LibDems Claim Highest Expenses
The averages:
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LibDems claim £140,217
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Labour MPs claim £136,116
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Tory MPs claim £131,275
Digested Read : Maya by Alastair Campbell – John Crace
What Happened To 19 Secretive Tories? – LibDemVoice
Charged MPs Still Take Labour Whip – Paul Waugh
Labour Distances Itself from Official Law Firm – Iain Dale
Labour Party’s Solicitor Defends Theft Charged MPs’ – Telegraph
Doing Emotional – Jon Craig
Gordon Brown’s Policy Inventions - Fink
Conservatives Need Clear, Discernable Principles – Fraser Nelson
Union’s £75 Million Lever on Labour – News of the Screws
Cameron Has to Come Up With Something Better – Fraser Nelson
Republican Twitter Kings – Time
Prosecute Racketeering MPs – Times
Yeo’s Pre-Blogged Ambush – Indy
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Sarah Palin said…
“A year later, I gotta ask the supporters of all that, ‘How’s that hopey, changey thing working out for ya?’ “
-Gilts (Mar)
As of 28 Jan 2010 +5.8%
Yes, well, it’s easy to understand why MPs’ don’t mind being whipped into line. This is multiple times what sewer cleaners get.
How about….. No salary, no expenses, no pensions, no payments of any kind whatsoever. All consultancy banned. All constituency offices to be paid for by relevant parties. That way only the ones who really WANT to be an MP for the right reasonsc would apply. I’m quite sure thyere would be plenty of takers.
How many Tories and Lib Dem MPs claim for porno films?
whipped is the oeprative word see this in the people
“Five more MPs fear naughty Nigel Griffiths brunette will expose them
EXCLUSIVE Five more fear naughty Nigel brunette will expose them
By Nigel Nelson Political Editor Nigel.Nelson@People.Co.Uk
Five more MPs fear they are about to be exposed after having sex with the woman who romped with Labour’s Nigel Griffiths in the ….
http://www.people.co.uk/news/tm_headline=five-more-mps-fear-naughty-nigel-griffiths-brunette-will-expose-them&method=full&objectid=21235549&siteid=93463-name_page.html
HOHO (“from three parties”)
I keep on thinking “they’re all in it together”. I wonder if they took photos of _that_.
Whipped is the oepratiove word
see this in The People
29 March 2009
Five more MPs fear naughty Nigel Griffiths brunette will expose them
EXCLUSIVE Five more fear naughty Nigel brunette will expose them
By Nigel Nelson Political Editor Nigel.Nelson@People.Co.Uk
Five more MPs fear they are about to be exposed after having sex with the woman who romped with Labour’s Nigel Griffiths in the Commons.
Come to sleezy Steves discount store.
Porn and plugs at 10% discount for the high and mighty.
Maybe because the LibDems are such a small party they claim more because most of their members are essentially in the LibDem version of the shadow cabinet and need more staff or whatever?
Or maybe its just the cost of all LibDems having to buy Charles Kennedy drinks?
It’s because the Lib Dems have a disproportionate number of MPs in Scotland and the south west. Strip out all the travel costs and the picture looks very different. One can but admire Guido’s chutzpah…
Am tempted to strive for office at the next election.
I won’t lie to the electorate, my aim would be to serve one term, similar to Martin Bell, and claim (reveal) every fiddle known to these Hoons. I will have no interest in serving the voters, I just want to know what I can fiddle.
Afterwards, I’d donate all the stolen money to the Macmillan folk who nursed and cared for my late wife.
I think I could win on that promise.
Give a stimulus to the economy let us all claim the same as M.P.s against tax. Recession over.
Our MPs justify their exorbitant salaries by comparing them so the private sector.
So how come they don’t have a private sector expense scheme, with no fixed allowances, and the Inland Revenue going through every last receipt with a fine tooth comb?
People will keep saying that MPs’ salaries are too low and need to be fixed higher to reflect the level of responsibility and stress. For a job that’s underpaid, there are a hell of a lot of applicants for every vacancy.
They didn’t seem to accept this reason when the Firemen were asking for a pay increase to reflect the responsibilities and risks they faced.
Wasn’t it the term ‘you knew how much that line of work was paid before you got a job in it’ that would apply here.
What I love about all of this shitstorm is that the boot is on the other foot. All the shit they have crammed down our throats over the years has come home to roost.
From benefit cheating adverts saying ‘no buts’ and ‘grass up anyone you know’ adverts to privacy protection on the ‘nothing to hide’ mantra.
The smoking in the private chambers, the exploitation of power and position and hiding behind it.
Hypocrisy on so many levels.
Not to be a spoilsport but they do have the MP for Orkney and Shetland. That constituency is on a BA monopolised plane route that costs an astronomical amount to travel on. Short of Alistair Carmichael learning to row his own boat down the north sea that is always going to drag up their expenses.
