P.K. Posted May 15, 2009 Share Posted May 15, 2009 Are you sure you've given up drinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 It's a good idea! She should set up a committee - could you imagine having to justify that you need the taxpayer to pay for mock Tudor beams and chocolate Hob Nobs to Prince Phillip, Princess Anne and Fergie? In fact before somebody got an obe or an mbe, they should have to scruitinise one MP's expenses claim and submit a report to the Royal Family. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I've had another idea - the leaders of all three major parties should resign. This has not only has the scarifcial cleansing element that people seem to want from this but will almost certainly instantly improve all three major parties - Brown is clearly a broken man and fresh face will rejuvinate the Government which has to be good for the country until the next election. Clegg is virtually anonymous but Vince Cable is well known and popular, get him in and there's a better chance that the Liberals will do better leading to a hung Parliament. Liberals as kingmaker would mean Labour or the Torys would have to sign up for PR, thus ensuring coalition government in future. Britain needs a change of Government, Labour are tired and need a rest, but Cameron is totally unfit for public office, I can't recall a worse Party Leader (Michael Foot maybe). This is a golden oportunity for the Torys to ditch this liability and get someone in that could be a good Prime Minister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whimsy Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Quite right Declan. And that David Camerson - hasn't he go a face that just needs a Damn Good Slapping? How can anyone resist giving it a good slap everytime they get near him? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 Oh how we love to air our self-righteous indignation when politicians are caught 'misbehaving.' In particular, the booze-fuelled hacks who work for the red-top tabloids and are such upright and honest people that they would never even consider making a false expenses claim. Oh, no. And their readers; those wonderful people who have never, ever, thought of omitting any cash-in-hand earnings from their tax returns are, quite naturally, shocked at such terrible behaviour. Sorry folks but this is all British hypocrisy at its finest (the only thing they still lead the world at), especially when this gravy train is little more than a branch line compared to the network available to MEPs in Brussels! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouse30 Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 They should all hang their heads in shame. They are good for nothing bone idle freeloaders, who are out for what they can get, rather than looking out for those who bothered to vote for them in the first place. It adds insult to injury that the UK is in the middle of a recession and many hard working decent people have been made redundant or are working under the threat of unemployment, worrying about falling behind with mortgage repayments whilst these greedy fat cats squander their taxes paying for fake mortgages on country retreats. In my opinion, this makes them just as much the parasite as those who refuse to work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 They've had years to clean up their act - AND have known for a while the expenses were going to be scruitinised or eventually leaked/published. But it's all wriggle wriggle and 'Sorry, sorry...aren't we naughty? and really it's not our fault and the expenses system needs reforming'. It's a disgrace. As said earlier, some of these fraudulant claims warrant a stay inside at Her Majesty's pleasure. Do such things at your own workplace and you'd at the very least get sacked. Sadly, with their record - I don't think the UK (or even us on the IOM) have yet reached the lowest point for its' politicians. There's more to come. The whole lot needs reforming, from the House of Lords to Westminster to local government - even down to career politicians (age/term limits). People's votes all too often count for nothing in the current system, where the UK government is decided by only a hundred or so marginal seats every time. In all too many areas they'll always vote for even a pig with a blue or red rosette stuck on it, leaving millions with effectively wasted votes and no representation. Defenders of the 'first past the post' system should hang their heads in shame. Democracy - my arse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manshimajin Posted May 16, 2009 Share Posted May 16, 2009 I wonder why all this information was 'leaked'? Did someone smell a potential cover-up when the official release is due to take place in July (?). As for typical British hypocrisy, well I guess that the MPs take the biscuit for that...all this ranting and raving about bonuses and overpayments to bankers whilst they are creaming the taxpayers for home entertainment systems etc..etc.. Definitely bring in PR - and preferably compulsory voting to go with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
La_Dolce_Vita Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 preferably compulsory voting to go with it. But some have good reasons and good sense not to vote in recognising that no reforms are going to resolve the problems that come with having power in the hands of a few politicians. I don't want to be a part of that system by voting for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 How does one clean a moat? Do you just get a big net and walk round the side scooping up stuff like they do at swimming pools? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
%age Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 One thing I can't abide is continuing claims that this sort of thing should be secret and not open to the Freedom of Information act and public scrutiny. The Isle of Man Government is resisting any moves for a Freedom of Information Act over here. PAG has been calling for this for some time. IoM Today link The Isle of Man has a Register of Members Interests. There have been calls to make MHKs complete that Register by law but Tony Brown (Chief Minister) considers that it is enough to just allow Tynwald itself to look after its own members in this respect. Even though some of them 'forget' to declare their interests. IoM Today I appreciate that this may not be in the same league as what is happening in the House of Commons (and Lords) but it does make one wonder why there is such resistance to a Freedom of Information Act over here and why Tony is so emphatic that Tynwald can look after the Register of Members Interests itself when quite clear it is quite unable to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluemonday Posted May 17, 2009 Share Posted May 17, 2009 The Isle of Man Government is resisting any moves for a Freedom of Information Act over here. Now why does that fail to surprise me? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 Bazza's take - scarily true: Pornography or porticos: the class divide: THERE’S a definite class war element to this row about MPs’ expenses. While it’s quite clear that each and every one of them is on the fiddle, I just find it heartening that the Tory fiddles have a touch of class that the Labour fiddles just can’t match. The Labour cheats claim for TV porno channels, disposable nappies, bath plugs and Kit Kats. The Tory blaggers go for portico erection, swimming pool maintenance, moat clearing and tennis court repairs. You have to say it, if you’re going to get your collar felt for thieving from the public purse, it might as well be for having your chandeliers hung (Sir Michael Spicer, Conservative, Worcestershire West), rather than for buying two Scotch eggs and a packet of mini pork pies (Derek Wyatt, Labour, Sittingbourne and Sheppey). Meanwhile the real winners in this affair, UKIP and the BNP, rub their hands in glee and look forward to next month’s Euro elections. And that, my friends, is where the real damage has been done. This isn’t just about snouts in the trough; it’s about a complete collapse of confidence in Parliament, and the subsequent meltdown of the mainstream parties. Extremism is about to rule. The sad thing is, they haven’t even had to kick down the door. It’s been left off the latch for them.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebrof Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 preferably compulsory voting to go with it. But some have good reasons and good sense not to vote in recognising that no reforms are going to resolve the problems that come with having power in the hands of a few politicians. I don't want to be a part of that system by voting for it. The intelligent anarchist votes for everybody on the paper, and thereby spoils his vote. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Tatlock Posted May 18, 2009 Share Posted May 18, 2009 The intelligent anarchist votes for everybody on the paper, and thereby spoils his vote. Very true. Simply not voting is not good enough, is no real protest, and sends no clear message. Imagine the impact of 9000 spoilt ballots in each constituency in a general election? Now for the UK, that would be a warning of approaching anarchy. Will it happen? - no. Because politics is so removed from people these days in the UK, and all that will happen is that the turnout will go down again overall. As I said earlier, the whole system is too far gone, and in no way represents a democracy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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