howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#1
looks like lessons have not been learned, now that the furore has died down they restart their old tricks.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mps-call-for-expenses-allowances-6276003.htmlGuest 710- Registered: 28 Feb 2011
- Posts: 6,950
#2
The old system was perfectly adequate. The problem was that it relied on MPs being honourable men and women.
The old saw that only those of independent means would be able to put themselves forward for the 'oh so onerous' task of representing the public in a Democracy is easily sorted by barring a sitting member from the boardrooms of multi-nationals and lobby firms.
Before there in any/more talk of salary or allowances it must be accepted that being an MP is a FULL TIME job.
To attempt to get a handle on Dave's shenanigans in Europe recently I bought a Sunday Telegraph. That was, I admit, a mistake. All was but puff and nonsense.
Except that they had a scoop of sorts all of their own. Through FoI requests they tried to track down just what the situation was at the top with regard to senior armed-forces personnel and top civil servants jumping ship to the private sector.
The simple conclusion was that where in times gone past such careers were ends in themselves are now but a stepping stone to greater riches and that the 'cheques' and balances (?) in place to prevent cross contamination etc. were woefully lacking in rigour. This applies also to government ministers.
The search is not so much for what troughs there are, but for what Democracy there might be.
Ignorance is bliss, bliss is happiness, I am happy...to draw your attention to the possible connectivity in the foregoing.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#3
it still boils down to them giving themselves free money.
never likely to be any different if the committee is made up of m.p's deciding how much they should award themselves.
Guest 696- Registered: 31 Mar 2010
- Posts: 8,115
#4
This is the occasion when politicians from all 3 mainstream parties are in agreement: increasing their income.
#5
MPs do get paid full time wages. It is their choice as to what level of full time wages they go for; if they don't like the wages, get a different job.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
#6
Jan Higgins
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 5 Jul 2010
- Posts: 13,931
#7
Maybe the answer is to stop MPs having these credit cards and let them simply submit receipts to claim back any genuine expenses.
howard mcsweeney1 likes this
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I try to be neutral and polite but it is hard and getting even more difficult at times.
-------------------------------------------------------------------