What this means on an average is that they are all at it. Some have just further to go.
So why don’t they operate a system where all travel tickets have to be bought through one source? Given that source’s purchasing power generous discounts from travel providers would surely follow, providing a useful saving to the public purse.
As a side benefit this approach would also make it very easy to keep a check on any individual’s travel expenditure.
Quite. What I’d like to see is how expenses are broken down based on geographical isolation, difficult transport links, and so on. A lot of Lib Dems represent such constituencies. I wonder what the SNP’s MPs’ average expenses are? Ditto Plaid Cymru.
I don’t know about Westminster, but the SNP average much lower than the Lib Dems at Holyrood. Now there a comparison can be made: the SNP MSP for the Western Isles claims a lot less than the Lib Dem MSPs for Orkney and Shetland, despite having similar travel costs. And the SNP generally represent a lot of remote constituencies too, at Holyrood.
Mind you, the fattest snouts in the Holyrood trough belong to the Tories…
Which measure of average is this using? Mean or median?
I don`t know, Im in the cabinet. Average in what I can get away with or what the press will say is OK will do for me.
To be fair to the Lib-Dems, most of them represent god-awful places like the Highlands of Scotland, so they’ve got further to travel.
But Anon (post No. 5) is dead right. All their claims should be scrutinised. On another thread I suggested a committee of people employed in, or recently retired from, private industry. They could keep 10% of the claims they turn down. Another 10% could be given to charity, and the rest deducted from the lying MPs wages.
Who is more bloody stupid the MPs or us for letting them get away with it.
Simply give them a decent salary and tell them to get on with it!
Problem is – how do you propose to stop them? The turkeys won’t vote for Christmas, so what’s your solution?
Lamp posts, young man, lamp posts.
They have a bloody well decent salary already. Before they were paid so much, the calibre of MPs was far higher than the shoddy lot that roam the HoC today.
63000 or there abouts looks rather good to the average person earning 1/3 of that. The idea that MPs are underpaid is nonsense, if your main goal is to get rich – perhaps you shouldn’t be an MP.
Part of the problem is that some, a minority at the moment, are worth the money while very many are useless Hoons who are in it for themselves, and what they can make of it.
Can you split the averages down so travel is excluded? I mean its not as if there are Tories travelling from Cornwall, Wales, Scotland etc etc etc.
Why is George Osborne claiming for a second house? I don’t believe he knows where his constituency is never mind has accommodation there.
And as for the Libs – well they all come from a different planet so that explains the cost.
Does anyone know the aggregate claim of Mr & Mrs Bollocks?
If the travel costs are stripped out what are the averages? That would be the fairest way to judge. Tho why we should be fair is arguable.
Off Topic…New fire service uniform includes full-length skirt and hijab headscarf…NuLab madness.
That’ll be popular until the first time a violent backdraft flashes flames up the aforementioned full length skirt! Or doeas the emsemble include asbestos lined knickers?
Thank fuck I haven’t claimed the most on this reciept.
Phew……… their are a few colleagues (Hoon’s) out their that may take the flack of a good shafting from the great unwashed, I mean the electorate and the free press for their extravagance.
I would like a Burka rather that a hijab headscarf – I like slits – I can hide my shame under it, do they do those on expenses??????????
Mind you I heard that you can tell what someone is like by their eyes, unless your name is Gordon of course, you only get a fifty fifty chance. He might appreciate one to, he will need to escape at some time.
Thieving Hoons. I have to earn near enough £260,000.00 for my business to end up with £130,000.00 in my pocket.
This is the worst kind of tax fiddle going, they pay no tax on this income, the filthy bastards.
No wonder they’re all wanking themselves stupid, so happy with themselves.
Cünts.
In any profession that millions do for free such as Football,music,acting and politics why as a nation do we reward these C**nts so well?
Most are mediocre or down right shit at what they do anyway.
I used to get to Parliament under my own steam on my peddle and pop moped and spend up to 64 hours a week in that place.
It wouldn’t have mattered to me if I was inside the Chamber scratching me balls as an MP for my pittance of pay,and I could hardly have done a worse job than this shower of shit.
Why don’t you run for Parliament then you moron? Let’s hear your policies, I could do with a laugh!
Be careful what you wish for HP. This seems to be your standard answer to anyone who shows concern for the fall from grace of the HOC inhabitants. Should all those who care, do what you suggest, the demand for tax payer funded labour communications practicioners will fall off a cliff.
The Court of Public Opinion says you are a complete Hoon.
haha. you arent draper then.
Even the Labour party has enough sense not to let him stand to be on a parish council, never mind MP.
Policy No1,
No person can run for elected office without at least 10 years in a private sector job.
