Darling is the lastest cabinet expenses scammer

[Puggit]

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2...

Can't decide which is his primary home, and also renting out one of his homes like Hoon.

[Vipers]

You only have to look at the run down houses/flats he owns to see he is on the bones of his arse, and needs all the dosh he can get to survive

Now why am I thinking of Barstewards....

[jmorgan]

I am not surprised. More surprised the press has missed this for so long.

[Jasandjules]

jmorgan said:

I am not surprised. More surprised the press has missed this for so long.

I rather think they knew all about it but were keeping it under wraps because of protecting the current scum and hoping for Honours. However, now it's clear that these incompetent halfwits couldn't run a bath let alone the country and are going to bankrupt us before they leave, those who own the newspapers have declared open season. And of course the more sleaze that comes out, the more likely they are to go.

[smifffymoto]

It would appear even Rupert Murdoch is now sick of this shower of st.At last he has seen sense(or they no longer serve his purpose)

[Eric Mc]

Whilst it is easy to crticise all these "exposes". The main problem here does seem to be the very loose set of rules under which expense claims can be made. I am pretty sure that many, many MPs of all persuasions are making use of the flexibility of these rules. I do not for one second expect that such claims are the preserve of Labour politiciands

If we allow ourselves to be riled up and "angrified" by all these stories, what is the outcome of all this anger going to be?

Edited by Eric Mc on Monday 6th April 08:19

[Jasandjules]

Eric Mc said:

If we allow ourselves to be riled up and "angrified" by all these stories, what is the outcome of all this anger going to be?

A Modern Day Guy Fawkes. Who can then be knighted by the Queen for services to the country.

A more moderate approach will be to just flog a few of them in public squares.

[smifffymoto]

I don't know what the out come will be Eric but I do know that I am feeling utterley helpless to do anything about it other than vote in another government.This other government will be equally ineffective in curbing parliament expenditure

[crmcatee]

Instead of all the threads of expense scammers - it would be easier to list the ones that are not on the take..


Please complete below..

1.

[Invisible man]

20 April 1653

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money.

Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter'd your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth?

Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil'd this sacred place, and turn'd the Lord's temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress'd, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go!


Oli

[Einion Yrth]

crmcatee said:

Instead of all the threads of expense scammers - it would be easier to list the ones that are not on the take..


Please complete below..

1.

Sunday Telegraph said:

The best-value MP is shown to be Philip Hollobone, a backbench Conservative who has no staff at Westminster and handles all his own casework. He had the lowest expenses claim of any MP last year while maintaining an attendance record that was well above average... Our analysis is based on a House of Commons breakdown of how much each of the UK's 646 MPs claimed in expenses. It also takes into account how hard each one works, as measured by their voting attendance, how often they speak in debates, and the number of written questions they put to ministers.

So they may not be all bad.

[Eric Mc]

smifffymoto said:

I don't know what the out come will be Eric but I do know that I am feeling utterley helpless to do anything about it other than vote in another government.This other government will be equally ineffective in curbing parliament expenditure

I'm not in any way excusing these individuals. They are all claiming that they operated completely within the rules - and they are almost all correct in this. However, what has happened is a total lack of moral awareness which, for people in their positions, is inexcusable.
Having said that, I do not see their behaviour any different to a vast chunk of British society who do exist in a total moral vacuum. Many people now consider that, as long as they obey the letter of the law they are untouchable.
In reality of course, laws are not always perfect and may indeed be immoral in themselves. Morality comes from an inate sense of "right and wrong". For whatever reasons, this inate ability to "do the right thing", which was once considered a very British atribute, has long since been discarded as an "old fashioned" and anachronistic way to behave.

British society, in all areas, needs a resetting of our national moral copmpass - and unfortuntaely, it does seem that the current breed of politician is not the person to enact this change.

[crmcatee]

Einion Yrth said:

crmcatee said:

Instead of all the threads of expense scammers - it would be easier to list the ones that are not on the take..


Please complete below..

1.

Sunday Telegraph said:

The best-value MP is shown to be Philip Hollobone, a backbench Conservative who has no staff at Westminster and handles all his own casework. He had the lowest expenses claim of any MP last year while maintaining an attendance record that was well above average... Our analysis is based on a House of Commons breakdown of how much each of the UK's 646 MPs claimed in expenses. It also takes into account how hard each one works, as measured by their voting attendance, how often they speak in debates, and the number of written questions they put to ministers.

