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| bazza |
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bazza
World Chat Champion
Joined: 27 Aug 2004
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 Posted: 12:18 - 17 Jan 2009  Post subject: Pigs In Danger Of Drowning In Trough |
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| Quote: | A good day to announce an expenses cover-up
Remember the clampdown on MPs expenses which was promised after it emerged Derek Conway was paying his sons to work for him? Full transparency and an end to the John Lewis list? Well a year later, and on a busy newsday, Harriet Harman has announced the watering down almost all the restrictions.
According to a document unveiled with no fanfare on the same day as the Heathrow announcement, the House is preparing to block the publication of all receipts for MPs expenses, which had been ordered by an Information Tribunal.
See the results here.
We had been expecting the results of this massive FOI exercise, involving the release of 1 million pieces of paper, by the Summer. It will now be canned in favour of the release of a spreadsheet with 26 headings, which gives a fraction of the information otherwise available. Under the new expenses rules published today, MPs will be also allowed:
** To buy "White goods": electrical equipment, sofas, chairs, tables, decoration, cleaning, insurance and security to be bought on expenses. This is limited to 10 per cent of the allowance (probably around £20,000) excet during the first year a Member is newly elected.
** Public money will be allowed on spent on MPs' mortgage costs for "refurbishment"
** A flat-rate £25 per day may be claimed when a "Member spends a night away from his or her main home on Parliamentary business". Which will be most of the time.
** No receipts to be submitted for items costing under £25. "It has been argued that it would be excessively burdensome for Members to have provided receipts for all transactions and that additional costs incurred.. would be likely disproportionate."
** There will be no minimum number of MPs whose expenses will face audit. Instead there will be checks on "an appropriate, risk-base sampling regime".
A victory for those who wanted minimal change, but there will be questions from those who have maintained that MPs cannot regulate themselves.
Update: And who is responsible? The Speaker and the Members' Estimates Committee are responsible for diluting the changes to what MPs can claim. [A MEC source says: "We were defeated on the floor of the House on our tougher proposals! The House is responsible! The Members' Allowances sub-committee was tasked – by resolution of the House – to redraft the rules to give effect to the House’s decisions and this is what they came up with. It is an appendix to our report simply because we are a select committee and can issue formal reports, and they are not."]
But Harriet Harman and the government are behind the move to prevent receipts being published. The move requires the Freedom of Information Act to be amended, and Jack Straw has apparently laid an Statutory Instrument which does so for the House to approve. |
Whatever Hetzer responds with, I agree beforehand.
____________________
"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter |
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| Hetzer |
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Hetzer
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| bazza |
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bazza
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| WildGoose |
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WildGoose
White Van Man
Joined: 21 Mar 2002
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Posted: 18:25 - 17 Jan 2009  Post subject: |
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Further link?
| Quote: | The move requires the Freedom of Information Act to be amended, and Jack Straw has apparently laid an Statutory Instrument which does so for the House to approve |
That is not good, at all. Lets just amend everything in the rules to suit our own needs. And they might discuss in wonder why nobody (general public scumbags) seems to be favourable towards or give a fuck about the rules they set.
As for everything above that, I could pretend I was expecting something decent to be done about the expenses bollocks (and I was). I should have known better.
It's treated as if we pluck these people off the streets in rags when they are elected (we might be better off doing that, at least it would be a worthy cause).
Assuming these people all live comfortable upper middle class lives before they become elected MP's, why do they need house refurbishments, new white goods, daily allowances for buying overpriced crap at westminster costa coffee.
If its away from home accomodation that they require, then I have a suggestion. Drag HMS Invincible out of mothballs up the thames and chuck it behind the Belfast. Install the gangway and give the MP's a locker key each.
If the decor isn't to their liking give them a pot of paint. Job done. Comfortable accomodation close enough to westminster that it needn't require any travel expenses. The walk/cycle would do a lot of those overweight tossers the world of good, and allows them to practice the nonsense they preach on environmentally friendly travel to work.
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976 |
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| WildGoose |
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WildGoose
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Joined: 21 Mar 2002
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| Posted: 20:55 - 17 Jan 2009 Post subject: |
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For what its worth, I wrote to my MP. I laid it out, said I find it unacceptable and asked for his view on the situation in general, and specifically which way he was planning on voting. Was gonna copy and paste it back here, but hotmail has formatted it into a solid block of text so I cannot be arsed to rejig it.
Surprisingly got a reply a few hours later. This is the guy who replaced Boris Johnson.
Yes, it won't achieve much, but as its all you can do, it is surely the least you can do.
| Quote: | Thank you for your e mail. This is a subject which makes me as hot under the collar as you. I come from a commercial background where my expenses were always detailed and I have kept that approach even as an MP and even though I may not technically be required to.
I do, for example, keep a detailed log of all travel. I do rent a flat in London (a necessity given the hours I have to work in London) but I could not help myself from bartering the monthly rental down when I negotiated for it to the benefit of the taxpayer. The only trips to John Lewis I have made have been at my own expense.
David Cameron has stressed that Conservative MPs will make greater disclosure of expenses and I am very happy with that. In due course, my aim is to record these disclosures on my web site.
I do not consider the expenses generous. The majority of them are in fact a way of controlling the costs of MPs' offices and are only disbursed when paid and agreed with the House authorities.
I have not yet seen the terms of the Government's motion for debate next week or listened to their justification. I hope that we will continue to be given a free vote on this issue.
Best wishes
John
John Howell MP
Member of Parliament for Henley |
Fairly typical 'not saying a lot' reply, so make of it what you will.
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So in other words, he stopped you for being flagrantly in posession of a motorcycle in direct contravention of the Hippies, Darkies and People Whose Face I Don't Like The Look of (Police Powers) Act. 1976 |
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| ThoughtContro... |
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ThoughtContro...
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| Skudd |
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Skudd
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| Robby |
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Robby
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Posted: 00:21 - 18 Jan 2009  Post subject: |
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Goosey, he has said a fair bit for an MP. Remember it will always be me,me,me with an MP, and that line is better than always talking about the party.
He has said he's planning on recording his expenses on his website, and he's a new kid on the scene, so hold him to it. Email him back in 3 months if they aren't up there and ask when they will be.
Still, that letter is surprisingly concise, and contains more than one fact, and it looks like he wrote it himself. If you ever write to a minister for a govt department you'll get back two pages that says absolutely nothing. Please don't test this by writing to my dept, I might have to answer it. |
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| bazza |
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bazza
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Joined: 27 Aug 2004
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| Posted: 16:47 - 21 Jan 2009 Post subject: |
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Plug pulled (for now):
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7842402.stm
Funny how these things happen when the spotlights are on them...
____________________
"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter |
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 17 years, 282 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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