Excluding lawyers who have to have 20 years at The Bar.
As for all other policys they are called ‘Fucking Common Sense’.
And also exclude all teachers – they’ve already proved “they can’t”!
Does anyone have Jacquie’s bank sort code and account number? I want to set a direct debit paying her all my spare money. This will save her the trouble of making claims and getting into any bother. Oh and a good removals firm please, so I can send her all my furniture and appliances.
Only send the expensive stuff, you can keep the cheap shit.
Regards,
J.S.
Fucking Zanussi washing machine?
Should have bought a Siemens – only 3 times as much but with a standard 10 year guarantee – also greener than the cheap crap.
LOL
Looking at the Lib Dems presumably the MPS following for the following seats have a reason to claim large travelling expenses.
Orkney & Shetland
Caithness & Sutherland
Inverness East Badenoch & Strahspey
Inverness West, Ross, Cromerty & Skye
Argyll & Bute
Gordon
Kincardine and West Aberdeenshire
Cerigdeon (sic)
Six Cornish Seats.
Oh that is 14 out of 63 Lib Dems or 22%. Should Guido not repeat the calculation for English MPs or by region. Now that night be more telling.
One of the R5 presenters have just described Mr Smith’s viewing habits as ‘hand held videos’.
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
Respect to John Motson.
She claimed 88p for a bath plug? 88P FOR A BLOODY BATH PLUG????!!! For pity’s sake, what on earth do they find to spend their salaries on, bearing in mind that they claim for practically everything going including food, travel, a house or flat, the best TVs, Sky, potted plants, window cleaning, moss killer for the lawn, gutter clearance, porn….
Time for performance-related pay and allowances, ie very little at the current rate of knots.
What a despicable, grasping and utterly immoral bunch of Hoons.
That 88 pence will cost a lot. People will associate that price with what these people think of the tax payer: someone to pay for a bath plug.
Hope it was a whiter than white bath plug.
It really is revolting. To actually claim for a plug. Shows that their greed knows no ends. F£££ing pigs.
Under the circumstances a butt plug may have been more appropriate
Gordon Brown claimed for a plug, a butt-plug for £5.99.
Where do they find the time ti go to such detail in an expenses claim,
Hi Hugh,,
Perhaps we should ‘compare notes’???
By the way..yep what a set of hoons………
She’s ripping off the taxpayer. You can get one in B&Q for 49p
Harman, Hon Harriet – £2,812 £9,241 £99,397 £1,876 £3,774 £1,158 £0 £9,074.
I think that us women deserve more than those men Hoon’s.
I’ve been under represented on my x’s – this is blatant discrimination.
I’m worth twice that much.
Don’t worry luvver – your husband Jack Dromey will be be able to cough up a few grand, even though his nulab mates think he’s lazy and stupid.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-499510/Knives-Labours-golden-couple-Harriet-Harman-Jack-Dromey.html
What we need now is a party to think they are a washing powder and claim to be whiter than white. Oh hang on
It is already in being – there are plenty of ‘Omo’s in there, let alone Hoons!
The Tories have only spent less because they’re more likely to be Old Etonian toffs who don’t need to spend as much money.
Once again you’ve shown that the Tory Party is desperately out of touch with the British people. And so are you. Why don’t you concentrate on policies?
But Gordon the Moron’s policies are crap. More spending, yet we have no cash. More fucking diversity managers, no doubt. Labour is a waste of fucking time, dragging the rest of us down with them.
Oh, so you don’t care about diversity then do you? Let me guess – you’re a typical white middle-aged male who can’t accept the fact that Britain is CHANGING.
For the first time women, ethnic minorities, and LGBT people are attaining equality under Labour. We have implemented women-only shortlists, strengthened the Race Relations Act to force public bodies to promote good race relations.
We have introduced civil partnerships, giving legal recognition to same-sex partners. Gay couples now have the same inheritance, pension and next-of-kin rights as married couples.
Britain has changed – get into the 21st century you intolerant troglodyte.
I suspect it’s you who can’t accept that Britain is changing.
“We have implemented women-only shortlists,”
That’s a funny sort of equality.
“LGBT people”
Luton, Gatwick, Birmingham and Twickenham?
I embrace diversity but I’m confused.
HP
‘We have introduced civil partnerships, giving legal recognition to same-sex partners. Gay couples now have the same inheritance, pension and next-of-kin rights as married couples’
Have you ever considered that the vast majority of us find this totally abhorent you fucking dipstick.
Why do you always use the ‘WE’ term so much are you Jacquie spliffs wanker in chief?
Perhaps ‘Old Etonian toffs’ don’t need two Bosch washing machines, two state-of-the-art widescreen TVs, and a free supply of porn films like our beloved home secretary clearly does.
