Eric Pickles

[Solidec]

What beggars belief is that MP's get to keep the Capital Gains they make once they sell their 2nd home!

Expenses are never designed to allow one to accumulate profitable gains at the taxpayers expense, but that is what it seems to function as for most MP's

Much respect for lib Dems to be seen acting in both the spirit and the letter of the expenses rules.

[Incognito]

I saw that too. He claims for a London house when he only lives 37 miles away from Parliament. He also says that to get to Parliament for 9:30am he would need to leave home at 5:30am. Seems highly unlikely to me. He came across as exactly the sort of slimy scumbag that is winding up the public at the moment.

37 miles is a bit misleading when you factor in London transport. I used to live in the same area as Eric and I used to work in Whitehall. The nearest station that's on a fast line is Shenfield and that takes you into Liverpool Street, from there it's two stops on the tube and a ten minute walk the other end. Not quite four hours, but when I used to do it I used to cycle to the train station (30 mins), train to Liverpool street (35 mins), second cycle to Whitehall, I used to keep another bike locked up at Liverpool street until it got nicked. (30 mins). My average journey time door to door was about an hour and 3/4s. If I had to drive to the station and rely on the tube, I was looking about 2 and a half hours. If I went from one of the stopping stations and not Shenfield, it could very easily be a journey time of three hours plus.

[Solidec]

37 miles is a bit misleading when you factor in London transport. I used to live in the same area as Eric and I used to work in Whitehall. The nearest station that's on a fast line is Shenfield and that takes you into Liverpool Street, from there it's two stops on the tube and a ten minute walk the other end. Not quite four hours, but when I used to do it I used to cycle to the train station (30 mins), train to Liverpool street (35 mins), second cycle to Whitehall, I used to keep another bike locked up at Liverpool street until it got nicked. (30 mins). My average journey time door to door was about an hour and 3/4s. If I had to drive to the station and rely on the tube, I was looking about 2 and a half hours. If I went from one of the stopping stations and not Shenfield, it could very easily be a journey time of three hours plus.

MP's dont sit often enough and late enough to warrant outer London allowances. These specific groups should be limited to claiming Hotel costs ONLY.

Buying a 2nd home for the relatively low number of nights they actually NEED to be there for is disingenuous.

I am sure it could cost Mr Pickles less to hire a private taxi to cover those 37 miles any day he needs and get a good nap on the journey! It's a 1 hour Journey according to Google Maps, even doubling that to account for traffic, 2 hours in a private taxi

His argument is BOLLOX!

[original PM]

maybe I am being dim but if he chooses to be a politician and there fore assumes at some point his main place of work will be The Houses.

Then surely it is up to him to ensure he can get there for the relevant start time and get home at the relevant end time.

If i need to be in work early i get up early

If I need to work late I get home late

it's just called life.

lazy fe<ker