Expenses scandal claims more victims - but huge payouts await
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The expenses scandal claimed further victims last night with the announcement that two Conservative MPs – Sir Peter Viggers and Anthony Steen – will resign their seats at the next election. Sir Peter will step down as MP for Gosport in Hampshire "at the direct request" of David Cameron after spending tens of thousands of pounds on gardening, including a £1,645 bill for a floating "duck island", while Mr Steen, the MP for Totnes in Devon who claimed £87,729 on his luxurious country house, will also leave the Commons.
The future of a third leading Conservative, Bill Wiggin, was also in doubt after The Daily Telegraph claimed that the Conservative whip – a contemporary of Mr Cameron's at Eton – claimed £11,000 in interest payments for a property without a mortgage. He insisted he had not profited and had made "an administrative error", but he could join Labour's "phantom mortage" MPs Elliot Morley and David Chaytor in facing possible criminal proceedings.
Mr Wiggin, the MP for Leominster in Herefordshire, filed for the expenses after declaring that his constituency property was his second home. He stressed yesterday that he meant to claim for his London residence instead.
Public anger at the conduct of MPs is likely to be exacerbated by the news that any MP forced to quit over the expenses scandal will be in line for pay-offs of more than £100,000 and pensions of up to £30,000 a year.
Tory MP Douglas Hogg, who submitted a bill for cleaning his moat, has already announced his retirement, while three Labour MPs – Mr Morley, Mr Chaytor and Margaret Moran, who claimed £22,500 on expenses to treat dry rot at her "second home" over 100 miles from her Luton constituency, will be summoned next week to a disciplinary panel to defend their claims. Gordon Brown has warned that no MP who has "defied the rules" on expenses will be allowed to stand at the next election.
MPs embroiled in the scandal remain entitled to two pay-offs so long as they serve until the general election, rather than resign immediately. All MPs who step down, or are defeated, at an election are paid a "resettlement grant" designed to compensate for loss of salary. It ranges between six months' and one year's pay depending on age and length of service in the Commons.
An MP aged between 55 and 64 who has been in Parliament for 15 years will be paid a year's salary – £64,766 at current rates. The first £30,000 is tax-free. In addition, all MPs can claim a maximum of £40,799 for "winding-up costs" to pay off staff and end office leases. Politicians also benefit from a generous final salary pension scheme heavily subsidised by the taxpayer.
* Two Labour peers, Lord Truscott and Lord Taylor of Blackburn, have been suspended from the Lords for six months after being found guilty of offering to amend laws for cash – the first time such a sanction has been used in more than 350 years.
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Comments
....then there should be no compensation for MPs who have acted improperly. But as bankers seem to have had plenty of rewards for failure, despite Brown's assertions, we know where this is going. The words "feather" and "nest" come to mind.
http://www.gopetition.co.uk/petitions/t
There is almost no parallel in the lives of everyday folk bankers and solicitors are the exception for these blatant acts of misappropriation.
Whatever happens it is guaranteed this scurrilous bunch are laughing all the way to the bank.
They are still playing the system. That they can resign at the time of the General Election and get the pay off amounting to 100,000 plus the 30,000 pension. In the case of the Tories that means Cameron is complicit. No doubt Brown will be even worse.
If we had committed fraud, we would be arrested, DNA taken and ultimately imprisoned at the Majesty's pleasure. We would also have to pay back double the amount owed after HMRC had added their penalties. Instead, not only do they get away with it, they are massively rewarded. This cannot be right. Somehow the people need to take control and take action, but how can we do this?
In the case of Ms Blears, her local CPL chairman - quoted in the Manchester Evening News - John Cullen, said he was unaware of anyone wanting to push for her deselection. he went on "It has not even been raised and, if it was, it would be instantly dismissed". The secretary, chairman and treasurer of the CLP issued a joint statement " Hazel Blears will be our Labour candidate at the next General Election. We have full confidence in her".