There is no ‘need’ about it – don’t be a fool. I earn less than either of them. I pay for my own bath plugs.
“The Tories have only spent less because they’re more likely to be Old Etonian toffs who don’t need to spend as much money.”
Do you not see how similar sweeping statements like this are to the Nazis and other political movements who tar a whole group of people with the same brush?
A further point, you may have noticed that the issue of MPs expenses has been in the news a lot lately, I think that means the British people are interested in it, which would mean that it is in fact YOU who is out of touch with the British people.
Lastly its the Conservative Party now, the Tory party hasn’t existed since Robert Peel – are you so sure yourly up to date and in touch?
Are you seriously have a go at someone for calling the Conservatives Tories? When your handle is ToryTurk?!
Do you have a mental illness?
You’re right. Britain has changed. Our economy is on its knees thanks to the sub-prime Minister. Crime is rampant. The Two Homes Secretary is only interested in lining her own pockets because she knows she’s out when we finally get our chance to have our say on 13 years of hell under ZaNuLab.
Still, at least Jackboots’ husband had fun. Wankers.
But at least we did not destroy the economy and end up getting honest hard working people thrown out of their jobs!
Strange, nary a mention about this subject on the Tax Justice Network website.
Excellent point, Harman_Pride. This is only a news story because it involves porn.
The Tories might have a nice leader but they are still the Nasty Party. They would undo the work of New Labour in creating a modern, vibrant Britain that incorporates both the free market and socialism. The Tories with their Millionaires’ Manifesto have made their position abundantly clear.
As Julian Ware-Lane said recently on LabourList:
“Last weekend I was chatting to a young couple. The young man said “I don’t know much about politics but I know that the Tories are for the rich and Labour is for the poor. As I am poor I suppose I will vote for you.” I responded that I would count on his support until that lottery win materialised.
Labour does not just target its policies at the most vulnerable in our society. Its policies do benefit all. But when it talks about ending poverty and making every child matter it can so do with a sincerity borne from inhabiting those constituencies.
The Labour Party has members across the economic and sociological spectrum. Its strength is that its activist base is drawn from all sections of society. Our politicians are not always the most eloquent, but they are authentic.
I am not looking to restart the class war. I do want to know how a team mired in privilege can really aspire to represent all in our society. With their focus on the wealthy elite the Tories ought to be a fringe party. It is a testament to their campaigning, and collusion with a friendly media, that they are not.
The unauthentic and insincere Tories must be shown up for what they are.”
So how do you explain the fact that your support is dropping so badly?
People are rightly upset about the effects of the current global economic downturn. But I’m confident that once the economy starts to recover, they will return to Labour.
Labour is committed to spending more on helping hard-working families to survive this recession. The Conservatives opposed Gordon Brown’s stimulus and would basically do nothing. This worries voters who still feel that the Tories are more concerned with millionaires and big business than by helping the poor and vulnerable ethnic minorites of this country.
If we can portray the Tories as the “Nasty Party”, who basically haven’t changed since Thatcher, most disgruntled Labour supporters will abstain rather than voter Tory. They won’t switch to Labour like so many did in 1997.
I think it will be a hung parliament at worst. Remember the Tories, even in the midst of this crisis, still only have a 10-point lead.
Clearly the young couple in question were spot on when they said they did not “know much about politics”. The problem with a lot of “poor” Labour voters is that they blindly and unquestionably support Labour without thought or reason for their choice or policy. My family is largely working class. A lot of them follow the same thought process you have described and it would be impossible to persuade them otherwise. But it would be wrong to describe any ruling elite in power for so long of holding any kind of sincerity or authenticity.
And the electorate are waking up to the fact that nothing will get better under the current administration and indeed things stand to get a good deal worse.
We have now reached a point where the desire for this government to hold onto power outweighs anything else which is dangerous. I am no particular friend of the Tories or the LibDems either but for the sake of balance in politics there must be a change soon.
Liam Hannigan’s got a point. ( I thought my Mark Oaten was funny).
> “If we can portray the Tories as the ‘Nasty Party’, ”
That’s the give-away. “Portray”.
It means “Spin”
It means “Lie”
It means “deceive”
You have learned nothing.
The best you can hope for is be allowed to live.
Tell you what mate, I would just give up if I were you. It’s too late, we’ve seen through all the bullshit. Labour only helps people to remain on benefits. I should think people like Karen Matthews (remember – the one who had about seven kids all with different fathers and had one of her children kidnapped for the money) are the only ones voting Labour. New Labour, New Benefits.
10p tax.
