Snouts In The Troth

[balli hi]

Hard on the heels of Jacqui Smith, yet another Minister is found to be claiming expenses for property's he doe's not reside at, the MP i am talking about is none other than Geof Hoon, who like all the others has stated that he has not brocken any rules , and to take the biscuit, Jacqui smith even claimed £39 for a barbeque she had bought, do these people not have any morals, are'nt they paid well enough without having to further fleece tax payers, of their hard earned money , surely at a time when many families are struggling to even put food on the table or pay their mortgage, pensioners having to make a choice between heating or food, these people ( MP's ) should be setting a better example to those they are said to represent, rather than shoving their snouts well and truely in the troth , it beggars belief it really does.

[Bizarra]

Don't get me going You are only in the hapenny place, compared to what goes on here.

Our ex Taoiseach= Prime Minister couldn't explain to a Tribunal how he got loadsa money from various sources.

Our NHS is closing wards, not recruiting, not installing equipment etc ,but can give Consultants Euro 178 million of a raise.

One of our Building Societies , which got a bail out from the Government, gave its MD a Euro1 million bonus into his pension fund. He was forced by public opinion & the Govt. to hand it back. They can't make him return the Euro28million already in his fund. This is HIS fund I'm talking about, not his staff one.

The Banks have been guaranteed by the Government, but the people who lent money without question are still in power. Our Banks will not be trusted Internationally until they are fired, but the Govt won't do it. Personally , I think that they are afraid to because the bankers know too much about our Leaders dirty secrets.

We can't wait for the next election till we get the chance to kick their arsxs out.

I could go on about the corruption & cronyism all night, but I won't.

[Red Yaris 54]

Hard on the heels of Jackie Smith, yet another Minister is found to be claiming expenses for property's he doe's not reside at, the MP i am talking about is none other than Geof Hoon, who like all the others has stated that he has not brocken any rules , and to take the biscuit, Jackie smith even claimed £39 for a barbeque she had bought, do these people not have any morals, are'nt they paid well enough without having to further fleece tax payers, of their hard earned money , surely at a time when many families are struggling to even put food on the table or pay their mortgage, pensioners having to make a choice between heating or food, these people ( MP's ) should be setting a better example to those they are said to represent, rather than shoving their snouts well and truely in the troth , it beggars belief it really does.

They are democratically elected.................................The answer is in your hands at the polling booth!

[Bizarra]

Hard on the heels of Jackie Smith, yet another Minister is found to be claiming expenses for property's he doe's not reside at, the MP i am talking about is none other than Geof Hoon, who like all the others has stated that he has not brocken any rules , and to take the biscuit, Jackie smith even claimed £39 for a barbeque she had bought, do these people not have any morals, are'nt they paid well enough without having to further fleece tax payers, of their hard earned money , surely at a time when many families are struggling to even put food on the table or pay their mortgage, pensioners having to make a choice between heating or food, these people ( MP's ) should be setting a better example to those they are said to represent, rather than shoving their snouts well and truely in the troth , it beggars belief it really does.

They are democratically elected.................................The answer is in your hands at the polling booth!

As I said in my rant & it can't come quickly enough :censor: (that's my Sunday best Balaclava)

[Raistlin]

Hard on the heels of Jackie Smith, yet another Minister is found to be claiming expenses for property's he doe's not reside at, the MP i am talking about is none other than Geof Hoon, who like all the others has stated that he has not brocken any rules , and to take the biscuit, Jackie smith even claimed £39 for a barbeque she had bought, do these people not have any morals, are'nt they paid well enough without having to further fleece tax payers, of their hard earned money , surely at a time when many families are struggling to even put food on the table or pay their mortgage, pensioners having to make a choice between heating or food, these people ( MP's ) should be setting a better example to those they are said to represent, rather than shoving their snouts well and truely in the troth , it beggars belief it really does.

They are democratically elected.................................The answer is in your hands at the polling booth!

As I said in my rant & it can't come quickly enough :censor: (that's my Sunday best Balaclava)

Come the day off the revolution B)

[Demonic Angel]

Hard on the heels of Jackie Smith, yet another Minister is found to be claiming expenses for property's he doe's not reside at, the MP i am talking about is none other than Geof Hoon, who like all the others has stated that he has not brocken any rules , and to take the biscuit, Jackie smith even claimed £39 for a barbeque she had bought, do these people not have any morals, are'nt they paid well enough without having to further fleece tax payers, of their hard earned money , surely at a time when many families are struggling to even put food on the table or pay their mortgage, pensioners having to make a choice between heating or food, these people ( MP's ) should be setting a better example to those they are said to represent, rather than shoving their snouts well and truely in the troth , it beggars belief it really does.