This, despite hundreds of letters, almost everyone of them extremely hostile, telling Ms Blears to get on her bike." Not even raised, instantly dismissed, full confidence". I'm sure that local papers everywhere will be echoing similar sentiments about their own MPs caught with their fingers in the till, it's worth a look. When I have finished this, I'll take a look at what the Gosport Bugle has to say, then a few others maybe...
a) that Brown thinks that 100k lump sum plus 30k per year is "no reward"
b) that the "no reward for failure" does not apply to the political classes
c) that destroying the reputation of Parliament and destroying public confidence in the political system is not "failure"
d) "No Reward for Failure" is just a Spin Dr. generated sound bite that Brown does not understand or never actually meant to act on.
Either way, how does this reflect on Brown and his ability to implement what he says.
Its like with Beamer Blears: Her behavior is "totally unacceptable", yet he will not act, has complete confidence (probably complete confidence she would do exactly the same again given the chance).
a) that Brown thinks that 100k lump sum plus 30k per year is "no reward"
b) that the "no reward for failure" does not apply to the political classes
c) that destroying the reputation of Parliament and destroying public confidence in the political system is not "failure"
d) "No Reward for Failure" is just a Spin Dr. generated sound bite that Brown does not understand or never actually meant to act on.
Either way, how does this reflect on Brown and his ability to implement what he says.
Its like with Beamer Blears: Her behavior is "totally unacceptable", yet he will not act, has complete confidence (probably complete confidence she would do exactly the same again given the chance).
a state pension
If the leaders really intend to put things right they should state now
all mp s resigning because of the expenses scandal will not be entitled to golden handshakes or
any other payment and they will only receive the monies they have paid in - nothing else
Is it true all those paying back taxes [hazel blears] will have their cheques returned.
nice.
Any corrupt government or political party should face the full force of our laws. MPs who cheat their expenses should be dealt with in the same way the law would treat us if we were Benefits fraudsters or Drug dealers who financially gain from their crime. They should be charged for their crimes and made to pay back all the money they stole as well as pay a heavy fine to the Tax payers.
Whilst disabled people are being forced off their benefits to make savings on the Government public spending MPs are wasting that money saved on their own Lavish Life styles and doing up their bloody Mansions?????. They are Crooks, all of them. Cons, Labour and the Liberal Dems are all as bad as each other, Greedy self righteous dictating liars the whole lot of them. Don't worry this won't make me vote BNP it will make me vote Independent every time now. Sorry Gordon, David and Nick I ain't voting for your lot anymore, no no no.
Micheal Martin, Pffft, Don't get me started. He's another greedy Fat Pig that grows wealthy off the poor working class. SHAME ON YOU, SHAME ON ALL OF YOU!
If we had committed fraud, we would be arrested, DNA taken and ultimately imprisoned at the Majesty's pleasure. We would also have to pay back double the amount owed after HMRC had added their penalties. Instead, not only do they get away with it, they are massively rewarded. This cannot be right. Somehow the people need to take control and take action, but how can we do this?
Spotify once again, provides an apposite musical backdrop
www.riphertoshreds.co.uk/the-beat-goes-o
The confiscation order, of course, only applies to us, the public, however, they seem to be immune to the laws that they have passed onto us. Another to add to the long list of hypocrisies that Gordon Brown and Labour have perpetrated against the British public since 1997. (Other MP's also being complicit as well, as no doubt they have voted for these laws to, and now they skirt past them in this expenses debacle).
Can they not see why we think they are so despicable?
But who made the rules came the angry cry
What about honour, decency, morals and such
Politicians don't have them, we wouldn't make as much
Its time we used it.
We can only vote and hope, but Parliament could do more. Why not have all MP's elected on a one year trial basis, their expenses, outside earnings etc published every month, and at the end of the year give each local constituency the opportunity to vote again if 10% of the electorate sign a petition for this.
Closer scrutiny is essential if we are to be able to monitor the future of Parliamentary effectiveness and trustwothiness.
what with the met police brutalising legitimate protesters (g20), mi5 instituted police state and stasi like tactics (re: todays independent) and politicians lining their pockets at our expense whilst supervising the biggest swindle of the uk economy and public funds ever seen, our options, as regards showing disapproval and dissent are seriously cutailed.
time for some serious civil disobediance methinks?
mass non payment of council tax? mass spoiling of ballot papers?
if one skinny man in a loincloth can win back india......