Bunch of crooks the lot of em,if somebody wants to be an MP then they shouldn't be allowed any where near the House.
Also if under 30% of the electorate turn out then that constituency should not get a representative.

Make voting compulsory as it is in Australia

Don't disagree with point about fixing the system.

But, the blind public now knows what many of us have figured out long ago. That so, oh so many politicians are in it for what they can get out of it rather than what they can put in. A labour party conference is now a place of pin strip suits and full length raincoats - spivs and city boys, a career politician convention with no place for ideologues.

This is clearly not the case where teachers are concerned where performance is measured, measured and measured again, but their pay is cr@p.

Anyway, Andy doesn't stand in the same league as others in this case. He acquits himself quite well here... blogs.news.sky.com/boultonandco/ ... 128c623da8

Anyway, Andy doesn't stand in the same league as others in this case. He acquits himself quite well here... blogs.news.sky.com/boultonandco/ ... 128c623da8

If there wasnt a recession on do you think all this about MP expenses would come to light????

Quote ="waterfield's finest"Anyway, Andy doesn't stand in the same league as others in this case. He acquits himself quite well here... blogs.news.sky.com/boultonandco/ ... 128c623da8'" Recently called "the Tim Henman of politics"....

Quote ="waterfield's finest"Anyway, Andy doesn't stand in the same league as others in this case. He acquits himself quite well here... blogs.news.sky.com/boultonandco/ ... 128c623da8'" Recently called "the Tim Henman of politics"....

Or what about the 5 Sin Fein MPs who `ve claimed £500k but have still not taken up their parliamentary seats.

They have a right to a salary and expenses for staff but a 2nd home allowance is absurd

The expenses saga just gets worse

So no one on here who is allowed to claim any form of expenses has not done so on a matter of principle?

Don't blame the people blame the system, plus anyone seen todays Daily Mail (I was reading it in Morrisons in Morecambe today I wont buy such a rag

) and I see now the tories 'expenses' are under examination

they are all at it.

Yes, but I have never worked anywhere where the beneficiaries design the expenses system. What many MPs have claimed is indefensible (even by them). It applies to all parties and should not be used to pillory one party more than another, as the Telegraph has don.

rules for expenses have been made by themselves hence the rules have not been broken but swapping the main homes to get jobs done and hazel blears did that to avoid capital gains tax which is fraud and just think the conseqences if any of us did something similaris is saying sorry good enough, not for me and if you so desire you have a chance to give them a stark reminder next month in the european elections.

The Watcher has always held the belief that whatever percentage pay rise the MPs vote themselves that same figure shall be awarded to all public employees & whatever pension scheme they are on that shall be awarded as standard to everyone.If one or both these ideas were taken up then we might see a bit of responsibility from our elected representatives .

Also whilst I am on the subject of MPs I cannot see why an apartment block of 646 residencies could not have been built & each constituency is allotted one of the flats.

Would be a hell of a good target for Bin Laden



Thats why

They all sit together in the House & we all know where that is.

True didn't really consider that one , most times I've seen them in their it's like a Quins/Celtic match

That only happens to be a sell out when its CLAIMS DAY. Otherwise its usually inhabited by a handful.

Now thats a good idea but who would pay for it ?

What astonishes me though is the way David Cameron and Hazel Blears for example now agree with non MP,s that this gravy train was wrong and needs reform



Well we have to wait for Mr Camerons expenses claims to be revealed in the same way as for his mate George Osborne but Hazel has not just taken advantage she is guilty of tax fraud.

Makes me think that they are not paid enough and that the block of flats for MP,s isn,t a bad idea although the security implications would probably cost more than the ten and a half million the lot of them have "legitametly"
claimed, with one or 2 exceptions.

Whilst working within the Public Sector Im pretty sure putting dodgy claims in is deemed as misappropriation of funds. Going back a few years a high ranking official within our job was given a Prison Term for this .
I very much doubt that our elected highwaymen would receive the same treatment.

Barty,you are correct,it is stealing & does warrant a prison sentence

Nothing to do with the recession. This has been looming for a couple of years now ever since a journalist ( can't think of her name but think she's an american living over here) decided to use the Freedom of Information Act to request this sort of info.For the last couple of years MP's have been battling to control if the information is released and if it is how much of it is.

What makes me chuckle about Hazel Blears, who is my MP by the way, is that she says she is sending a cheque to pay for Capital Gains Tax that isn,t due.

This therefore is a voluntary payment and will be set against any future liabilities shey may or may not incurr.

In effect therefore the gesture isn,t what it seems because if say in 12 months time or less when all this fuss has died down she is entitled to ask for it back, and, the Inland Revenue would have to refund it but couldn,t tell the press.

the latest claims are a disgrace david blunket has claimed for a moto cross bike, a hand glider and a pair of binoculars.