Polytricks
My Dad came out with a wonderful expression.
"Politics is a latin word - from 'Poly', meaning 'many' or 'numerous' and 'tics' - blood-sucking parasites." From a vicar, that's pretty strong.
I've re-posted this from a reply I left on littlemisscowboys's journal, because it's sort of a post in it's own right.
Until this year, I'd never voted for the same party twice. I was never that interested in politics. I always just used to stick a cross in the box for whoever I thought would do a good job representing the local area, regardless of party affiliation. OK, that person has never been a member of the labour party, but I wasn't specifically against them until some of their antics in the past couple of years.
I've never liked our local MP. I guess I always knew he was a grasping two-faced crook, and I certainly knew he would say whatever he thought was popular, and then do something different when it came to parliamentary votes. A good example was making a big deal out of fighting against Post Office closures, and then voting for them in parliament.
For those who don't know, I'm a member of my local Conservative party. In fact, I'm on the executive committee. This is not out of some sort of loyalty to the tories, and they know this. I joined solely to help get rid of our current MP, because I know they are the only party capable of unseating him. The party know my mercenary reasons for doing this, and they're just happy for the assistance. As our parliamentary candidate said - we have the same goals, albeit for different reasons, so they'll take any help they can get as long as the offer's on the table.
I help out with fundraising, campaigning, marketing and research. I've been tasked with going through our MP's expenses with a fine tooth comb, in preparation for a public debate he's holding on 3rd July on the subject. He's the 10th-highest claiming MP in the UK, so this is proving a long but interesting job.
If you count palm-tops and servers, my MP has claimed for 17 computers in the last 4 years. He had a replacement boiler (same make as mine) fitted in the same year as mine, and it cost him £4400. Mine is a smaller capacity boiler from the same range, and the difference should be about £400. I had 7 radiators and a thermostat fitted at the same time, and the bill came to £2300. Miraculously, the company name he used (and the VAT details), are blacked out.
What I'm finding most interesting, however, is the amount of times he appears to have claimed his mobile phone bill, then not paid it, then claimed the whole amount again, including the overdue balance. These are not £60 monthly bills - we're talking a couple of grand in total here.
That, of course, and the big story the Telegraph ran with for mine - that he lived with his mum in London and designated his family home as his second home, then flipped after he'd done the house up on expenses.
The other thing I'm doing the sums on is the amount he's spent on printing and print supplies, against what he's recharged to the local labour party. It's going to take a lot of digging, but it looks like he's spent thousands of pounds of public money on labour party campaign materials - which is a very serious allegation.
I'm really looking forward to the debate. I want to watch a man who has appeared to treat the public purse as a slush fund for years explain how this makes him a suitable 'right honourable person' to represent us in parliament. Apparently I'm on 'asking difficult questions based on my research' duty, so I've been watching lots of Question Time to practice. The trick appears to be to keep asking the same question and ignore anything that isn't an answer to the question posed.
It's weird how this issue has hit different people in different ways. I'm interested in what amounts to fraud, and the sums of money matter. Andy just wants to line up every MP who claimed a Rememberance Day donation or wreath cost on expenses, and allow veterans to throw things at them. We're only talking a few quid here, but his view is that every MP who did this has disrespected the memory of those who gave their lives in service of the country, and deserves to be held to account be those they have wronged. It may be small change in the grand scheme of things, but I take his point.
What I don't understand is that every senior profession has clear standards. If you break those standards, you get the sack or get struck off. Why are there not clear standards for MPs? If I'd misused my expense account the way my MP has, I'd get the sack (and the boss would probably call the cops in). If my GP had done the equivalent double-dealing for her profession that our MP appears to have done, she'd be struck off. I suppose that the question of the day is quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
"Politics is a latin word - from 'Poly', meaning 'many' or 'numerous' and 'tics' - blood-sucking parasites." From a vicar, that's pretty strong.
I've re-posted this from a reply I left on littlemisscowboys's journal, because it's sort of a post in it's own right.
Until this year, I'd never voted for the same party twice. I was never that interested in politics. I always just used to stick a cross in the box for whoever I thought would do a good job representing the local area, regardless of party affiliation. OK, that person has never been a member of the labour party, but I wasn't specifically against them until some of their antics in the past couple of years.
I've never liked our local MP. I guess I always knew he was a grasping two-faced crook, and I certainly knew he would say whatever he thought was popular, and then do something different when it came to parliamentary votes. A good example was making a big deal out of fighting against Post Office closures, and then voting for them in parliament.
For those who don't know, I'm a member of my local Conservative party. In fact, I'm on the executive committee. This is not out of some sort of loyalty to the tories, and they know this. I joined solely to help get rid of our current MP, because I know they are the only party capable of unseating him. The party know my mercenary reasons for doing this, and they're just happy for the assistance. As our parliamentary candidate said - we have the same goals, albeit for different reasons, so they'll take any help they can get as long as the offer's on the table.
I help out with fundraising, campaigning, marketing and research. I've been tasked with going through our MP's expenses with a fine tooth comb, in preparation for a public debate he's holding on 3rd July on the subject. He's the 10th-highest claiming MP in the UK, so this is proving a long but interesting job.
If you count palm-tops and servers, my MP has claimed for 17 computers in the last 4 years. He had a replacement boiler (same make as mine) fitted in the same year as mine, and it cost him £4400. Mine is a smaller capacity boiler from the same range, and the difference should be about £400. I had 7 radiators and a thermostat fitted at the same time, and the bill came to £2300. Miraculously, the company name he used (and the VAT details), are blacked out.
What I'm finding most interesting, however, is the amount of times he appears to have claimed his mobile phone bill, then not paid it, then claimed the whole amount again, including the overdue balance. These are not £60 monthly bills - we're talking a couple of grand in total here.
That, of course, and the big story the Telegraph ran with for mine - that he lived with his mum in London and designated his family home as his second home, then flipped after he'd done the house up on expenses.
The other thing I'm doing the sums on is the amount he's spent on printing and print supplies, against what he's recharged to the local labour party. It's going to take a lot of digging, but it looks like he's spent thousands of pounds of public money on labour party campaign materials - which is a very serious allegation.
I'm really looking forward to the debate. I want to watch a man who has appeared to treat the public purse as a slush fund for years explain how this makes him a suitable 'right honourable person' to represent us in parliament. Apparently I'm on 'asking difficult questions based on my research' duty, so I've been watching lots of Question Time to practice. The trick appears to be to keep asking the same question and ignore anything that isn't an answer to the question posed.
It's weird how this issue has hit different people in different ways. I'm interested in what amounts to fraud, and the sums of money matter. Andy just wants to line up every MP who claimed a Rememberance Day donation or wreath cost on expenses, and allow veterans to throw things at them. We're only talking a few quid here, but his view is that every MP who did this has disrespected the memory of those who gave their lives in service of the country, and deserves to be held to account be those they have wronged. It may be small change in the grand scheme of things, but I take his point.
What I don't understand is that every senior profession has clear standards. If you break those standards, you get the sack or get struck off. Why are there not clear standards for MPs? If I'd misused my expense account the way my MP has, I'd get the sack (and the boss would probably call the cops in). If my GP had done the equivalent double-dealing for her profession that our MP appears to have done, she'd be struck off. I suppose that the question of the day is quis custodiet ipsos custodes?