So they may not be all bad.

I congratulate him and good news to hear.. Now about the other 645 members...

[Uncle Fester]

All very well if you have personalities like Cromwell or Churchill (the above speach was quoted in the House to Chamberlin, forcing his resignation in favour of Churchill) waiting to lead.

There's nobody of that stature today.

Somebody name me a moral politician today.

[smilerbaker]

I used to think our local mp seemed an ok guy, he is the only mp who doesn't have a 2nd job / directorships etc etc. Until the list of expenses came out and he was in the top 5

eta he likes to make a song and dance about the fact being an mp is his only job, I wonder if he'll be putting his expenses on his website too??

Edited by smilerbaker on Monday 6th April 08:49

[EdJ]

smilerbaker said:

I used to think our local mp seemed an ok guy, he is the only mp who doesn't have a 2nd job / directorships etc etc. Until the list of expenses came out and he was in the top 5

Second jobs don't concern me as much as milking the expenses. I'd rather my MP had a clue of the real world.

[Invisible man]

Eric Mc said:

smifffymoto said:

I don't know what the out come will be Eric but I do know that I am feeling utterley helpless to do anything about it other than vote in another government.This other government will be equally ineffective in curbing parliament expenditure

I'm not in any way excusing these individuals. They are all claiming that they operated completely within the rules - and they are almost all correct in this. However, what has happened is a total lack of moral awareness which, for people in their positions, is inexcusable.
Having said that, I do not see their behaviour any different to a vast chunk of British society who do exist in a total moral vacuum. Many people now consider that, as long as they obey the letter of the law they are untouchable.
In reality of course, laws are not always perfect and may indeed be immoral in themselves. Morality comes from an inate sense of "right and wrong". For whatever reasons, this inate ability to "do the right thing", which was once considered a very British atribute, has long since been discarded as an "old fashioned" and anachronistic way to behave.

British society, in all areas, needs a resetting of our national moral copmpass - and unfortuntaely, it does seem that the current breed of politician is not the person to enact this change.

Maybe deserving of its own thread but one wonders what led us to this. A British obsession with petty rules and regulations at the expense of common sense? Daily reminders of the poor example set by our leaders? Media focusing on get rich quick nobodies rather than educated or talented contributers to society? etc etc

[GreenDog]

Eric Mc said:

smifffymoto said:

I don't know what the out come will be Eric but I do know that I am feeling utterley helpless to do anything about it other than vote in another government.This other government will be equally ineffective in curbing parliament expenditure

I'm not in any way excusing these individuals. They are all claiming that they operated completely within the rules - and they are almost all correct in this. However, what has happened is a total lack of moral awareness which, for people in their positions, is inexcusable.
Having said that, I do not see their behaviour any different to a vast chunk of British society who do exist in a total moral vacuum. Many people now consider that, as long as they obey the letter of the law they are untouchable.
In reality of course, laws are not always perfect and may indeed be immoral in themselves. Morality comes from an inate sense of "right and wrong". For whatever reasons, this inate ability to "do the right thing", which was once considered a very British atribute, has long since been discarded as an "old fashioned" and anachronistic way to behave.

British society, in all areas, needs a resetting of our national moral copmpass - and unfortuntaely, it does seem that the current breed of politician is not the person to enact this change.

You've expressed my feelings on this matter exactly, although probably more eloquently than I could have managed.

[jmorgan]

Jasandjules said:

jmorgan said:

I am not surprised. More surprised the press has missed this for so long.

I rather think they knew all about it but were keeping it under wraps because of protecting the current scum and hoping for Honours. However, now it's clear that these incompetent halfwits couldn't run a bath let alone the country and are going to bankrupt us before they leave, those who own the newspapers have declared open season. And of course the more sleaze that comes out, the more likely they are to go.

Maybe the press were scared of their expenses getting the close scrutiny?

Anyway. I agree with the rules comments. As I said in another thread, rules is rules. So as far as they are concerned they have broken none. That it might appear to be seen as swinging the lead by a huge amount by the rest of us does not seem to have bothered them until we found out.

So, there should be a list of the lead swingers. A league table, who has got away with the most.

[smilerbaker]

there is a list of all expenses paid to all mp's, it was in the news last week.

eta here it is for kent

http://www.kentonline.co.uk/kol08/article/default....

Edited by smilerbaker on Monday 6th April 09:36