British Minister's High Expenses - Page 2

Colonelboris · #21 09.05.2009, 10:46

	Quote:	telandy
	I dont know what all the fuss is about. More media hype. Firstly most Uk politicians need a home in London, since they come from elsewhere. I draw the parallel with myself going on business trips and my employer pays. Rightly or wrongly these expenses were paid, ie they were deamed ok. If they are working within the rules then fine. OK - they make the rules which isn`t ok, but at the end of the day they get average wages compared to the captains of industry and they obviously have busy lives, privacy is a premium and if they can get away with it, I dont really care, as long as they are not doing anything illegal.

For the most part, that's not what people are complaining about. What does p*** people off is when an MP has claimed for a house that they don't use and they are letting out to other people. Or, when an MP lives only 30 miles from Westminster claims for a second house. Or when they own several houses, yet don't include the rent they get from those when totalling their income, y'know, the dishonest things...

#22 09.05.2009, 11:04

Come on, whichever way you cut this, the system is wrong, they way many MPs have exploited that system is wrong and in some cases even if the rules have not actually been broken, they've been bent to the maximum. So much for the Westminster gravy train. Next stop Brussels! I think it does matter how our elected officials behave. For a starters they're supposed to be idealists. Secondly it's public money they're spending. They have a duty of care and stewardship over public funds which transcends whether or not an expense is legal or not. Watching them smile and squirm as they they claim they've "done nothing wrong" is like watching naughty schoolboys who've been nicked smoking behind the bike shed.

p.s. They are no longer my elected officials and I do not contribute to UK public funds!

#23 15.05.2009, 19:44

A week's a long time in politics huh? It's like some secret world none of us knew about. They've been milking the system for all they can. Talk about moral compass! I'd say MPs didn't give a sh*t but one MP even charged some of that up to the public purse.

#24 15.05.2009, 20:02

Also, "not breaking the rules" is no excuse since they are the ones who set the rules!

Jon H · #25 15.05.2009, 20:18

Mr Stephen Fry had some interesting comments on the subject along the lines of Castro's!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ht/8045869.stm

Now he's regretting it, being labelled as the MPs friend, that is!

Rustygraben · #26 21.05.2009, 17:40

The Daily Show on the topic with a glorious performance by British correspondent John Oliver defending MP Douglas Hogg and his public-funded moat: Scamalot | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

#27 07.01.2011, 22:11

	Quote:	Nev
	A week's a long time in politics huh? It's like some secret world none of us knew about. They've been milking the system for all they can. Talk about moral compass! I'd say MPs didn't give a sh*t but one MP even charged some of that up to the public purse.

Now the first MP to be tried, David Chaytor, is going to spend 18 months inside for fiddling claims totalling £22,650

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/news...ccounting.html

.

jrspet · #28 23.01.2011, 23:43

SENIOR Australian ministers are among MPs forced to repay nearly $100,000 over wrongful family travel claims.

Even Prime Minister Julia Gillard made 10 repayments, totalling $438 for taxi fares she said were "inadvertently" claimed by a family member.

Source

Remember this is only the MPs that got busted. Imagine how much abuse of entitlements that aren't caught.