The Beeb is full of the expenses stuff this morning. Two things spring to mind – I, like other bloggers, knew about this stuff going on months ago. Yet now the mainstream media goes for the jugular. A bit late, it seems. Just as, in the wake of the Julian McBride scandal, they were on the coat tails of a blogger. Things are changing it seems. The MSM appears to be increasingly on the back foot when it comes to breaking news – and increasingly irrelevant.
The other thing that springs to mind is the excuses offered. The old “within the rules” one being the most favoured. Sorry, but that simply won’t wash. It should be obvious when the rules are inappropriate and claiming for expenses that are anything other than out of pocket expenditure on business is deeply unethical.
Others have tried to claim that they are a bit thick, so therefore aren’t really to blame and offer a half-hearted mea culpa and offer a repayment, hoping it will all go away. Again, this simply won’t wash. If I submitted a fraudulent tax return and later claimed that I wasn’t very good with accounts (Jack Straw) or that I’d made a mistake (Elliot Morely), I would not only have to pay interest on the missing money, I would face a criminal prosecution for fraud – and, claiming for mortgage payments that didn’t actually exist is not only not within the rules, it is criminal fraud.
In the wake of all of this, I can’t help thinking that they see us as stupid. I also can’t help thinking that given the voting record of this country, they might just have a point…
Depressing or what?
Yep and you’d be paraded through the press as well.
It’s a sorry state of affairs.
“Others have tried to claim that they are a bit thick, ”
And yet they have to scrutinise incredibly complex legislation, a distinctly non-negligible proportion of which relates to taxation and accountancy matters. Oh, and they ARE clever enough to ensure that they include, diligently, the loopholes that they need in that legislation.
So, it’s a DK conundrum: they’re either lying or incompetent. Doesn’t matter which are regards (un)fitness for office.
No, it certainly won’t wash. How are things in France, anyway?
Needless to say, the stealing in US government at all levels is just heinous too. Probably worse than yours even, how so? Well, they ain’t making a lot of noise about IT, instead it’s all the “thieving bank presidents!” The corporate CEOs are today’s staked goats. I’m only surprised the NuLabourSameOldShit (s)crew didn’t use /your/ baled bankers to better effect, as camouflage….
(Speaking off topic of /tigers/ in all shapes and sizes, your Honey Cat and Kits was a real hit over here where I circularized it to some of my gang…thanks!)
The bike is now finally on the road. I have an appointment with the Cirque de Navacelles to keep 😀
Even if it is within the rules to buy a T.V. for a second home, any decent person would buy a modest model not a 42in plasma job which is probably miles better than the one in your first home!
Of course Brown and ZanuLabour threw billions of our money to the scalliwag bankers. All these scamming MPs will be looking for cushy jobs in the City very soon, when we finally manage to turf them out of Parliament.
“And yet they have to scrutinise incredibly complex legislation,”
Nope. All they do now is wave EU legislation through.
They are fast becoming glorified social workers as they try to cobble together enough support to hold their seats.
I don’t care what the rules say: the basic fact is that if we pick up the tab for with a residual value, it belongs to us, not the MP. That the rules ride roughshod over the difference between capex and spend is PRECISELY the point.
So how does Gordon square his attack on Bank CEO’s taking large bonuses with his own Cabinet and MP’s taking large handfulls of the stuff?