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can i just say in the ministers defence, its very hard in these times to get anyone to maintain a moat for under £2000, plus the minister must have suffered considerable distress seeing his lawn ruined by moles
It’s a disgrace.
Most of them have been exposed as the liars, cheats and corrupt individuals that they are.
A safe home in politics right enough.
As Billy Connolly once said, "don’t vote for any of them, you’re only encouraging them."
Gambling Only Pays When You're Winning
Marb, what has come to light over the last few weeks is for most of us truly incomprehensible and I think your right to take a backseat, at least for a while and you’re in good company in doing so. Let me tell you a little story about Michael Portillo.
My mate is a good friend of Michael (not bum chums or anything) and he told me that before returning to the Shadow Cabinet as Chancellor, Portillo spent a week swapping places with a single mother living on benefits up in Liverpool I think. This was apparently made into a TV programme but I can’t remember it. Anyhow, according to my mate this experience had a profound effect on Portillo far more so than him losing his seat 1997 (which after all is just politics) and he eventually came to a realisation that his time would be better spent outside of politics – trying to help normal people. And this is the main reason he stepped down as a MP (and there’s me thinking he was just a right smug ****).
He now spends a large part of his time working behind the scenes for a number of charities and organisation helping real people in real time, so to speak. The point is he is just one of hundreds of thousands of people across this country doing the same all of whom are making a difference in their own way.
There’s more than one way to skin a cat and with your passion and experiences you’ll find your own way and you’ll make your difference and the world will be a better place for it.
So, sit back, relax you’re a young man and there is plenty of time.
I think they should stop the practice of using the term "honourable" member in the Houses of Commons/Lords from now on. Its a mockery.
What normal person does not remember the day they paid off their mortgage or indeed forget that they actually do not have a second home in the forst place to claim £18,000 in expenses for?
Perhaps the worst thing about all of this is that, I suspect, many people are not even surprised – angry, obviously but is anyone particularly shocked by it? I know I’m not at any rate.
Watching them squirm has at least been satisfying; some of them could squirm for England.
Interesting what you say about Michael Portillo; I’ve been a Labour voter for most of my life, but started to admire Portillo when he lost his seat all those years ago; watching it live on the telly he was so gracious in defeat [was it the same night that Mandelson was a complete drama queen?]. He then did a tv programme about the Pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela [one of my ambitions is to walk it, which I will never do] and I liked him even more. Does restore a certain amount of faith in politicians.
I’ve never been impressed with his apparent lack of authority in the role of Speaker but then I’m remembering that great Welsh Speaker, can’t remember his name, but he had a terrific air of gravitas about him and was distinctly his own man and far removed from party politics. To me, Martin always comes over as a department store Father Christmas.
I’m sure he’s a decent guy but I think the ageing process is making him more and more ineffectual.
KPerhaps it’s because he has been on the expenses take himself, which would bring his moral authority as Speaker into question?
Perhaps it’s because he attempted to exempt MP’s expense claims from the Freedom of Information Act, thereby diluting his moral authority as Speaker?
Perhaps it’s because his only apparent concern when details of MP’s expenses were leaked, was to investigate where the leak came from, rather than attempt to correct the system – which would raise doubts about his moral authority to act as Speaker ?
Or perhaps it’s because the primary requirement of Mr Speaker is have command of the word "order", without inserting an extraneous "Oh", to create a new, unheralded word in "oh-order"?
Who knows.
He’s a very public scapegoat.
How many who have clearly committed fraud will be prosecuted, never mind lose their jobs? I am not holding my breath.He is supposed to be the Leader of the House .. his response to the whole MP’s fiddling their expenses outrage has been laughable.
Someone needs to lead the House out of this mess and try and make them look good again .. it isn’t going to be him. In saying that I’m not sure who will be able to salvage their reputations.
Hes useless and a typical example of an overpromoted waste of space
The "english snobs" may well be asking how this scottish incompetent came to be appointed by a scottish dominated cabinet? i wonder…
The biggest misjudgement was trying to suppress the details of the claims. Didnt it ever occur to him that this information was a certainty to be leaked at some stage? And shouldnt that have been preempted?
The vile midget Blears should go asap too. Waving a cheque in front of cameras as if its all ok now and was abit of a lark. FFS
He is supposed to be the Leader of the House .. his response to the whole MP’s fiddling their expenses outrage has been laughable.
Someone needs to lead the House out of this mess and try and make them look good again .. it isn’t going to be him. In saying that I’m not sure who will be able to salvage their reputations.
Could they find anyone right now who hasn’t fiddled their expenses? It’s not just what they can or can’t claim which needs to be overhauled, it’s the system of checking them? Passing thousands of pounds worth of claims without any receipts? Dog food is essential for the running of a second home? A nappy changing mat? The whole thing is a joke. None of them rushing to resign either on prinicpal. If they were in a ‘normal’ job, they wouldn’t have had time to clear their desks.
there’s a reference to him in the second para here that might help with background:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree … ide-draper
also various references collated under "personal expenses" section in his wiki entry
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Martin_(politician)
but as grassy says, who knows?
Entirely right that Michael Martin was forced to resign in such undignified fashion as the Speaker is effectively in charge of the expenses system.
I heard on the news today that in the past Martin is alleged to have said something along the lines of :’I came from a trade union background and I didn’t come into politics not to get what is due to me’.
Martin was amongst the frontrunners in a crowded field of corrupt MPs who effectively stole taxpayers money,the worst of his crimes was claiming for a 2nd house despite a grace and favour home that goes with the speakers 140k job.
Good riddance to him and it is now time for a comprehensive list to be published of all of the MPs abuses and each one of them should be analysed for their eligibility to continue to be MPs and if proven they should be sacked and tried for dishonesty.When the Commons has been done move on to the Lords followed by the MEPs and then the local councils.I see where it came from now. Perhaps as has been pointed out by one or two, other MP’s should follow suit. Certain people in the English press haven’t liked him from day one because he’s not one of them, so i guess they really enjoyed this whole episode.
For some weird reason i’m not into politics but i quite like Question Time, so it should be an interesting watch this week. Hopefully there’s alot of arguments and insults being hurled around.
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