They are democratically elected.................................The answer is in your hands at the polling booth!

Like Mr Brown was you mean.... oh yeah, we never had a say in that!

Regardless of who comes into "power", they'll take that word and run with it and eventually abuse it. It's human nature.

[hertsnminds]

They are democratically elected.................................The answer is in your hands at the polling booth!

Are there any political parties that don't have someone who will use the rules to their benefit not the electorate?

[balli hi]

They are democratically elected.................................The answer is in your hands at the polling booth!

Are there any political parties that don't have someone who will use the rules to their benefit not the electorate?

you may have a point, but its about time there was a change in the rules to stop them claiming for everything and anything, like the cost of the 2 blue films i forgot to mention, claimed by Jacqui Smith, which were apparently ordered & watched by her husband, but yet again no rules were breached, ( unbelievable ) Whats blue films got to do with the execution of her job ?

No wonder the country's gone to the dogs !!!!

[Bibbs]

About time I found this thread.

It's all been kicking off this week hasn't it. Finally they have been caught out and they STILL don't seem to realise the public are massively pi**ed off about the whole thing.

They are quite happy to say that bankers are crooks and they should pay back their money (even though it was 100% legal), but then are secretly claiming for houses that are already paid off!

Only issue I can see is that morons in the BNP will actually do well out of this due to the protest votes.

Time for Winky McFknut to go I think ..

[Raistlin]

Only issue I can see is that morons in the BNP will actually do well out of this due to the protest votes.

Hopefully folk will have more sense

[Red Yaris 54]

I understand that the MP's expenses scandal escalated to new heights today when it was revealed that David Blunkett had claimed for a motorbike, a hang glider and a pair of binoculars............. :P ;)

[Raistlin]

I understand that the MP's expenses scandal escalated to new heights today when it was revealed that David Blunkett had claimed for a motorbike, a hang glider and a pair of binoculars............. :P ;)

Nice B)

[Parts-King]

Like an expenses scheme, if it isnt Policed properly, then it is only a matter of time before it is abused. The only difference is that if you fiddled a works expense scheme to the tune of the MP's, then you would expect a visit from Her Majestys Constabulary. That will NEVER happen to the MP's. They should all have a standard allowance, and how you spend/save the money is up to them

Kingo

[Demonic Angel]

The thing that's bothering me is when I have expenses put through at work.... I have to fill out a little form, attach receipts, explain what its for.... etc etc. I then hand that to the Accounts Manager who scrutinises to ensure that I'm not claiming to have the moat at Angel Manor cleaned....

Do they not have the same system, a person who's charged with checking expenses? I mean claiming for lightbulbs.... ok so maybe it's not against the rules but common sense should ask "Why is that high-earning MP claiming for some lightbulbs?" Surely that should scream inconsistencies whether it's for their taxpayer-funded second-home or not, lightbulbs are what, a few quid at most?

Fair enough, they're cheap and not worth worrying about on their own, but the rest of the "claims" are just ludicrous. Makes me think that maybe the person(s) charged with these tasks are just as corrupt as the MP's who are on the fiddle.....

Like Bibbs, I'm really concerned as to who voters will turn to next.... and I don't like the fact that the BNP are looking like saints in comparison to every other political party. As much as I dislike our government and their choices (and I don't think the Tories would do much better), I'd be off to pastures new before you can say "British National Party" if those eejits managed to get into power.....

[Bibbs]

Problem is Em, technically they are not expences but allowances. Allowances have not got the same rules and are used to 'make up' a lower salary to a higher one.

[chatman]

Problem is Em, technically they are not expences but allowances. Allowances have not got the same rules and are used to 'make up' a lower salary to a higher one.

Allowances.....HA HA HA HA HA HA HA MP's earn a basic of over 64k so adding these so called allowances to make up a lower salary is just laughable.... We pay them and our tax then pays for their so called allowances.... "Oh I forgot I paid my mortgage of a year ago... and I need 250 bags of horse sh**" type of allowances..... because it makes them able to do their job better...... They made their system up, they voted it in, they devised the rules, they abused the system......then tried to hush it up and stop the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION act from allowing us Tax payers to see exactly what they get upto.... It's like giving the keys of a sweet shop to a bunch of kids...some will be good but most other's will be filling there pockets and faces on candy......

I'll climb of my soap box now.....

[balli hi]

[Allowances.....HA HA HA HA HA HA HA MP's earn a basic of over 64k so adding these so called allowances to make up a lower salary is just laughable.... We pay them and our tax then pays for their so called allowances.... "Oh I forgot I paid my mortgage of a year ago... and I need 250 bags of horse sh**" type of allowances..... because it makes them able to do their job better...... They made their system up, they voted it in, they devised the rules, they abused the system......then tried to hush it up and stop the FREEDOM OF INFORMATION act from allowing us Tax payers to see exactly what they get upto.... It's like giving the keys of a sweet shop to a bunch of kids...some will be good but most other's will be filling there pockets and faces on candy......

