold-plated and encrusted in diamonds??:stunned:

Must be quite a chair! Is it gold-plated and encrusted in diamonds??:stunned:

 

I can't remember. but one of the MP's bought a pair on expenses

Who was it who tried to claim for what....a £7000 TV?

I can't remember. but one of the MP's bought a pair on expenses

 

Well it sounds like someone saw him coming.......................... :rolleyes:

I'm not sure why this is such a big deal. I mean, aren't British people aware they already pay for the salaries of all these politicians anyway? You finance every single thing they do. Get over it.

 

The salaries ain't a problem, they are entitled to get paid, what is getting people up the wall is the random expenses some MPs are claiming from the taxpayer. Some expenses are okay to claim for if they are needed for the job in hand.

Move to oust MP Julie Kirkbride as it's revealed she claimed £1,000 for digital gear her brother bought AND paid her sister £12,000

 

By Tim Shipman

Last updated at 7:35 PM on 26th May 2009

 

 

• Comments (162)
  
• Add to My Stories
  

 

Under pressure to quit: Senior Tories are in despair after learning Ms Kirkbride used public funds to employ her sister as an 'executive secretary'

 

 

Tory MP Julie Kirkbride was tonight told she would face a public political execution as she was hit by claims that both her brother and sister have cashed in on her expenses.

Party chiefs called for her to hold a public meeting with her constituents – 4,000 of whom have signed a petition calling on her to resign.

It was revealed today that the Bromsgrove MP’s paid her sister Karen Leadley £12,000 a year from public funds to work as an ‘executive secretary’.

Mrs Leadley works from her own home in Dorset –141 miles from Bromsgrove and 107 miles from Westminster – when the rules say that office costs are only for work in the Commons or an MP’s constituency office.

It also emerged that Ms Kirkbride’s brother Ian, who runs a business from her second home, bought £1,000 of electronic gadgets at taxpayers’ expense on her office expenses. He has lived there rent free for five years.

Senior Tory officials are frustrated at Ms Kirkbride’s failure to explain her behaviour to voters in her Worcestershire constituency.

One source close to leader David Cameron said she must now hold a public meeting before the end of the week.

 

‘Julie will have to fight hard in her constituency,’ the official said. ‘It would be good to see a public meeting soon.’

Furious voters effectively drove Ms Kirkbride’s MP husband Andrew Mackay from office at the weekend after he was branded a ‘thieving toad’.

Mr Mackay said he would stand down at the next election after fury that he claimed £140,000 on his second homes allowance when he does not have a second home.

 

Happy families: Miss Kirkbride with husband and fellow Tory MP Andrew MacKay and their baby son Angus back in 2000

 

Ms Kirkbride’s prospects took a further knock when she admitted to her local paper that she was aware of her husband’s claims, since she pocketed second homes allowance on her Worcestershire apartment, while Mr Mackay claimed for their London home.

‘I was aware of the structure of his claims, but Andrew was advised on all his claims by the head of the House of Commons Fees Office,’ she told the Bromsgrove Standard.

Tory sources also revealed that Ms Kirkbride will have her expenses scrutinised by party bosses before the end of the week.

 

A panel of whips and party officials is going through every MP’s claims to alert David Cameron to cases where the MP must be forced to quit.

It is the revelations about Ms Kirkbride’s relationship with her brother which have attracted the most concern in senior Tory circles.

David Cameron said she has ‘questions to answer’ after it emerged at the weekend that Ian Kirkbride used his sister’s second home to run an IT business rent free at the property.

Miss Kirkbride’s response was to issue a statement and hang up on a Radio 5 interviewer who tried to quiz her.

Today her leaked office expenses revealed that her brother bought a digital camera, five memory cards, four internet routers, three external hard drives, a computer printer, map software and a battery with £1,000.52 of public money.

The purchases appeared more questionable since Ms Kirkbride claimed for yet another internet router last June and had it delivered to her property in West­minster. She also bought another digital camera.

'Second home': Julie Kirkbride's home near Redditch, Worcestershire, where her brother lives rent-free. His business was also registered at the address

Ms Kirkbride denied that taxpayers had bought equipment for her brother’s IT business. In a statement she said: ‘I record my work as an MP in pictures. I often ask my brother to source IT equipment for me. These items were bought by my brother, on my instructions.’

Mystery also surrounds the role of her sister. The MP said Mrs Leadley fills in when her main secretary is on leave.

She said: ‘My sister does work for me on a part-time salary of around £12,000. She lives in Wimborne, Dorset, but she has a computer which is networked to my constituency office and London office.

‘She carries out tasks on a regular basis but her principal job is to do constituency correspondence during the parliamentary recess and many people have written to say how helpful she has been.’

Another Tory official added: ‘Julie’s claims will be scrutinised before the end of the week.’

 

 

Out: Mr MacKay after a disastrous constituency meeting where he was called a 'thieving toad'. He will stand down at the next election

Why wait until the next election to stand down!?

Why wait until the next election to stand down!?

 

Because there's a wealth of expenses still to be claimed before then??:rolleyes:

even that little kiddie looks dodgy :laugh3:

Stealing money is so easy when it's institutionalized like taxes are. I wish politicians had to go house-to-house with guns to collect taxes, rather than relying on agencies and automatic withholding.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtAimRbLmu8]YouTube - True News 41: Soldiers, Policemen, Politicians[/ame]

 

Great commentary on the MP expense account thing.