Labour_Pride, I agree the porn is a small issue. But what about:
Kitchen sink – £550 stone model from Habitat
Bath plug – 88p
Dining room table – £460
Sofabed – £704 on a sofabed
Antique fireplace – £1,000 + coal
Hotpoint cooker – £399 plus £15 connection
Hotpoint tumble dryer – £189
Ariston washing machine – £249
Zanussi washing machine – £300
Entertainment centre (DVD players, two Samsung widescreen televisions and two digital set-top boxes) – £1,100.
I wonder which taxpayers had their pay packets lightened to accomodate all of the above……
How do you know the labour party member you are talking to is being unauthentic and insincere? Answer: they are breathing. ( or in your case operating a keyboard)
Tax payer funded masturbation = Labour
Let’s face it NO party that exists are for the people, NuLabour are all for themselves, they abandoned the working class as soon as they got into power in 97. They have systematically destroyed this once great country pandering to gays and ethnic minorities (yes I am a proud troglodyte). This troglodyte saw the Thatcher years destroy his education, saw Major’s sleaze but I have never ever been so betrayed by a political party and it’s system (I work for a living, so far, so consider myself working class). NuLabour have financially and morally bankrupted this nation, it has taxed the working class so much it’s hard to feed our children, it has shit on pensioners so much that thousands yes thousands have died through hyperthermia because they had to choose to heat or eat. Mass immigration has seen services reach breaking point, cheap affordable council housing is non existant if you are white and indigenous to this country. NuLabour spend billions keeping people in benefit, billions that could be better spent with local councils that could employ the feckless idle NuLabour supporter. NuLabour ministers lie on a daily basis about their policies working when not one has ever been beneficial to the country. Illegal wars waged in the middle east whilst pandering to and sponsoring terrorists to the tune of £100 million at home, troughing MP’s claiming for light bulbs, plugs and tv’s on their obscene salaries whilst thousands of jobs lost daily while they blame it on a global recession. NuLabour’s legacy is going to be one a failed opportunity and one that wrecked a once Great Britain.
“They have systematically destroyed this once great country pandering to gays and ethnic minorities (yes I am a proud troglodyte).”
Guido, please delete this comment and ban the user, or I will report you to Derek Draper as allowing racist and homophobic comments on your blog.
Can we delete poofter pride, prferably with piano wire.
Whats this Harman Pride/ Labour Pride shite? Not content with moronic names now their talking to each other? Chances are its the same idiot talking to himself-cause I don’t believe HP is a woman. Do you have a list of ———Pride names to pick from –you know Stupidity Pride, Marxist Mass Murder Pride, We’ve Ruined You Pride, Fuckwits Pride, Labour are the Scum of the Earth Pride?.
Labour Pride: what a crock of shit!
“This is only a news story because it involves porn.”
No it isn’t. Smith has ripped us off thousands of £££s with her second home scam. All the porn gate proves it the depth of her craveness. Why was she claiming for his or her home entertainment in the first place.
“As Julian Ware-Lane said recently on LabourList:..”
Snooze. ‘Ware-Lane’? He sounds more like a Tory than a Tory.
“I am not looking to restart the class war. I do want to know how a team mired in privilege can really aspire to represent all in our society.”
Yes you do you hypocritical git. And the class interest that you are serving is the ‘political’ class.
You Hoon.
HP – “People are rightly upset about the effects of the current global economic downturn. But I’m confident that once the economy starts to recover, they will return to Labour.”
People? you don’t have a majority of people behind you and you never did, the last election was in ‘good times’ and you got 35% of the vote, not even 800,000 more than the Tories
Please don’t insult the majority of people in this country
Vote Labour – stay poor.
Low IQ?
No job?
Ever thought of voting Labour?
No doubt you omitted to mention that after ten years of NuLab so called Government your young couple are poorer, and will become a lot poorer as the consequences of your period of Government and it’s reckless profligate policies become more and more apparent.
Only a complete Hoon like you would have the nerve to suggest they have any sort of future as a result of what you and your collegues have done.
Gordon Brown claimed £360 for a Sky Sports package, £10 for lightbulbs, and £5.99 for a butt-plug.
I can only see the sky package as the one gordon doesn`t “like it up im.”
Proof that the lefties are hypocritical bastards – excellent at redistributing other people’s money: to themselves. Jesus motherfucking cocksucker christ, Lib Dems are Hoons.
Labour have lost the working-class who are now largely going to vote for the B NP.
Labour are down to their hard-core support of diversity outreach workers, deranged Stalinists, Polly Toynbees dwindling fan club, and immigrants.
So much for the squeeky clean Liberal Dummytwats
French news broadcasts reporting on the G20 in London are all covering the Jacqui Smith porn-on-expenses scandal to much laughter and scoffing. Sarkozy was asked about it on television, brushed the question aside and then started giggling and smirking.
The British government is a laughing stock in Europe. Brown is a crazy figure of ridicule.
