MPs expenses - we're being manipulated into hysteria.

[NotAllThere]

I think you raise a fair point. Who the hell is going to work away monday to friday and pay for their own "on the road" expenses for a paltry 65k.

If you had to pay £65K a year to be an MP, the queue would still go round the block.

Of course, it would mean that MPs would be either:

Rich heirs.
Criminals.
Hard working people who've made a pile
Lazy beggars who were just lucky.

Well, one out of four is still better than the current shower.

[AlanR]

Who the hell is going to work away monday to friday and pay for their own "on the road" expenses for a paltry 65k.

My local MP is also Sec of State for Wales on a (reported) salary of approx £140k. Last year he claimed £135k in expenses giving a total income (for want of a better word) of £270k!!!!

He allegedly had his boiler changed at tax payers expense (£3k) because the water was too hot!!!

I have no problem with MPs being paid fair expenses but Duck Houses, Moat Cleaning, Flipping etc is just taking the P1$$.

[BrilloPad]

While it is clear some of them have been taking the piss, if we all calm down and look at WHY the system is as it is.

Basically no PM (including Maggie) has been brave enough to listen to the recommendations of an independent body on MPs pay. MPs are told that it is an allowance to which they are entitled, not expenses.
So much so that if an MP divorces, that allowance is added onto their base salary for the purpose of working out child support etc. So they've been treating their allowances as entitlements because that is what they are told - its a substitute for salary, to be done with as they wish.

Who is behind the Telegraph? The Barclay brothers, nuff said.
Real question is what are they trying to do?

Not trying to defend MPs here, but I'm far more concerned of manipulation by non-elected powerful interests.

So yesterday the f**witted sasguru was posting.

Please bring back the intelligent one.

[BlasterBates]

agree with Sasguru ...overdone this expenses thing, but I think "outpouring of collective emotion" is the norm these days, makes us all feel better. In a couple of years it´ll have been completely forgotton.

[PM-Junkie]

agree with Sasguru ...overdone this expenses thing, but I think "outpouring of collective emotion" is the norm these days, makes us all feel better. In a couple of years it´ll have been completely forgotton.

Absolutely totally and completely wrong. This has zip do do with "outpouring of collective emotion" - think back a few weeks and people were hacked off with politicians anyway. They weren seen as lying, scheming two-faced gits who would do and say anything to get and retain power. Think about how the number of people voting has been dropping over recent years. Think about how hacked off people were that we have a PM without a mandate (yes it has happened before, but this time a blatant lie was told to get him into power).

What has changed, and why a huge number of people are moving on this, is that we now know that a sizable portion of MPs are also crooks. Add that to the incompetance of allowing our banking system to collapse and the cost to us of propping it up, to the sleeze when the last lot were in, to the handing over power to the EU when most people have made it clear they don't want that to happen, to the fact that they won't bring back the death penalty for kiddie-rapists when poll after poll shows that more than 70% of people want it, to the illegal war and the lies surrounding that, to the massive waste of public money ....and what you have here is something far more significant.

You must be living on a different planet if you can't see how different the political climate is now, and how bloody angry people are. A few weeks ago, hardly anyone was interested in politics - now you are hard pressed to find anyone who isn't!

Bottom line - MPs know they have to fix this, and fix our political system....or there will be riots that will make the race riots and the poll tax riots look like garden parties.

[threaded]

Bottom line - MPs know they have to fix this, and fix our political system....or there will be riots that will make the race riots and the poll tax riots look like garden parties.

I believe you infer way too much ability on this government. UK MPs have been feathering their own nests going way back, someone even mentioned a quote from Cromwell about pretty much the same problem. The difference this time is the information has essentially come to the surface because of this current bunch of MPs utter incompetence in keeping it covered up in the first place.

The way they'll try and fix it will be the way they've tried to fix everything since they came to power. Some sudden knee jerk creating a flurry of woefully created legislation depriving you of yet more rights.

[PM-Junkie]

I believe you infer way too much ability on this government. UK MPs have been feathering their own nests going way back, someone even mentioned a quote from Cromwell about pretty much the same problem. The difference this time is the information has essentially come to the surface because of this current bunch of MPs utter incompetence in keeping it covered up in the first place.

The way they'll try and fix it will be the way they've tried to fix everything since they came to power. Some sudden knee jerk creating a flurry of woefully created legislation depriving you of yet more rights.

Where did I say anything about the government doing it?? It has gone way beyond that.

[HairyArsedBloke]

YouTube: Gordon Brown phones a friend

[BlasterBates]

Everyone is angry now, and in 5 weeks?

Doubt that many people will remember it.

Lehman Brothers ...who?

[HairyArsedBloke]

Expect loads of 'optimistic' rhetoric from the snot goblin, nuLieBore, BBC, etc.

That is the advise from Obama’s campaign team that is now working there dark arts here.

These are the people who invended the smiling Gordon (not safe after meals)