Express Mortgages Express Loans Bingo Lose Weight Franchising Dating Shopping Book Shop Find Spare Parts Cut Your Bills Wine Shop Legal Store FlatShare Cruises

EXPRESS COMMENT

HYPOCRISY AS MPS BLEED STRUGGLING TAXPAYERS DRY

Monday May 26,2008

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(4)

WHILE most families in Britain are tightening their belts, one group of people is immune from the need to make savings.

New revelations about their expenses show that MPs are able to claim the cost of almost any item of household spending back from the taxpayer.

As well as mortgage payments on second homes, parliamentarians have secured cash for satellite TV subscriptions, top-of-the-range kitchens and the hire of gardeners.

Barbara Follett, the equalities minister, claimed £1,600 to pay for window cleaning bills, which only goes to show that some are more equal than others.

Labour’s husband and wife MPs Ann and Alan Keen netted a fortune in allowances. They even expect taxpayers to pay their life insurance premiums.

When Labour first got into power Tony Blair told his MPs they were the servants of the people and were not there to enjoy the trappings of power.

How soon those words were forgotten, not least by Mr Blair, who got the taxpayer to fund a mortgage greater than the value of his constituency home.

It is clear that MPs of all parties have been guilty of exploiting an outrageously lax expenses system. But as the party in power, the primary culpability lies with Labour.

That it should have presided over such a disgraceful situation after making so much play of Tory sleaze while it was in Opposition lays it wide open to accusations of hypocrisy.

Until the system is overhauled there is no point in voters expecting MPs to be on the side of hardworking families. Like welfare claimants, parliamentarians belong to the large and growing class of people who do not pay their own bills.

THERE IS A WAY

10.06.08, 10:44pm

Put a stop to all this abuse of public money according to the rules...,tear up the rules. Replace them with common sense ones they should not be entitled to bleed the public dry for their own ends.
On a lighter note,if they are living in the second home,put the homeless in the first home that will
make a slight difference to the housing problem, they cannot live in two places at once.

• Posted by: Maggie • Report Comment

THE BLOOD SUCKERS

03.06.08, 2:02pm

While the southern part of the UK shouts with indignation at the "Snouts in the Trough" MP's, very little has been said of the Scottish Parliaments methods from which Westminster may learn something.
Firstly, ALL expenses by MSP's must be accompanied by receipts. The secondary housing allowance, which is considerably lower than Westminster and covers mortgage interest only, is under review by an independent review. The recommendation, if implemented, will mean some MSP's will have to sell their second home. Any profit from this will be a bone of contention with the public, many of whom want it donated to charities. Also, the report recommends that MSP's will only be allowed to claim for rent or hotels, ONLY if they SELL their Edinburgh homes first.
Lets wait ans see what the Westminster review comes up with.

• Posted by: Tomas • Report Comment