The Germans are laughing their heads off at the ridiculous British government too…
“In Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel is already having doubts about the wisdom of trying to boost the global economy with more borrowing and more spending, the news (Jacqui Smith/porn) has broken like a thunderclap. The German press rejoices in the hilarious “Porno-Affäre” of “die britische Innenministerin”, ……”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/borisjohnson/5078504/Making-you-pay-for-their-porn-wont-stimulate-the-economy.html
Video? I feel like some masochism.
Harman Pride 9.58. Diversity is a bullshit way of Labour buying votes. I prefer people to be treated according to their ability, not by the colour of their skin. To appoint people any other way is obscene. How else would David Lammy have got into Parliament?
@Harman_Pride:
“The Tories have only spent less because they’re more likely to be Old Etonian toffs who don’t need to spend as much money. ”
So what you’re saying is that if you want to reduce the amount being hosed away on MP expenses, you should vote Tory?
Let me spell it out for you. If in the unlikely event that you ever had the nouse to set up your own business you would find a very different attitude and set of circumstances to expenses when you got around to submitting your expenses. For one, the expenses would come out of money that your business had managed to generate. You would receipt everything, not claim blanket allowances. If you don’t spend it, you don’t claim it. You can’t claim everything, only that which is absolutely necessary for the business. So no bath plugs and definitely no porn.
Of course, if you suddenly find that your business turnover plummets, because the economy has tanked due to the Government’s rank incompetence, you may find that the business no longer has any money to pay the expenses. Businesses don’t have a never ending stream of other people’s money to rip off, unlike politicians. And remember, it’s the people creating businesses, employing other people and paying a never increasing share of tax that actually keep the private sector in the cosy existence they have become accustomed to.
When we decide we’ve had enough and shift the businesses outside the UK, who is going to stump up for all the cash being hosed away?
Sorry to be picky, think you mean public sector in the cosy …..
Indeed ;-) It’s not like there’s anything cosy about the private sector right now. But hey, that’s OK, because it’s only Tories that have private business and it doesn’t matter, right?
“You can’t claim everything, only that which is absolutely necessary for the business”
Complete and utter bullshit. If you haven’t heard of people claiming things that weren’t absolutely necessary for business, you obviously don’t have much interaction with people that own or work for private enterprises.
Either you’re ignorant or dishonest, and either way it’s hardly an argument for why those of us in the private sector are so much more trustworthy.
I own two businesses so I’ve got plenty of exposure to private enterprise, thanks. If I attempted to claim for something not related, my accountant would chew me a new one. The relevant phrase is “wholly and exclusively for business use”. OK, there may be things that have a crossover, i.e. the laptop I’m using now for non-work purposes, but I need a laptop when I’m working away seeing customers. If I hook it up to the home wifi then so what?
But I have never claimed for teabags, bath plugs, stuff like that. For one, it’s got nothing to do with the business, for another if I ever get to the point where I think it’s worth my time to try and sneak through an 88p bath plug, well there are clearly bigger issues at stake. And lets not forget, that 88p would at least be coming out of money my business generated, not your pocket. And while we’re on the subject, my businesses in a good year turn over less than the average expenses claims for all three parties. These days forget it. These Hoons are taking more in expenses than my businesses generate in sales ON TOP of their salaries of £63K minimum. If you can’t see the clear disconnect between the private sector paying for this largesse and the people ripping us off and ramping up our taxes, then I question whether you genuinely are working in the private sector in any more than a desk filler role.
“If you haven’t heard of people claiming things that weren’t absolutely necessary for business, you obviously don’t have much interaction with people that own or work for private enterprises.”
You are most likely a nulab troll or a particularly stupid private sector tosser who’s never had a visit from HMRC.
Every business expense has to be 100% involved in the business and receipted. It should be the same for every MP regardless of party.
Agree
Have to account for every single penny. If I can’t it all has to be redone. The time this all takes to justify is a huge cost on the business as well in both time and money and is part of the unproductive side as I describe it.
Mind you so long as Jackboots gets her antique fireplace ,hubby can wank himself silly at my expense CopperBalls can coin it and the rest of them can buy holiday homes by the sea then I can die happy.
Hoons!
One question. Was this an isolated incident where the first time he did it the Hoon Dromey’s claim for porno videos was caught? I would like to see a review of Mrs. Hoon Dromey’s claims over the past few years to see if there has been a pattern of similar claims.
For two and a half months’ “work”, Tony Blair claimed, in total, £64,064.
Multiply that by four (it would actually be more than that across the whole year, but whatever) and that would be £256,256. The most expensive MP in Parliament. Who was at the time living in, grace-and-favour, with his entire family in Downing Street. And paid a Prime Ministerial salary (could we call that a second job?).
Why did he win three elections again?
As far as I know the post of Prime Minister is unpaid (no doubt I’ll be corrected if this is wrong).
