The Rt. Hon. Sir Alan Haselhurst, who once claimed £12,000 on his expenses for the gardening costs of his Essex farmhouse, has excelled himself today. According to PA’s James Tapsfield, as Chairman of the Commons Admin Committee, Haselhurst has has recommended that every MP is “issued with an iPad style tablet device”. Apparently it will save on paper costs in the long run and it’s fine because they can be be bought in bulk.

Guido is sure the public will be very understanding…

Carina Trimingham turned heads on Thursday when she sat casually having lunch in Portcullis House. Whilst the speculation today is whether or not she was wearing an engagement ring, Guido is more concerned about what a lobbyist is doing having unmitigated access to Parliament.

She apparently has a spouses pass…

And it’s not just wives and girlfriends that get this perk. After two terms in the House, former MPs are entitled to a pass, meaning they can get access to the bars and restaurants and continue to live their subsidised life. So they can retire back to the countryside and have exclusive use of riverside restaurants and bars to entertain in whilst in town, without paying London prices. A nice perk, especially if you are seeking to influence decision makers…

It’s bad enough that we subsidise the public sector workers inside the Palace of Westminster, but can anyone really try to justify feeding and watering their spouses and predecessors?

Yesterday Guido pondered why there was no retribution for Peers who are convicted criminals and that it’s  just unpopular Knights that get shredded. Well it seems to have got the ball rolling…

Tory MP Matthew Hancock tells the FT: “I don’t see why the rules for peers should be entirely different to the rules for MPs”. As Jim Pickard points out, legislation has already passed that, with an amendment or two, could make this happen. The 1917 Deprivation of Titles Act was used to strip Peers who supported Germany in WWI…

If it is so easy to strip honours in retribution, then how come convicted criminals and sleazy cash-takers still sit on the red benches? Fred Goodwin has never been convicted of a crime but has the full book thrown at him, yet ex-convicts can return to the trough when they are out of prison.  Once again our lawmakers put themselves above the law…

Given it is Chinese New Year today the exclusively MPs-only Member’s Dining Room is offering some specials; for starters oriental vegetables with pink ginger, toasted sesame seeds and soy dressing for only £2.05 (after the £1.53 subsidy) followed by the seasonal winter vegetable and lemon stir-fry with hazelnut couscous for a mere £6.75 after the taxpayer chips in £5.13 of subsidy. Gùng héi faat chōi, indeed…

Look at this subsidy another way, it will take a worker on minimum wages 7 hours to pay the taxes required to subsidise today’s two-course celebratory Chinese New Year lunch for one MP. Someone should tell the MPs it is the Year of the Dragon, not the pig…

It’s always nice to know your work is appreciated, so Guido enjoyed his chat last night with a northern Labour MP whose name escapes him and whose face blends in.

“Amicably” discussing the Commons subsidy and difference in prices for the public and Members, Guido was asked what he was doing sipping a taxpayer subsidised lager in parliament:

“Research”.

Hungry? Well have a look at what our Honourable Members are lunching on today in their private dining room:

Lunch Thursday 12 January 2012

STARTERS
Artichokes, ratatouille and olives with basil dressing £2.05 (£1.55)
Braised pork belly with black pudding bonbon, apple salad £2.70 (£2.05)
Halibut and soft boiled quail egg with carrot dressing (wf) £4.15 (£3.15)

MAINS
Rib eye steak with hand cut chips and béarnaise sauce £7.80 (£5.92)
Haddock and leek fish cake with tomato and dill cream £6.75 (£5.13)
Chickpea and lentil curry with red onion fritter £6.75 (£5.13)

PUDDINGS & CHEESE
Chocolate and orange torte £2.05 (£1.56)
Fresh fruit salad (wf h v) £2.05 (£1.56)
Home-made ice creams and sorbets (v) £2.05 (£1.56)
Fine cheese with biscuits – ask for today’s selection £3.10 (£2.35)

Then compare the cost of the extra taxpayer subsidy (highlighted in red) to what you spent on your own lunch today. And the rip-off doesn’t stop there. Now compare the above menu to the other prices that are being offered to mere members of the public, in the very same building, right now:

MAINS
Rump of lamb with creamed white beans, spinach and shallots £15.85
Corn fed chicken with wild mushrooms and puy lentils (wf) £13.55
Whole grilled plaice with lemon and caper butter,  vegetables  £12.25
Smoked haddock and leek fish cake with tomato and dill cream £12.25
Potato and halloumi parcel with sauté bok choi, pepper sauce £10.45
Basil tofu and roasted vegetables with herb sauce £10.45

One price for them, one for us. Oink oink…

UPDATE: Meanwhile in another part of town, another taxpayer funded lunch. Here’s what we paid 90p to provide at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital:

Who do you think is more deserving of a subsidy?

Pic via @ajbonner

Hungry? After PMQs our honourable MPs will toddle off to their private and exclusive riverside dining rooms.  Today the “quince glazed belly of pork with savoy cabbage & white bean stew” sounds tasty, especially at the penny-saving price of £6.75. It’s only that cheap because of the £5.27 subsidy from our pockets. Incidentally that subsidy alone is the equivalent of six hospital meals, that we learn today, cost just 90 pence. Gives you a real sense of political priorities.

Enough to put any decent person off their lunch…

Not only do we subsidise their gin, but we also pick up the Lords’ tech tab:

10 Jan 2012 : Column WA46
House of Lords: IT

Lord Kennedy of Southwark:
To ask the Chairman of Committees how many iPads have been purchased to date for use by Members or staff of the House of Lords.[HL14465]

The Chairman of Committees (Lord Brabazon of Tara):
Twenty iPads have been purchased for use by Members and staff of the House of Lords to evaluate how handheld devices can facilitate core parliamentary work.

iRage.

Despite a couple of MPs yesterday backing the idea to privatise and outsource Parliament’s catering, most of the time the subsidy in Parliament is defended on the basis that it helps out the assorted staffers and bag carriers as well as the gorging Members. Leaving aside the fact that this argument fails to consider other low paid public sector workers who receive no such perk, it is also complete baloney. Take a look at these two menus from the very same day in Parliament:

Firstly steak and chips in the Strangers’ Bar, where MPs can invite; constituents, voters, taxpayers and staff to dine with them:-

Then have a look at the very same item on the menu in the exclusive Members Private Dining Room:-

Same meal, same day, very different prices. Subsidy for the MPs, who incidentally vote on their own subsidy, is in this case over 50%. They make us, the taxpaying public pay for their subsidised troughing. One price for them, one for us…