MP Expenses

[gettin2dizzy]

I don't think I can read another story without banging my head against a wall for the rest of eternity. ](*,)

With this, the copious amount of money going in to bailouts (and subsequently rewarding idiots who got us in to this mess), and the white-washing of big companies and super-rich avoiding tax - you've got to wonder what it'd be like to live in a world without this greed and wastefulness. The amount of money lost and being thrown around is beyond comprehension! I'm not proposing a communist state in any way, but imagine if we all had a share of it?

Going to work for 9-5, with 30 mins for lunch, hours of sitting in traffic, deadlines, pointless red-tape ; for a wage which ultimately covers only your rent, crap packaged sarnie at lunch, and the ability to borrow more money than you can afford. It's all just pointless.

Having returned to uni recently, all I can say is enjoy far more pottering around skint, than having to be at the beck and call of an over-worked, under-payed manager with less hopes and aspirations than an ant.

Anyone else want to declare a section of the UK as our own, and start the revolution!? ;) There'd be one law:

Don't be a ****! :smt026

[Dappa D]

I was going to join the revolution....but I wouldnt be able to abide by that law!

[gettin2dizzy]

I'll amend it to 'don't be a **** to anyone else'

Bah, it's the first day and already I've got complications ;)

[Dappa D]

lol ok im in!

as for the OP I wouldnt like to comment on it, especially in a thread with you as I have far too little knowleadge of the subject! but in principle...here here lol!

[keithd]

is there room for somebody who can do nothing other than make wise ass remarks to everything?

[gettin2dizzy]

is there room for somebody who can do nothing other than make wise ass remarks to everything?
Most certainly :thumbsup: Just no rim tape allowed.

[anna]

Do I get a badge ;)

[Sudoxe]

Do I get a badge ;)

"Special"
"Criminally insane"
"Volatile when shaken"

etc...

I'm quite enjoying being unemployed and doing what i want to. :cool:

[anna]

"Special"
"Criminally insane"
"Volatile when shaken"

etc...


:smt019

[Biker Biggles]

Do I get a badge ;)


How about"Use no hooks or grabs"

Or "This way up".:D

[anna]

"This way up".:D

:smt040 .. that one appeals to me!!! :smt026

[Luckypants]

How about you take the chit chat to the mega-thread guys?

[gettin2dizzy]

Badges all round. But they'll have a picture of your King on . . . me ;)

[Biker Biggles]

How about you take the chit chat to the mega-thread guys?


Not opinionated,just grumpy:(

If you were mrs BB id get you some evening primrose;)

[gettin2dizzy]

A whole new chapter on the MPs expenses has just opened up.
Final 'final' nail in the coffin for Gordy? :lol:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8039108.stm

[yorkie_chris]

Nail in the coffin? I'm gonna chuck him out of the thing to weigh it in for scrap if it gets many more in.

Slight problems occur when politicians are watching other politicians backs, oh sorry, overseeing their spending. Who would pay for my second home if I got a job in that London?

[gettin2dizzy]

And the telegraph witholding any Tory expenses until after maximum damage has passed ... now there's a surprise! :lol:

[Jdubya]

You cannot tell me that if you were in Gordy's shoes that you would not employ someone you can trust not to air your dirty laundry in public (ie your brother) over some stranger who may or may not have a grudge against the govt. or yourself?
And to be honest, £6k over nearly two years, is not that much for cleaning services! Hell, I'd pay that...it'd get me more time on the bike than with a fecking hoover.
As for some of the other MP's expenses...well, thats for another forum;)

[gettin2dizzy]

It's the fact that all of these were going to be made public without any of the incriminating details. The fact that Alistair Darling has alternated his 'second home' four times (!) to make repairs to both of his properties over the years. The fact that the abuse is so so widespread, so commonly known, and that not a SINGLE MP has braved stepping forward to explain the seriousness of this situation. Boot the lot of these self-serving pieces of **** out; Tory & Labour.

[gettin2dizzy]

I do find it somewhat ironic though; that the only qualification Mr Darling has in the world of finance, is how to cheat the expenses system so successfully (yes our Chancellor is a solicitor). Is it any wonder they've lead us in to this situation when all of their days were taken thinking-up ways to 'cheat' the system?

[yorkie_chris]

They are aiming for a system reminiscent of 1960s Russia.

[Ed]

I do find it somewhat ironic though; that the only qualification Mr Darling has in the world of finance, is how to cheat the expenses system so successfully (yes our Chancellor is a solicitor). Is it any wonder they've lead us in to this situation when all of their days were taken thinking-up ways to 'cheat' the system?

I am sure that you are not suggesting that solicitors generally are dishonest...

I have to have an annual audit of my client account by a registered auditor. The rules are exceptionally strict and it's most unusual for any law firm to have an unqualified audit. So for example, it's easy to overdraw a client accoount by mistake, easy for an office account to go into credit, easy to sit on a small balance in client account for a week or two - all are breaches of the rules. One of my cases for example went overdrawn because the bookkeeper misread the client reference number - 100484 - as 100404. I can't check all the input on a daily basis - I spotted it the next day - but too late, I had an overdrawn client account, duly reported to the SRA. And if a client account is short for whatever reason, I am personally responsible for making it good.

Failure to file a report within six months of the year end is a serious disciplinary matter, and apart from the likely Disciplinary Tribunal proceedings, means that the culprit's practising certificate is automatically suspended.

So the degree of financial probity required is exceptionally high. Which is a good thing, as there is no place for crooks here.