That’s why the PM is also First Lord of the Treasury, who gets loadsamoney.
This should clearly be based on a dodgy bar chart for the Lib Dems.
I’ll cook one up.
Done.
Less cherry picking stats, or well at least if you report unprocessed raw data, qualify it by stating that Travel from Constituency to Westminster has pushed the Lib Dems over the top!
Take out travel and I bet Lab hoons come out head shoulders and 5 bellies above the rest!
For those who want to do sums, a commenter on ConHome called Norm Brainer has made the expenses into an Excel spreadsheet (4 MB) here.
Are these figures before or after you add in moonlighting
Harman Pride 9.58
Britain does not want to change. Not into your warped vision of a 1950s Eastern European police state which is the bottom line of newlabour policies.
Take Jackboots and all the rest of the wailing student activists and start your own country.
Try the Moon. Quite pleasant there in springtime so I’m told
Jacqui Smith will be elevated to the House of Lords before the next election so she will be on the gravy train for life.
Wanker on the taxpayer=Labour
Wanker on the Keyboard=Derek Draper
Posting under assumed names=Derek Draper
Derek Draper+Working late=Anton Du Beke
haha
Have we ever been so badly governed.
Bankrupt!
Ridiculed by the rest of the world!
And how much time do these idiots spend fiddling their expenses, they are playing with themselves as Rome burns!!!
Harman Pride,Galloway Pride,Labour Pride.
Anyone spot the difference in their style of posting or different time of posting.
No neither can I-funny how they seem to track back to Labourlist isnt it.
Derek we know its you please stop acting the twat.
You forgot Gay Pride and Mother’s Pride. Knob sandwich anyone?
I agree with Harman Pride that there is the issue of the Tories being percieved as the nasty party. People I speak to – even today – spit ‘Thatcher !’ whenever I say anything critical of this Government.
They simply do not understand the damage which has been done to Britain by Nu Labour as it has been so well concealed. All will be revealed soon enough which is why I do not want the Conservatives to win the next election. Besides – I’m pretty certain that the Conservatives will be no good for Britain.
This country is finished. Let it go down at the hands of Nu Labour.
I don’t know who the fuck you’ve been talking to. The normals I know loath and detest this bunch of lying twats (and couldn’t give a toss about Thatcher either).
The country is not finished. Fucked up, certainly, but not finished.
You need to stop speaking to the local mentalist you twat.
The presenter on BBC Radio 5 Live just now said “Jacqui Smith probably watched the porn film with him”. He added that the husband is probabley just taking the rap for her.
BBC seem to have changed their tune suddenly.
PoliticalBetting has a new Comres poll out
I um not hamran-prde, I too fucken p issed twonite
Over at Mrs. Dale’s Diary, much irritation with bloggers who describe MPs as lying, thieving scum.
Spot on, as far as I can judge.
[...] Guido has the averages worked out: [...]
Women MPs claim £3000 on average more than men. Do they put clothes on expenses too?
(Excluding travel)
Fucking Ann(e) Keen
Number One Trougher in Parliament with a grand trough tally of : (top 15 troughers in descending order)
Keen, Ann £167,306
Hamilton, Mr Fabian £159,035
Borrow, Mr David S £158,361
Wallace, Mr Ben £157,599
Connarty, Michael £156,207
Duddridge, James £156,040
Lamb, Norman £155,937
Byrne, Rt Hon Liam £155,705
Johnson, Ms Diana R. £155,655
Morden, Jessica £155,094
Öpik, Lembit £154,898
Barker, Gregory £154,213
Gidley, Sandra £154,005
Wilshire, Mr David £153,250
Lewis, Mr Ivan £153,246
Lembit Ferkin’ Opik? Give me a break……… This guy is always on some TV show and getting paid for it. A part-timer.
Tom Brake MP is shown with a negative £1854 “spent” on stationery. Was he selling it to the House, or is this just the result of employing someone fresh out of the NuLab “edge-you-kay-shun” system to fill in the spreadsheet? Can any of the figures be trusted – after all, Hazel Blears is complaining that the figures fail to show 13 trips by family members that she claimed for (although she also claims they cost a lot less)?
Maybe he was repaying an amount over-claimed in previous years. Perhaps that’s why Caroline Spelman’s second house claim is so far below maximum too.
It makes sense the LibDems cost more – a lot of them represent the fringe areas such as the south west, Scotland and Wales (no offence to them – just they are the furthest from parliament) – if you look at the member for Cambridge, one of the few near london, he is claiming 127k and doesn’t have a second home
Also the fact that there are far less LD’s than Labourites and Tories probably distorts the image – as the bigger parties have more backbenchers and probably a few more with a conscience who claim nothing, dragging the average down
Top Ten Scottish Labour snouts in the trough
Michael Connarty £156,207
Mark Lazarowicz £153,132
Jim McGovern £151,138
Ian Davidson £150,574
Anne Begg £150,132
Jim Devine £150,037
Mohammad Sarwar £149,761
Gordon Banks £149,312
Jim Murphy £148,821
Frank Dorran £147,667
To be fair CP, Anne Begg needs a wheelchair so travel and assistance for her to go to and from her Scottish constituency might be more expensive.
ThThe troughing at the EU makes this bunch of Hoons look like the amateurs they are. Just ask that ‘man of the people’ Neil Kinnickio and while you are at is Labour aresholes ask him about his wife and kids still sucking up the EU (read our) dosh.
Amazing figures – conclusive proof that the Lib Dems are concentrated in Scotland and Cornwall and the Tories in the South East.
The most important thing on Guido these days are the enormous numbers.
Why so big?
It wouldn’t be so bad if when these shysters were caught out, they were dealt with properly. Not since Elizabeth Filkin (parliament’s sleaze watchdog) was “removed” by this new Labour shower, has there been anyone in this position with any teeth and prepared to bite!
The whole reason that Filkin was removed was down to that arch-sleaze champion Vaz and his compatriots, Reid, Brown and Blair. They needed her out of the way just so they could ramp up the sleaze and keep the sweet trolley rolling.
Bring her back, like quick!
My own Lib Dem MP bumped into me at the town fete last year. Literally. He knocked my pint out of my hand ” Sorry” he said.
“Not as sorry as I’m going to be having to work my bank holiday tomorrow to pay your effing pension.”
Thereon ensued a friendly discourse during which I pointed to a group of chavs replete with facial tattoos, bull dogs and wives with snarly expressions. I said,
“You want to know why they look like that ?”
“Why ?”
“Because the Government pay them to.”
R Y-R was still adamant that it was the middle-classes which were damaging the country the most.
Did he buy you a new pint? And charge it to the taxpayer?
[...] that half of MPs claim within 10% of the maximum on the second home allowances, and that on average Conservative MPs cost us the least. Conservative MP Philip Hollobone continues to employ no staff whatsoever and [...]
Which is /amazing/ given how Tories are most concentrated in Southern England and Lib Dems currently hold some of the constituencies furthest from London.
Surely you see this is a noise-ridden figure, which frankly is a far cry from your honest work decrying genuine expenses fraud. Seriously; concentrate on cases and not this ‘averages’ nonsense. If you want to talk about Lib Dem expenses then look at particular MPs who seem to be claiming a disproportionate *cough*Lembit*cough* amount; averages will fail to take into account that it costs a lot more money to fly back to Orkney once a week than to drive from Westminster to Croydon.
@Slothrop: Aye exactly. Not to say there aren’t Lib Dems misclaiming expenses of course, there certainly are. But these averages don’t tell you anything because they could just be an artifact of geography and are just going to turn serious people off-message. The message is: a lot of MPs are taking the piss when it comes to ‘expenses’ and it’s one of those Westminster things where they say ‘well, /everybody/’s doing it so why shouldn’t I’.
I take it Guido is supportive of Nick Clegg’s call for expenses claims to be published in full itemised form then?
@Tarquin
“if you look at the member for Cambridge, one of the few near london, he is claiming 127k and doesn’t have a second home”
Which I’ll grant does seem like a lot, but it’s worth bearing in mind (a) Anne Campbell was claiming £137k in 2003, (b) David Howarth only claimed 98k in 2006/7 and 96k in 2005/6.
I don’t regard it as a lot – I was giving it as an example of being *lower* than the average – most of those costs are running the office, not that I can attest to how it’s run
[...] stuff. I’m very angry. And look at the money that the buggers claim for, whether “within the guidelines” or not. We owuld get better value from 600 old ladies [...]
[...] a number of useful angles. Not least Stephen, who outs an inveterate prejudice amongst English (or in the case of Guido, Irish) Tory bloggers: that not everyone lives above the shop in London (unlike some Labour [...]
[...] In a pleasant small square, a routinely peaceful Jobbing Doctor has certified to a clarity of schadenfreude ( common by a total healing contention) as we declare Labour MPs being crucified for their strong abuse of losses . Laugh if we wish, though we hold which a strenuous infancy of a MPs have been decent people . We have a single of a slightest hurtful as good as many open domestic systems in a universe . A complaint is which a MPs have been woefully underpaid . A simple income of £65, 000 is hopelessly unsound . None of them would tarry though beautiful make use of of their losses . As good as they have been all during it, Labour, Tory as good as Lib Dem comparison . Which of a 3 vital domestic parties claims, upon normal, a many losses ? Have a theory . We competence be astounded . Answer here. [...]