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HAVE YOUR SAY

SHOULD MPS BE ALLOWED TO VOTE TO KEEP THEIR LAVISH EXPENSES?

Cameron voted for the abolition of the John Lewis list while Brown was absent

Friday July 4,2008

By Macer Hall

Comment Speech Bubble Have your say(51)

MINISTERS helped grasping MPs preserve the Westminster gravy train last night by rejecting proposals to curb lavish expenses.

MPs, including Cabinet Ministers, voted to keep their £23,000-a-year second homes allowance.

And in an insult to households struggling in the credit crunch, they also defied public outrage by retaining the so-called “John Lewis” list for furnishing their homes at taxpayers’ expense.

It means they can carry on making claims like £10,000 for a new kitchen or £750 for a plasma screen television.

Moves to tighten Parliam-entary expenses rules were defeated by 172 votes to 144 in a Commons free vote.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham and Housing Minister Caroline Flint were among 33 ministers voting against the tougher system.

And Gordon Brown – who has called for pay restraint and greater transparency over MPs’ allowances – did not vote.

* Should MPs be allowed to continue using their EXPENSES for their LAVISH spending?

* Should they be allowed to use OUR CASH to pay for their bills?

*** HAVE YOUR SAY NOW! ***

KEEN OBSERVER

02.08.08, 1:37pm

If a new (New Labour Cabinet Minister)bought his second home in a semi rural attractive village for approx 50K about 4 years ago,and because of its "unusual" bargain price needed improving,and in the recent past years has used our money to upgrade this home and filling it with goodies,then when he gets slung out of office and returns to his London Home has he got a very nice diisposable asset out of my pocket "and yours of course" ??.
PS And what happens if others are loaned this semi rural attractive home in this period in an attractive village,do they pay a fee and to whom ??
Only asking the question folks ?

• Posted by: JonD1 • Report Comment

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

02.08.08, 1:31pm

Complete reform is needed and the greedy selfish lib/lab/con=1 party champagne socialists have only got themselves to blame.

STOP all the expense claiming.

CAP all the wages.

STOP all the swish cars/subsidised meals and bars.

CAP all donations.

STOP all the overseas travel perks.

END the nonsense of tax payers buying 2nd homes.

Enough is ENOUGH!

• Posted by: Brit1 • Report Comment

MPS LAVISH EXPENSES

31.07.08, 9:33pm

Is there something I am missing. Most of the country is tighteneing its belt . Government and local authorities are cutting back on services etc but who are immune from all this - the politicians govenment & local who seem to think that they need not be part of this and carry on voting themselves hansome pay rises and increase in expenses.
I believe that the communist system is basically good - all working for the good of everyone. Unfortunately it needs to be run by honest people which has been its downfall. Goverment officials (local & national of all parties) only seem to believe in looking after themselves and letting everyone else pay for their privilidges. This is what the communist regimes philosophy has been and most of them have gone.

Get your heads out of the sand and live in the real world. If you expect ordinary people to tighten their belts - you do the same. Pigs might go by Ryan Air

• Posted by: Matman • Report Comment

THEY SHOULD TRY

27.07.08, 1:28am

living on the minimum wage, so see how other people live.

Having to pay huge increases in electric, gas and water charges will mean people will freeze this coming winter, or starve.

They are clearly taking the mick when their day to day living expenses like household bills and food are paid for by the British taxpayer.

What on earth do they spend their wages on?

Mortage - covered by the taxpayer

TV Licence - ditto

Utility bills - ditto

Nannies/window cleaners - ditto

Food bills - ditto

Lightbulbs (Gordon Brown) - ditto

Anything they can get away with - ditto

Their savings accounts must be well in the black.

No need to worry about their old age either, is there?

Huge pensions and pay offs to look forward to.

• Posted by: SandieL • Report Comment

SHOULD MPS BE ALLOWED TO VOTE TO KEEP THEIR LAVISH EXPENSES?

20.07.08, 12:48am

No! Definitely no!
There should be an independent body to oversee MP's expenses. Or better still, there should be state owned furnished properties that could be rented out to MP's, and when they leave office, the house reverts to the state who in turns hands it over to the next MP for rent.
Problem solved.

• Posted by: sandman2 • Report Comment

...LAVISH EXPENSES...

16.07.08, 10:22pm

We vote them into office, so likewise we should have a say in how they are paid and make them justify any expenses. Also, should it not be based on how they perform? So far this government has let the majority of the people of this country down in more ways than one. But lets be honest with ourselves, because our politicians won't, who in their right mind would vote against something that was actually going to cost THEM money in the long term. If you saw an opportunity to legally line your pocket and bolster your bank account, wouldn't you grasp it with both hands and milk it for all it's worth? I'm only sorry I didn't go into politics myself years ago.

• Posted by: Dougsvoice • Report Comment