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Are you bothered by the MP expenses thing?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I can't say I'm all that surprised or bothered about the MP expenses issue

After all don't most people expect MP's to be a bit dodgy in the first place?

I think from an honesty point of view it's a big deal BUT in the overall scheme of things the sums of money being talked about are nothing compared to the Billions the economy is losing due to the economic downturn

It seems to me that an awful lot of time is being spent on dealing with the whole MP expenses thing and taking the time and focus away from dealing with the economy, job losses, bankruptcies, etc

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    After all don't most people expect MP's to be a bit dodgy in the first place?

    I think that many people do, but this is something that should simply not be the case. We should be able to believe in our MPs, our Government. We should be able to trust in them and rely on them to do the best job they can - not steal as much as they can from the coffers!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think the government wasted over £1 Billion building the Millennium Dome and there wasn't a fraction of the fuss that we're seeing now over their expenses. Certainly no one lost their jobs in the same manner.

    Gordon Brown lost about £2 Billion selling the UK's gold reserves at knock down prices and yet not much fuss over that either

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1654931.ece

    What this whole episode demonstrates to myself is how powerful the media are and how weak the government is.

    That's what I don't get about this country - you can waste a billion or two here and there and it hardly goes noticed BUT over claim a few hundred pounds or even thousands of pounds for something on your expenses claims and it's a huge deal. :eek2:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yes I am. Massively. Some of the expense claims and subsequent explanations were every bit as bad as those of benefit cheats.

    But funnily enough one lot is allowed to simply step down (and retire with a nice little pension in most cases) while the other is given a criminal record and very often a custodial sentence.

    One law for them, and another for the rest of us.

    Where's Guy fucking Fawkes when you need him?

    Cunts :mad:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    It bothers me immensely, for one simple reason.

    If it were ANY one of us, we'd be sacked, arrested, charged and taken to court.

    I'm seriously considering not bothering to vote this time around, all the other parties are just as bad.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    It bothers me immensely, for one simple reason.

    If it were ANY one of us, we'd be sacked, arrested, charged and taken to court.
    Exactly. Imagine if you're caught committing benefit fraud and your excuse was 'sorry guv, honest mistake, I forgot to tell you I've been in employment for 8 months'.

    They're all as bad as each other, their 'apologies' are for the most part insincere, and the majority of those caught don't even think they've done anything wrong or that they should be punished for it.

    It sickens me to be honest.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah, I've been quite taken back about how surprised people are. If MPs can con and fiddle, they'll con and fiddle. Well, a lot of them, anyway.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    not really, it's just the same old thing that people like to get shocked at
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    not surprised at all that they're a bunch of thiefs, maybe slightly surprised that it's being reported but to be honest they're just fall guys to provide a distraction from the real story, which is billions being funneled to private bankers via taxpayer bailouts. money that will never be seen again.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    DG wrote: »
    I think the government wasted over £1 Billion building the Millennium Dome and there wasn't a fraction of the fuss that we're seeing now over their expenses. Certainly no one lost their jobs in the same manner.

    Gordon Brown lost about £2 Billion selling the UK's gold reserves at knock down prices and yet not much fuss over that either

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article1654931.ece

    What this whole episode demonstrates to myself is how powerful the media are and how weak the government is.

    That's what I don't get about this country - you can waste a billion or two here and there and it hardly goes noticed BUT over claim a few hundred pounds or even thousands of pounds for something on your expenses claims and it's a huge deal. :eek2:

    This can't really be compared to the expenses scandle because none of these losses related to the feathering of their personal nests. In the great scheme of things, while the amount is minimal, its the principle of the matter. I never intended that my hard-earned taxes would become a secretive perk for an MP.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think you can compare incompetence to deliberate dishonesty. Brown's a fucking awful PM, as he was a fucking awful Chancellor, but that doesn't make him bent.

    I'm surprised that the media's now decided to go after them for this, but I'm not surprised at the extent of the troughing. Those of us who read Private Eye have known about the corruption for 20 years. Those who've been corrupt should be put in prison, as any one of us would be.

    I don't think the MPs are the worst public servants though. The mantle for the most corrupt and disingenuous public servants should go to the troughing filth over in White City. Even leaving aside the salaries- £97,000 to read the fucking news at 2am on News 24- the scale or corruption and dodgy expenses claims are astounding over at the BBC. It's rumoured that one major BBC political commentator's annual expenses claim runs into six figures; certainly when he dines at The Ivy it doesn't go on HIS credit card.

    Strange how the same people who attack the Government for this (hi Aladdin) will defend the BBC's right to extort money and jail people.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm actually getting bored of hearing about this now.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Kermit wrote: »
    I don't think you can compare incompetence to deliberate dishonesty. Brown's a fucking awful PM, as he was a fucking awful Chancellor, but that doesn't make him bent.

    I'm surprised that the media's now decided to go after them for this, but I'm not surprised at the extent of the troughing. Those of us who read Private Eye have known about the corruption for 20 years. Those who've been corrupt should be put in prison, as any one of us would be.

