MP`s Expenses - What realistic action can we take ?

ShootersHillGuru

I have heard the arguments for not voting at all or voting for a minority party in protest but will any of this make any difference ? I want to let the scheming b@stards in what contempt I hold them but don`t really know the best way to do it. Over to you.

Goonerhater

Not much we can do without a General Election. I would ask everyone to vote ,billions never get the chance. You dont have to go to the ultras to register a protest vote.

nigel

Bring back Guy Fawkes?

Oakster

[cite]Posted By: nigel w[/cite]Bring back Guy Fawkes?

I wonder if he could claim back the cost of his gunpowder & matches under "miscellaneous expenses" - if he can keep the expenditure on explosives under £250 he wouldn't even need a receipt...

scruffle

The MPS who have been caught claiming for non existant morgage repayements shoudl be charged with fraud, like any normal person would and suffer the consiquences is not being able to hold a seat in parliment and have trouble gettin a future job due to havin a criminal record.

However the excessive claims arn't actually illegal so nought can be done other than making sure they don't get voted in again, which to be honest no party in their right mind would let the publicised excessive claimers run for 4 them again anyways.

charltonkeston

We will do the English thing. Get really angry and say and do nothing and then give these pillars of society another chance at the next general election.

StanmoreAddick

[cite]Posted By: Goonerhater[/cite]Not much we can do without a General Election. I would ask everyone to vote ,billions never get the chance. You dont have to go to the ultras to register a protest vote.

GH- Spot on....!

Daggs

[cite]Posted By: scruffle[/cite]The MPS who have been caught claiming for non existant morgage repayements shoudl be charged with fraud, like any normal person would and suffer the consiquences is not being able to hold a seat in parliment and have trouble gettin a future job due to havin a criminal record.

However the excessive claims arn't actually illegal so nought can be done other than making sure they don't get voted in again, which to be honest no party in their right mind would let the publicised excessive claimers run for 4 them again anyways.

Claiming for a non-existant mortgage is 100% illegal! Their defence is 'whoops i made a mistake'
Any of you who have recently been made un-employed and are claiming job seekers allowance. Go out and do a bit of work for cash in hand. If you get caught, say 'whoops i made a mistake' I'll come and visit you in jail!

IdleHans

or forget to retax your car more than 10 days late...
or submit your tax return after Jan 31...

hypocritical b*stards

March51

I can see an awful lot of 'spoilt' ballot papers turning up in both the coming elections and the General when it happens. People will write their remarks perhaps thinking the candidates will read them when in fact they will only be seen by a counting clerk and the Returning Officer. They are not counted even if they do have an X in one of the boxes along with their comment. The Government must act swiftly (ho! ho!) to convince the electorate that in future MP's expenses will be open to scrutiny by their constituents, either at all times, or at regular intervals . They should be displayed on the MP's web site and be available from his /her constituency H.Q. Hopefully people will see the dangers of not voting, or making a protest vote, but it is up to Parliament to show that those with their snouts in the trough will receive much more than just a slap on the wrist!

c4fcdenmark

Ignorance is no defence. Name and shame, as has happened, is good, it may just destroy some of these politicians' careers.

Independent audit of all MPs expenses where they have to supply back dated expenses for the last twelve months. This should be carried out by an independent firm who have no vested interest in public sector work and all details aired in public. Do it while parlaiment is on summer break, to minimise disruption and give us something to enjoy outside the football season.

Miserableoldgit

The thing is, we've got to be careful in the upcoming Euro Elections,where a "protest" vote could and will be "misunderstood".
For example, people voting BNP "as a protest" would work fine in a general election (the 1st past the post system), but in the Euros the more votes 1 party gets means more "MEP's" in Brussels. As the Daily Mail (spit!) said, "If you vote fascist, you'll get a fascist".
I can fully understand people not voting for the main stream parties, but please, DON't vote bnp.

SoundAsa£

I'm going to take a look at UKIP over the next week or two and try to decide whether or not they are a viable alternative...I'm not sure at this stage, needs some serious thought.

Goonerhater

There are alternatives to the "big" 3.

Green ---- there is a big green lobby in the EU ( used to be glass but they changed it !)
English Democrat--------why not ?
UKIP------The EU is a con that we fell for many years back. Not sure we could survive without the EU but at the cost of £40 million a day could THEY afford to let us go ?


As for the BNP-----We all know where they are coming from. If the big 3 dont/wont tackle the imigration issue then they reap the benefit.


My own thought is it will be a very low turn out and UKIP/BNP will gain hugely.

Addickted

I voted English Democrat in the last GE.

Along with about 150 other people :-)

Salad

it's about individuals rather than parties, believe it or not there are plenty of MPs whose expenses are reasonable - it's about time the press gave more coverage to them - this would further embarrass the cheats who have exploited the expenses system by flipping their homes, avoiding capital gains tax, repairing moats, cleaning swimming pools, paying full time housekeepers, repairing tennis courts, ordering horse manure etc etc.