Shame that MPs and cabinet ministers seem to think that the object of the expenses rules is to milk as much as possible.

Incidentally the cost of a Solicitors Accounts Rules Audit is around £4,000 + VAT. Guess who has to pay...

[gettin2dizzy]

I am sure that you are not suggesting that solicitors generally are dishonest....
Nope. Just that it's astounding that we have people in positions of such power that are far removed from their skills or training.

I find it amusing that they're needing to be watched so closely. Its akin to marking a headteacher 'present' on a resister twice a day.

[Spiderman]

viva la revolution !!!!!!

Sign me up and give me a badge. "volatile if woken" sounds good for me :)

Oh and if we're gonna have a bit of land somewhere can it be down south a bit, too bloody cold up north.

[gettin2dizzy]

viva la revolution !!!!!!

Sign me up and give me a badge. "volatile if woken" sounds good for me :)

Oh and if we're gonna have a bit of land somewhere can it be down south a bit, too bloody cold up north.
How's the Med for you?

[gettin2dizzy]

Haha. Hazel Blears is paying £13k in tax.... although she was 'within the rules' :lol: That's £13k for $hits and giggles then ;)

But never to be outdone, Phil Hope is paying £41k back ... because ...he wants to correct the 'dreadful perception and he enriched himself with taxpayers' money' :lol:

£40,000 on a whim, to prove you've not been enriched? Haha. I'm almost beginning to like this government.

[Ed]

I can't get my head round how a Cabinet minister can think it's OK to have the place as a second home for the expenses rules, and as a first home for the Inland Revenue. It is blatantly immoral and she has no place in high office. If she rtreats her own financeds like this, how can we be sure that she hasn't fiddled the public purse in other ways?

[SoulKiss]

I really hope that they dont manage to weasle there way out of this by apology and pay-back.

I REALLY want to see a criminal investigation against each and everyone of them, as well as them being dismissed from their jobs for Gross Negligence/Theft from an employer

Its what would happen to any one of us that fiddled our expenses and then got caught.

[Ed]

I really hope that they dont manage to weasle there way out of this by apology and pay-back.

I REALLY want to see a criminal investigation against each and everyone of them, as well as them being dismissed from their jobs for Gross Negligence/Theft from an employer

Its what would happen to any one of us that fiddled our expenses and then got caught.

Wow. For once I totally agree with you:eek: Brown's 'apology' for 'mistakes' - what mistakes?? That they didn't put their snouts in the trough even deeper?

[gettin2dizzy]

If only they were as competent at getting such 'value' with the rest of the public money not spent on themselves ;)

And have they missed the point completely? The money doesn't matter one little bit...

[Ed]

Just compare this.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8047419.stm

[gettin2dizzy]

It's a tough call as the rules aren't strict enough to really convict them of anything criminal.

Edit: I'm trying to view both sides here, rather than jump on a reactionary bandwagon. The rules were a little iffy but the level of abuse that's been exposed is too damning to even consider the idea that MPs were acting in good faith, and as such shouldn't be punished.

I do however love the idea that they were given lenient rules as a way to up their income out of the public eye (and I dare say avoid a whole host of taxes they impose on us mere mortals), and they've been rumbled in the same month as their tax hike for the rich :lol: What an ungainly exit to a decade of perhaps the most spineless government ever.

[SoulKiss]

Wow. For once I totally agree with you:eek:

Well while there may not be a temperature drop in Hell, Swine flu :)

[Biker Biggles]

I do object to the party politics in this scandal.We hear true blue tories picking up on Browns buddies helping themselves while lefties are queing up to highlight landed gentry having their country estates financed by us plebs,but the real issue here is how powerful people of all political persuasions always end up mired in corruption because power does corrupt and vested interests will always look after each other until the position becomes untenable.They are all as bad as each other.

[SoulKiss]

It's a tough call as the rules aren't strict enough to really convict them of anything criminal.

Very true.

However surely this is grounds for a Public Vote of No Confidence in the ENTIRE Government, not individual Parties or MP's, but a move to oust them all.

[markmoto]

they are all at it, although dont agree with alot of the bnps ideals with regards racism , there ideas on saving britain by getting out of europe and sorting the country out etc are whats needed i feel but its never going to happen, people will moan and continue to vote for the three main parties so the boys club will prosper.

[gettin2dizzy]

I really hope the BNP don't get a single seat...

I'm loving Elliot Morleys claim.
He was:
Claiming £800/ month for a mortgage that didn't exist
Renting out his second home to another MP - who was paying £1000 a month to Morley (which he claimed from the taxpayer too!)

So stealing £800 a month, and two MPs claiming on the same property :lol:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5320930/Elliot-Morley-fobbed-off-fees-office-but-then-realised-his-time-was-up-MPs-expenses.html

[punyXpress]

Wow. For once I totally agree with you:eek: Brown's 'apology' for 'mistakes' - what mistakes?? That they didn't put their snouts in the trough even deeper?

Apology : to my mind that means saying sorry , a word that Brown is congenitally incapable of uttering.
What mistakes?? : being caught, and ONLY being caught.

[punyXpress]

[quote=gettin2dizzy;1904368]It's a tough call as the rules aren't strict enough to really convict them of anything criminal.

Since the MPs made those Rules ( just as so many of the guilty Bank Bosses voted themselves such obscene bonuses & pensions ) there appears to be one almighty ' conspiracy to defraud '

anything criminal. The rule of Law surely supercedes any cosy ' House Rules '
Doesn't it ?