How big is the Westminster gravy train?
Discussion
pikey said:
Base salary is ridiculously low for the equivalent job they'd be in in industry
They know the salaries when they enter politics. In any case I thought this was a job that you didn't do for the money?And don't say that by paying more money we will get better politicians, I think that has been comprehensively disproved in the banking and finance sectors.
Traveller said:
and after this response,
Many thanks for the email and I know the views you express are widely shared.
One of my responsibilities at the House of Commons is to chair the Standards and Privileges Committee. This is the body which decides whether or not rules have been broken, and, if they have been, what sanction should be imposed.
Both the Home Secretary and Tony McNulty are being investigated, so I hope you understand if I don’t comment further at this stage.
Best wishes, George Young
I thought I might make a wider point.......
Dear George Young,
Many thanks for the prompt reply, it is much appreciated. But one of of my questions remains unanswered, namely, why are the conservatives not asking for Jacqui Smiths resignation ? She has brought her office and the entire country into disrepute and yet none have the strength of character and morale conviction to ask and fight for her resignation, now, not in 1 months time, or 6. She has become an international joke, along with our unelected Prime minister Gordon Brown.
What do you actually have to do in this so called democracy to lose your job ?
Destroy the economy
Saddle the populace with generations of debt
Invading a sovereign country in an illegal war without the peoples consent, resulting in deaths of true service men / women and innocent civilians
Buy pornography with public money
Take money to amend laws
Lie and cheat with expenses. For us mere subjects this is called fraud, enriching oneself through deception. Politics in the Uk has lost the trust of the people. Actions have consequences, but not it seems once you have become part of the political Labour elite. Power has corrupted.
Does this role call of shame above not bring down a red mist of rage and anger at the state of this, our once great country ?
I understand that you are unable to comment on some of the points, but a mere slap on the wrist will not satisfy the us. Zero tolerance with enforceable and enforced sanction commensurate with the crime committed. At best, criminal charges and dismissal from parliament, at worst, loss of position of secretary of state, You have a portcullis in your signature, why is it not closing on the likes of Jacqui Smith and her like ?
I do apologise for this tirade, but enough is enough.
Traveller,Many thanks for the email and I know the views you express are widely shared.
One of my responsibilities at the House of Commons is to chair the Standards and Privileges Committee. This is the body which decides whether or not rules have been broken, and, if they have been, what sanction should be imposed.
Both the Home Secretary and Tony McNulty are being investigated, so I hope you understand if I don’t comment further at this stage.
Best wishes, George Young
I thought I might make a wider point.......
Dear George Young,
Many thanks for the prompt reply, it is much appreciated. But one of of my questions remains unanswered, namely, why are the conservatives not asking for Jacqui Smiths resignation ? She has brought her office and the entire country into disrepute and yet none have the strength of character and morale conviction to ask and fight for her resignation, now, not in 1 months time, or 6. She has become an international joke, along with our unelected Prime minister Gordon Brown.
What do you actually have to do in this so called democracy to lose your job ?
Destroy the economy
Saddle the populace with generations of debt
Invading a sovereign country in an illegal war without the peoples consent, resulting in deaths of true service men / women and innocent civilians
Buy pornography with public money
Take money to amend laws
Lie and cheat with expenses. For us mere subjects this is called fraud, enriching oneself through deception. Politics in the Uk has lost the trust of the people. Actions have consequences, but not it seems once you have become part of the political Labour elite. Power has corrupted.
Does this role call of shame above not bring down a red mist of rage and anger at the state of this, our once great country ?
I understand that you are unable to comment on some of the points, but a mere slap on the wrist will not satisfy the us. Zero tolerance with enforceable and enforced sanction commensurate with the crime committed. At best, criminal charges and dismissal from parliament, at worst, loss of position of secretary of state, You have a portcullis in your signature, why is it not closing on the likes of Jacqui Smith and her like ?
I do apologise for this tirade, but enough is enough.
Edited by Traveller on Monday 30th March 14:34
Don't bother.
The Tories won't push too hard because they're just as bad.
thehawk said:
They know the salaries when they enter politics. In any case I thought this was a job that you didn't do for the money?
.
And nothing stops them spending 25% or more of their year working for other companies - many MPs and NEDs and consultants etc and making a fair bit from those.. Not to mention the roles they get after they leave office..
The large expenses con of MPs really only took off with Labour in the 70s when they realised the public wouldn't like to see them giving themselves too big a salary (as if that's not high enough already). So, the Labour wheeze was to have nice high expenses which were more hidden from the public. Ah, the left don't you just love their hypocracy?
alfabadass said:
Traveller,
Don't bother.
The Tories won't push too hard because they're just as bad.
A complete and utterly futile gesture on my part. Representative democracy is a joke. Don't bother.
The Tories won't push too hard because they're just as bad.
I though about it and realised why complain about the MPs, we have a institution called the monarchy which has parasitically lived off the people of this country for 100s of years, and they are not even British, eh Philip and Albert... An upper class dole scrounger if you like, so the MPs are only following a good example.
I am a strong believer in a republic, with direct democracy.
gravy train will keep rolling until the imf comes to town...even in my local council they have a guy getting paid thousands for nothing and hes never actually in the borough....when tony bliar said and we will rule as new labour he meant we will screw this country for every penny it has from the seaside in brighton to the halls of westminister ....and they will never stop....
thehawk said:
pikey said:
Base salary is ridiculously low for the equivalent job they'd be in in industry
They know the salaries when they enter politics. In any case I thought this was a job that you didn't do for the money?And don't say that by paying more money we will get better politicians, I think that has been comprehensively disproved in the banking and finance sectors.
ks would stop.The payment for the job has *always* been salary + allowances. It's part of the package.
I once worked at a place that had a 'shoe allowance' - the company took it out and upped people's salary. This is the same thing. The politians don't regard themselves as doing anything wrong as this is what they're entitled to. For example, who on here gets a 'car allowance', but takes the cash rather than car, and doesn't even have a job which requires driving? I had one of those for 9 years.
Remove the entitlement, roll it up into a salary and this headline grabbing tosh would stop.
Mclovin said:
come on tories will be a lot lot better than we have now....their number 1 goal wont be destruction of UK plc like gordo and his pet monkeys scorched earth policy..
If you honestly believe Tory politicians are any less greedy than Labour politicians then you will be sadly disillusioned.Gassing Station | News, Politics & Economics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff