THE Daily Telegraph came into receipt of a data disc which contained full disclosure of MP's expenses, those claimed for and those rejected by the Fees office. It appears that someone working in Parliament "whistleblew" on this infromation and passed this to a middle man who took the disc to various papers. As the middleman is Conservative, these were Conservative papers, The Sun, the Mail Group and the Daily Telegraph. For the first three days the story was relentlessly anti-Government, blow after blow rained down on the Brown Government. On the 4th day the story took a left field approach as the Torygraph went after Sinn Fein. Its MP's have never sat in the House of Commons from Countess Markiewicz in 1918 (the first woman to be elected to the House of Commons but not the first to take her seat) to Gerry Adams, however they were still claiming Parliamentary allowances for second properties.
By this time the public were becoming agitated as surely the Conservative Party and the Liberals could not be squeaky clean. Guess what they were not.
So what follows are some of the more ridiculous claims David Willetts Conservative £100 for an electrician to put in 25 light bulbs. Chris Hune, Liberal Democrat £119 for a Corby Trouser Press. David Heathcote- Amery Conservative, 19 claims over 4 years for Manure totalling £400.
Moving on from the Silly we have those who we won't be seeing after the next election, led by Speaker Michael Martin who led a four year campaign to keep a lid on things and became the first speaker in over 300 years to be removed from office. Ben Chapman, Labour, Claimed £15,000 of expenses for interest on a mortgage long paid off. Douglas Hogg, Conservative claimed for the costs of cleaning his moat, which would be akin to the one of you being elected to Congress and charging for cleaning the lake. Anthony Steen, had a full on rant and said it was none of the public's business if tax payer's money was used to inspect 500 trees on his estate and to guard his shrubs against rabbitts, as you will have summizied Mr Steen is a Conservative. Two Labour MPs David Chaytor and Elliot Morley are in trouble for claiming interest on mortgages which no longer exist. A similiar matter applied to Mr & Mrs Winterton who claimed more than £80,000 for a flat owned by a Trust which benefits their children. and of course John Viggard, Conservative who used his housing allowance to claim for a House on his duck pond for his ducks.
So naturally people are up in arms there is a sense of throw the rascals out which matches the 1974 Congressional elections after Watergate. In polls taken people are demanding an election now and not next June which is the latest that the law will allow. David Cameron is demanding an election but he would. If he had a case he should raise a no confidence motion in the Government . Except the last time I looked the Goverment Majority was still over 50. David Cameron has done very well out of this, he has only lost one of his men to this scandal and "Duck man " and "Moat Man" who would be percived as Knights of the Shires who might cause trouble down the line have been removed. Cameron is now asking for Independents not to stand against the Conservatives but to join them. The political class as a whole looks damaged. Who benefits, UKIP an Anti EU party best described as former Tory Poujardists . The sort of people who think that married women of a breeding age should not be employed as they get preganant and become entitled to Maternity pay with all the problems that brings with it. The Greens, possibly, hopefully and of course the unwashed "we not really Neo Nazi " British National Party.
This is not to deny that any of the above is not serious and that some or all of the above wouldn't benefit from a little prison time, but who are the real criminals. Fred the Shread the former Chief Exec who ran Royal Bank of Scotland into the ground still has his pension, his large house albeit with a few broken windows and his liberty. The Hedge Fund Managers who short sold the Banks are still at large and many are demanding their bonuses.
One of the members of the House of Lords was interviewed on the BBC News Channel, the Lord admitted being paid £64,000 and getting expenses of £64,000 per year but it emerged that his interviewer, no one who anyone had heard of on what is a cable news channel, think of one of the alsorans from CNN or Fox News was being paid £93,000 a year. No one is laughing now ........
Speaking of which during the period 2001-2009 Dick Cheney was an almost invisible saturnine presence who would not say boo to a goose but out of office plenty of geese are scared.
By this time the public were becoming agitated as surely the Conservative Party and the Liberals could not be squeaky clean. Guess what they were not.
So what follows are some of the more ridiculous claims David Willetts Conservative £100 for an electrician to put in 25 light bulbs. Chris Hune, Liberal Democrat £119 for a Corby Trouser Press. David Heathcote- Amery Conservative, 19 claims over 4 years for Manure totalling £400.
Moving on from the Silly we have those who we won't be seeing after the next election, led by Speaker Michael Martin who led a four year campaign to keep a lid on things and became the first speaker in over 300 years to be removed from office. Ben Chapman, Labour, Claimed £15,000 of expenses for interest on a mortgage long paid off. Douglas Hogg, Conservative claimed for the costs of cleaning his moat, which would be akin to the one of you being elected to Congress and charging for cleaning the lake. Anthony Steen, had a full on rant and said it was none of the public's business if tax payer's money was used to inspect 500 trees on his estate and to guard his shrubs against rabbitts, as you will have summizied Mr Steen is a Conservative. Two Labour MPs David Chaytor and Elliot Morley are in trouble for claiming interest on mortgages which no longer exist. A similiar matter applied to Mr & Mrs Winterton who claimed more than £80,000 for a flat owned by a Trust which benefits their children. and of course John Viggard, Conservative who used his housing allowance to claim for a House on his duck pond for his ducks.
So naturally people are up in arms there is a sense of throw the rascals out which matches the 1974 Congressional elections after Watergate. In polls taken people are demanding an election now and not next June which is the latest that the law will allow. David Cameron is demanding an election but he would. If he had a case he should raise a no confidence motion in the Government . Except the last time I looked the Goverment Majority was still over 50. David Cameron has done very well out of this, he has only lost one of his men to this scandal and "Duck man " and "Moat Man" who would be percived as Knights of the Shires who might cause trouble down the line have been removed. Cameron is now asking for Independents not to stand against the Conservatives but to join them. The political class as a whole looks damaged. Who benefits, UKIP an Anti EU party best described as former Tory Poujardists . The sort of people who think that married women of a breeding age should not be employed as they get preganant and become entitled to Maternity pay with all the problems that brings with it. The Greens, possibly, hopefully and of course the unwashed "we not really Neo Nazi " British National Party.
This is not to deny that any of the above is not serious and that some or all of the above wouldn't benefit from a little prison time, but who are the real criminals. Fred the Shread the former Chief Exec who ran Royal Bank of Scotland into the ground still has his pension, his large house albeit with a few broken windows and his liberty. The Hedge Fund Managers who short sold the Banks are still at large and many are demanding their bonuses.
One of the members of the House of Lords was interviewed on the BBC News Channel, the Lord admitted being paid £64,000 and getting expenses of £64,000 per year but it emerged that his interviewer, no one who anyone had heard of on what is a cable news channel, think of one of the alsorans from CNN or Fox News was being paid £93,000 a year. No one is laughing now ........
Speaking of which during the period 2001-2009 Dick Cheney was an almost invisible saturnine presence who would not say boo to a goose but out of office plenty of geese are scared.
Leinster won the Heineken Cup and the NBA playoffs have reached an interesting stage. Our pictures this time reflect this.
This weekend sees the Lions Tour start in Rustenburg, Wales in Canada plus the Top 14 semi finals and the Super 14 final between the Blue Bulls and the Waikato Cheifs . There is also some football on Wednesday and on Saturday.
See you in June .
