MP Expenses - Windup And Misdirection

Cabinet MPs' Expenses

Shadow Cabinet MPs' Expenses

A previous entry in this series about MP expenses, indicated that the stench of the cesspool had become too much to tolerate. The next phase, however, has come many months later and cannot be left without a mention although it remains nauseating. The trick to watch out for now is the redirection of focus.

Misdirection

The current emphasis is on the minor gardening and cleaning expenses and are all relatively trivial, but it appears that Jacqui Smith was shown to have claimed over £116,000 yet has been ordered to repay only £400. That 'investigation' and 'fine' was conducted by MPs concerning an MP.

Smith

• Apologised "unreservedly" for wrongly claiming for the cost of films watched at her family home, including two pornographic films seen by her husband.

• The main home obviously does not need to be owned by the claimant. A caravan parked in a field would presumably suffice as long as it is not a real address that could be so regarded.

• "This claim should never have been made and, as the committee notes, I paid back the claim in full as soon as it was brought to my attention," Smith told the Commons.

Compared to the BIG expenses, this is absolute trivia though not entirely irrelevant.

Sir George Young is the chairman of the Standards and Privileges Committee (2011 : amended) and is regarded as being the "right man to repair the commons". Ring closure and morally indefensible, but it happened.

Nauseating

Breaking rules seems to be regarded as nothing particularly wrong and very much unlike breaking the law. Smith WAS home secretary, but jumped before being pushed: in charge of the police and the rule of law in the UQ (aka UK) Ltd.

The current independent investigation has been carried out by Sir Thomas Legg (another establishment 'Sir' and is almost relegated to the term millionaire. Commonplace.)

• Why do MPs apparently have so much angst unless they know what has been done and are worried about being 'found out'? Maybe they'll NOT get away with something?

• The BIG issues involve the Additional Cost Allowance (ACA), widely regarded as an indirect salary increase (Margaret Thatcher: 1985) and therefore to be had "as of right", although this public money is used to finance private property dealing. This would explain the apparent complicity of the fees office.
  

Capital Gains Tax
BBC Newsnight interview

The interest on mortgages is claimed and paid and gets cited a few times, but doesn't clarify if this involves large interest-only mortgages. It is blatantly using public (taxpayers') money to gain private profit. The capital gains tax and avoidance/evasion issues are central to any argument, yet are very crudely dodged. Allegedly repaying 'wrongful' claims does not define actually paying anything back. Hazel Blears famously waved a cheque in front of the cameras. This cheque could easily have been torn up directly afterwards (off camera) simply creating the illusion of paying this amount back. Any payments cannot be verified and ironically an MP's word has to be accepted as being absolutely truthful. This could be regarded as being somewhat naïve. Even Gordon Brown's promise to pay cannot be verified as an actual payment.

• Repayments - 1st April 2009
• Still under review, it seems - 14th October 2009

Eleanor Laing back in May 2009 was ordered to repay (by David Cameron) a 'large amount' of money acquired at public expense.

Update

The 'verbal' agreement to voluntarily repay (£25,000) does not constitute proof of repayment, but appears to have convinced her constituency party (at least) of her moral standing within society.

• If ever a system was required that facilitated abuse then a model must surely be the MP expense system. Devised and managed by MPs for MPs. The lunatics running the asylum.

Nauseating

• The UQ (aka UK) Ltd asylum supposedly contains all the voters who oppose anarchy and favour a Labour or Tory or Liberal Democrat government (Devil's Advocate).

• The hypocrisy is that the BNP as a 'political' party is shunned yet the other three (main parties) are acceptable. Very odd as they are all irrelevant.
  

If the slumbering beast is disturbed the result can be deadly. The beast is best left alone. Notably, Hazel Blears has been silent over this time and that in itself is remarkable. However, once a position has been achieved it is 'difficult' to relinquish advantage. The screams of unfairness echo in the Palace of Westminster. It seems that massaging the system ("it's in the rules" - NO, it's NOT!!) is acceptable, but the unfairness of disallowing potential fraud is not. Gordon Brown allegedly will repay expenses (£12,500) for his 'home' in Scotland. Cleaning expenses were allegedly claimed at a rate reported to be £10.50 an hour, which was then paid to his brother (who shared costs and services of said cleaner) and who allegedly settled the costs to the cleaner directly (the 'full' £10.50/hr?). Brown may have some 'claim' to expenses on this, but a brother? It's quite standard practice to keep this "in the family" since the highly lucrative severance of services then keeps the reward "in the family".

Brown continues to urge MPs to pay up (when/if asked/requested), but cannot instruct as inorder or 'be the boss'. After all, he is only the prime minister and has always seemed devoid of any leadership skills.

• As leader (prime minister) of the government, he demonstrates absolutely no leadership by failing to instruct anyone else to repay suspect expenses
  

The reneging on the Treaty of Lisbon is an example that demonstrates the arrogance and goal of this pathetic government. The destruction of the UK. Everything this outfit does is designed to wreck the country and leave it isolated in any theoretical 'global status' that it may have once had. Selling England by the Pound continues. Thatcher did it. Now it's Brown's turn. As Blair's lackey, it demonstrates the ultimate danger of a European State with Blair as it's potential president. Any notion of a federal europe with local control of affairs can be rejected. Up till now, and even before total ratification, the UQ (aka UK) Ltd has essentially no control or say in its own affairs. This can only get worse.

The MPs are so short sighted and blinded by their own very short term greed that none has realised that they will all become irrelevant. A totally unnecessary expense. At the best, a trimmed down MP base is most likely. Who knows, there may even be an updated attack on the Houses of Parliament to finish off Guy Fawkes' failed attempt?

He who waits will eventually triumph

Even if it takes a few hundred (400) years. The blame will be anonymously aimed at 'terrorism', the catch-all and generic label. This would predictably happen when the place is in recess. If this were to happen, then it would also be highly suggestive that it was planned and executed locally.

Twin Towers

Patriot Act