I'll climb of my soap box now.....

Thats brilliantly put you should climb on your soap box more often

[Raistlin]

But why let a few bad apples spoil a bumper harvest... Don't you feel sorry for them having to get by on a pittance

[Bibbs]

To be honest £65k isn't too much for someone working those kinda hours and with that responsibility ..

It's middle management, head teacher kinda money.

But then they have a LOT of power, don't have to be qualified, and have no real comback if they make mistakes.

Also good pension schemes and a £45k golden handshake when they lose their seat.

But then people should be doing the job to make money, they should be doing it because they want to SERVE THE PUBLIC.

Career politicians are the bane of politics. They usually have no experiance of life or business in the "real" world.

The UK should be run like a PLC. Wouldn't it make sense for the Accountants to run the tresuary, Doctors to run the NHS, Judges to run the law courts, Chief of Police to run the policing etc? Instead of jumped up, self serving ankles (3 foot lower than a ****, and not as useful) making petty manifesto promises to win votes - and then not actually having to keep their word ..

[cabcurtains]

I've had dinner with several MP's including Lord Faulkner (top bloke) and sadly most (maybe not all) are opinion less people who just tow the party line and will take anything the gravy train has to offer. As mentioned the career politicians who come aristocracy and Eton college have no grasp of normal life IMO.

[hertsnminds]

Doesn't matter if you call them expenses or allowances at some point a committee of MP's sat around a table and made all of the policies. None of the reporting I have seen has named and shamed the committee that passed these policies.

I also agree with this...

The thing that's bothering me is when I have expenses put through at work.... I have to fill out a little form, attach receipts, explain what its for.... etc etc. I then hand that to the Accounts Manager who scrutinises to ensure that I'm not claiming to have the moat at Angel Manor cleaned....

Doesn't matter what was on the form, someone has signed off that it is OK to pay it, where are the names of the people approving the claims?

Also where are the auditors in all of this, they check all of the claims every year and presumably they have said that all of the claims they have seen are OK. Why do we not have the auditors being named for incompetence?

Every year we seen the Government calling for wage restraint in the public sector (Police, Armed Forces, NHS etc etc) and then voting themselves large pay rises. Why would we ever think they have OUR best interests in mind?

[Bibbs]

Expenses is for actual items you've bought .. allowances is (a suitcase full of) cash to bump up a salary, technically you can spend it on *anything* work related.

If in that are house repairs/upkeep, then you can spend it on a plug, or moat cleaning.

If you should or not is the issue.

These allowances are a good idea, but not for the greedy. It's not even a greedy minority. Out of ~650 MPs, the Telegraph have said that about 50 have no need to worry. That's 8%. So 92% are taking the *****.

There are some Euro elections coming up in a few weeks. All I can suggest is EVERYONE VOTE! Seriously, if you do vote, and you vote for a change, it'll make them wake up. Get down the polling station and vote!

Now who you vote for is the next question.

Labour have taken the ***** for 12 years now, and have enough sleeze to out do Major's government. Are the Torries enough of a change? Are you racist enough to actually vote BNP? Or are UKIP less hypocritical by being on the euro gravy train, but wanting out? Or how about an independant?

Please vote to show these people, or they will think that it is okay to run a country like this!

[Red diesel]

It really is annoying how these guys are able to pull off stunts like this - claiming for things like new bathrooms and plasma tvs - what does be so wrong with the old ones (bathrooms and TVs). If a teacher goes looking for funding for a new computer for his/her class because the old ones had better days - or a paramedic needs a new rapid response car - the response is sorry no money in the kitty - hmmm so why are you driving a top spec Jag or whatever then

Apologies for the rant

Regards Red diesel

[Bibbs]

That's it, get angry, then get downt he polling booths.

And nothing wrong with rants .. I've had many on this forum about anything from Latin/Greek words to rubbish radio.

[Red diesel]

Well the good news on the polling booth front is that over here in Ireland weve got the local (council) and european elections coming up soon. The annoying thing over here in Ireland though is that you often find that youve got the same families involved in politics - so youv got a useless sod in office - and then his son or daughter come along afterwards. At least this year there seems to be more new people coming in - one of RTEs (Irish equivalent of the BBC) economics reporters is running this year - i am not sure though which election because theres also a bye election for the Dail (Irish parliment) in Dublin somewhere (split up into different parts for elections). Also theres a local newspaper Journalist in Cork whose going for election in the local elections too - hope she gets in actually - because shed have a good understanding of the issues - its people like that you want to see get in.