I want to know who has had the integrity to only file for reasonable expenses and not exploit the system.

As for this election, I don't even know who my sitting MEP is (shame although I have recently moved) but by default I will not be voting for him/her ... if they're from a party I might vote for then I will need convincing that their expenses have been reasonable. I will see what the candidates have to say but I am inclinded to consider voting Green.

Daggs

[cite]Posted By: Addickted[/cite]I voted English Democrat in the last GE.

Along with about 150 other people :-)

Well i was one of those 150.
As 'Miserable-oldish explains, in the EU elections a vote for minor parties has more 'value' than in our General election system. So stick with us please.

SoundAsa£

Since the 50's the simplicity of whether you voted red or blue has slowly but surely evaporated....so similar are they, that you can't put a fag paper between the two major parties nowadays on policy or social responsibility.

DA9

I dont see how a General Election would solve anything, as the expenses scam is party wide and the vast majority of candidates would get back in.

ShootersHillGuru

[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]it's about individuals rather than parties, believe it or not there are plenty of MPs whose expenses are reasonable - it's about time the press gave more coverage to them - this would further embarrass the cheats who have exploited the expenses system by flipping their homes, avoiding capital gains tax, repairing moats, cleaning swimming pools, paying full time housekeepers, repairing tennis courts, ordering horse manure etc etc.

I want to know who has had the integrity to only file for reasonable expenses and not exploit the system.

As for this election, I don't even know who my sitting MEP is (shame although I have recently moved) but by default I will not be voting for him/her ... if they're from a party I might vote for then I will need convincing that their expenses have been reasonable. I will see what the candidates have to say but I am inclinded to consider voting Green.

I think Salad is right and that this is about individuals and their greed and lack of moral compass. Would like to hope that all the "abusers" will get their comeupence but I seriously doubt people David Davies will suffer very much.

se9addick

BBC has a thing showing all the candidates running in your region and all the parties represented (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8039873.stm#london)

Think not voting for the main parties is the best we can do. I'll probably go for this YES2EUROPE party.

ShootersHillGuru

[cite]Posted By: se9addick[/cite]BBC has a thing showing all the candidates running in your region and all the parties represented (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8039873.stm#london)

Think not voting for the main parties is the best we can do. I'll probably go for this YES2EUROPE party.

Good post

Friend Or Defoe

[cite]Posted By: DA9[/cite]I dont see how a General Election would solve anything, as the expenses scam is party wide and the vast majority of candidates would get back in.

That's what I believe as well. Everyone of them took advantage and the ones who weren't elected would have done the same.

BlackForestReds

[cite]Posted By: ShootersHillGuru[/cite]I have heard the arguments for not voting at all or voting for a minority party in protest but will any of this make any difference ? I want to let the scheming b@stards in what contempt I hold them but don`t really know the best way to do it. Over to you.

First check to see if your MP has been abusing the system or not. Some have, but many haven't.

If he/she has been claiming something illegally write to the police....

paulbaconsarnie

[cite]Posted By: Salad[/cite]I want to know who has had the integrity to only file for reasonable expenses and not exploit the system.

the telegraph has in the last 2 days highlighted the what they call saintly mp's.
there are 10 in that link (published yeaterday) and 10 today (part ii).

Henry Irving

http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

try here SHG. Expenses, how they voted etc, etc

stonemuse

[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

try here SHG. Expenses, how they voted etc, etc

Blimey, my local MP has NOT been abusing the expenses, in fact he is 624th out of 645!

David Evennett Bexleyheath and Crayford

Miserableoldgit

[cite]Posted By: Miserableold-ish git[/cite]The thing is, we've got to be careful in the upcoming Euro Elections,where a "protest" vote could and will be "misunderstood".
For example, people voting BNP "as a protest" would work fine in a general election (the 1st past the post system), but in the Euros the more votes 1 party gets means more "MEP's" in Brussels. As the Daily Mail (spit!) said, "If you vote fascist, you'll get a fascist".
I can fully understand people not voting for the main stream parties, but please, DON't vote bnp.

Just thought I'd remind people, Voting take place next Thursday.

Friend Or Defoe

My MP was absent for all 10 Transparent Parliament votes, interesting...

LenGlover

http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2009/05/crowd-is-always-wrong.html

Another perspective.

The point being that with EU elections less than a week away nobody is discussing the rights and wrongs of being in it.

Coincidence or design?

McLovin

[cite]Posted By: Henry Irving[/cite]http://www.theyworkforyou.com/

try here SHG. Expenses, how they voted etc, etc

What an excellent use of the internet that site is. Very interested to note that old Bill Cash only saw fit to vote on around 2/3 of items that he could have. So, while he's merrily paying his daugeter to rent her house at a grossly inflated cost he can only be arsed to show up to his 8 month a year job three days a week. In answer to the original question I hope that a lot of people vote in independets rather than MPs who have been caught bending the spirit of the rules. That said, I don't recall Martin Bell mentioning all this stuff, which is what I hoped he was going in there to uncover...