    I don't think the MPs are the worst public servants though. The mantle for the most corrupt and disingenuous public servants should go to the troughing filth over in White City. Even leaving aside the salaries- £97,000 to read the fucking news at 2am on News 24- the scale or corruption and dodgy expenses claims are astounding over at the BBC. It's rumoured that one major BBC political commentator's annual expenses claim runs into six figures; certainly when he dines at The Ivy it doesn't go on HIS credit card.

    Strange how the same people who attack the Government for this (hi Aladdin) will defend the BBC's right to extort money and jail people.
    How could anyone defend such a thing, when the BBC does not extort money or jail people?

    You must be thinking of the government and the judiciary. The BBC are a broadcaster.

    Regarding corruption, I don't think the BBC is worse than anywhere else. But by all means, do jail anyone who is caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am absolutely fucking furious about the MPs expenses issue. Yet I don't know how on earth to solve a problem which is clearly deeply ingrained. I think that the facts many of our MPs (Jackboot Jacqui, TonyMcNumpty, Margaret Moran, Anthony Steen etc) have been exposed as thieving bastards and fraudsters is extremely disturbing. I think it shows our political system needs to be completely reformed - and that the people running it have to be booted out before this reform can take place. Aside from getting rid of the gurning, dribbling moron we call the Prime Mentalist, that also means getting rid of countless members of the ruling parties. Perhaps even getting rid of the parties themselves...

    I'm delighted to see that the expenses issue is finally proving too much for the Second Home Secretary and Hazel Blears, that annoying parasite and flea who Iain Dale insists on calling "the chipmunk". Nice to see the two of them finally fuck off, although I do wonder where the resignations of Geoffrey The Hoon and McNumpty are. It doesn't say much about McStalin's credentials as a feminist when he allows Labour women to be kicked out, yet Labour men to stay in the cabinet. Although the news that the truly loathsome Ed Cunt might be Chancellor next week isn't exactly encouraging.

    Incidentally, if anyone fancies a laugh, feel free to read this piece from Labour MP, blogger and weapons grade cocktrumpet Tom Harris where he predicts Labour will win the next election with a working majority. Well, we could all do with a laugh to get away from the economic shitstorm these people helped create...
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Yeah jail those who have acted illegally, but after three weeks of stories the number of those who have broken the law looks like it isn't even in double figures, which isn't bad out of 650 people. What the story has shown is that MP's expenses were incredibly lax - and I'm not suprised they've taken benefit of it. If you worked in an environment where you were encouraged to maximise your expenses claims i bet half the people in here would be doing the same as MPs.

    The system needs to be cleared up, btu let's not pretend MPs are bent
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I am yeah, but tbh, I've always thought that most MPs think they are waaaay above everyone else and can do what they want. This only highlights that. STILL some of them can't see they have done wrong. Although, it is good that is has happened as now I think the majority of MPs realise the public CAN get rid of them if they piss us off enough. Hopefully things will start to get better as a result of this.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Whowhere wrote: »
    It bothers me immensely, for one simple reason.

    If it were ANY one of us, we'd be sacked, arrested, charged and taken to court.

    I'm seriously considering not bothering to vote this time around, all the other parties are just as bad.

    :yes: It bothers me. I think it should bother everyone.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    ...although I do wonder where the resignations of Geoffrey The Hoon and McNumpty are...
    Looks like I was only 48 hours off. See the list of resignations here.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    stargalaxy wrote: »
    Looks like I was only 48 hours off. See the list of resignations here.
    Seeing the pace at which the resignations were taking place today, I feel the BBC should create some kind of live scoreboard so we can keep pace with the latest resignings :D

    What a fucking shambles!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    after three weeks of stories the number of those who have broken the law looks like it isn't even in double figures, which isn't bad out of 650 people.

    But of course not many people are going to fall foul of the law, they're the ones who wrote the law. But that's what upsets people more.

    As for the list of resignations, it's like rats from a sinking ship. That said, hands up who's upset to see any of them leave? McNulty in particular would benefit immensely from being thrown off Beachy Head.
  • SkiveSkive Posts: 15,282 Skive's The Limit
    Yeah jail those who have acted illegally, but after three weeks of stories the number of those who have broken the law looks like it isn't even in double figures, which isn't bad out of 650 people.

    And how may are being prosecuted? 0 and that is fucking bad.

    These are people that we should be able to trust with our money. Instead they've robbing us blind. No different that benifit fraud. Locks the cunts up.
    Weekender Offender 
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Skive wrote: »
    And how may are being prosecuted? 0 and that is fucking bad.

    These are people that we should be able to trust with our money. Instead they've robbing us blind. No different that benifit fraud. Locks the cunts up.

    ^ this.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I agree to some extent on what you are saying....but I suppose it lets you forget about the recession we are in.
    Everything to me is important but it does not change my life, like you say there are more important issues that we should be concentrating on but again the media does as it always does focuses on the not so important trivia.
    We need a change in government that is what is needed and it isnt going to happen over night. We need a new party with younger people in it with fresh ideas and lets put that talk into action which we are not that good at.
    Action speaks louder than words.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The fact that so many people aren't bothered bothers me more than anything.
    This country is morally and financially bankrupt.
    If I asked my accountant to put five hundred quid on my employment expenses for a patio heater ...do you really think he'd go for it?

    The police the schools ...all lose authority when the countries bleeders behave like this.
    The country loses massively when the general public view as nothing more than a bit of reality tv.
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