MP Expenses, why do they get them?

[Dupont666]

Busa_Rush said:

theaxe said:

Busa_Rush said:

I agree with all of that other than the statement that doubling their pay will increase the quality of candidate.

I think it will. If you're a professional, say a doctor or lawyer on £120k+ but would like to help improve the country I think a drop in salary to £64766 would really put you off.

A lot of very good professionals are not on £120k+ and they do a perfectly good job. It's not about money and as mentioned above by KP the last thing we need is more Doctors and Lawyers in Parliament. We need ordinary people who give a st, a shop keeper, a grass roots police officer, a bin man, a teacher in a middle England school in Hertfordshire, a computer programmer working for a car parts manufacturer, a Banker, maybe somebody who is into politics.

We need a broad spread of skills, opinions and attitudes. The biggest problem with politics these days is it's full of professional politicians . . . who are gravy train riders the lot of them, regardless of how good or bad they may be.

We need a whole new approach to politics, not based on party politics but based on issues and policy.

What you mean like business people who know how to run things instead of someone that has no concept of accounting being allowed to play with the biggest accountancy program in the UK?

When finance decisions are needed someone who knows finance and listens to the leading people in the industry instead of thinking they know best?

And people that actually understand issues and politics and what to do no matter if it alienates people as long as its for the good of the country instead of for their own votes?

When the public is demanding better policing and tougher sentances (tough love on criminals) give them it instead of ignoring it and getting most of scotland yard to guard their own home cause someone threw a rock at their house or sent them hate mail because they ignore it?

Most importantly of all, someone who is honest and doesnt abuse the system and makes sure those that do (spending more time doing fact finding missions aka holidays than in their own area) get an absolute bking. stopping them from disagring with the decsions for stuff like expenses when its classed as criminal with pathetic excuses of 'It was in the rules' or 'I didnt realise' and then appealing and getting off with it... If I did fraud and stood up in front of the judge and said I dont agree it was all in the rules I still get the book thrown at me...

for an example of one rule for them and one rule for everyone else look up:

http://www.contractorcalculator.co.uk/contractors_...

It was in the rules and legal... but winky and the goubberment dont like it, therefore 1000s of peoples lifes are going to be made hell, all because they need their money for their next expenses scam...
Good luck...

Though Im thinking a few well placed PHers in Parliment and in MP positions wouldnt be a bad thing... take them over from the inside and stop them ruining the country for their own gain...

I can gaurantee (thou cant speel it) that Winky will have a book called something like 'My years at 10' coming out just after he is kicked blasting everything...

[Merry]

The trouble with getting 'normal' people in to Parliament is the barriers to entry the party systems form. You have to do so much arse licking to even get selected as a candidate, let alone get elected.

Most of the current politicians have spent years trying just to get into the Commons, making the right friends, going to constituency events and such. For example, I have a Politics degree, so always get asked 'so your going to be a Politician then' and my answers is always, 'I doubt it', simply because I didnt get involved in student Politics or make friends with the right people early enough. That and the simple fact that joining any of the main parties would involve me having to abandon pretty much all my morals and follow a line.

I think this is the root of the whole problem. You cant be a well rounded individual if you've spent years focusing on getting this one particular position. In doing so, by the time you get into the Commons, if indeed you do, i'd imagine some MPs feel that they are owed for such dedication, thus have used expenses and such to boost their income.

The Party is the problem, in my eyes.

[F i F]

I'd say the Establishment and the Established Order is the barrier to real access.

If someone started a Common Sense Party a lot of people would say they'd vote for it in a heartbeat.

Problem is the Establishment and long held connections/allegiances / favours owed etc etc within EO would kill you before you got to first base if it was perceived as a real threat.



By kill you I don't mean in a Dr Kelly way..

[Merry]

F i F said:

I'd say the Establishment and the Established Order is the barrier to real access.

If someone started a Common Sense Party a lot of people would say they'd vote for it in a heartbeat.

Problem is the Establishment and long held connections/allegiances / favours owed etc etc within EO would kill you before you got to first base if it was perceived as a real threat.



By kill you I don't mean in a Dr Kelly way..

The trouble is the mere action of setting up a 'common sense party' would bring in the problems associated with any party. You'd have the same problems.

The only real fix is independents, but then you could end up lacking in coherent government.

[catso]

Busa_Rush said:

I agree with all of that other than the statement that doubling their pay will increase the quality of candidate.

Indeed, surely doubling the pay would just mean we'd be paying the same self-serving parasites double - unless of course we're going to sack the lot and recruit a better quality of candidate?