Charges over expenses claims

[Pubey]

Especially when she charged £100,000 to host a charity dinner for victims of landmines.

What an angel. :finger:

how much money did the charity dinner make in total?

 

[MK Shrimper]

how much money did the charity dinner make in total?

I have no idea. But whatever it was it could have been £100,000 more if the greedy b*tch did it for free.

 

[Benji91]

On that note, Lord Hanningfield has resigned as leader of ECC so will be interesting to see who replaces him. He certainly wasn't the most popular leader Essex has had!

Has Steve Tilson been liinked to this job yet?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I think that the arguement that if a MPs salary is too low it would lead to only rich people being able to become a MP is false. At around £64k a year plus expenses I'd certainly give it a go for five years, and judging by the candidates lists at election time, there's many thousands of people vying for the 650 seats.

Personally I think the old GLC building should have been turned into a place where MPs could stay over night if needed. Everything a MP could need would have been provided. No expenses would need to claimed on their own home as that's what their salary for.

I think the issue about only rich people being able to become MPs is probably more to do with the steps necessary to take before becoming a MP eg the unpaid researchers jobs necessary to get onto the greasy pole and the time away from paid employment necessary to run a campaign.

However the fact remains that becoming a MP isn't a financially lucrative career for the highest achievers. MPs get paid less than league one footballers. If someone is hard working and bright, they can earn more as a doctor, lawyer, banker, businessman etc and probably have better career security.

 

[phil_christophers]

Has Steve Tilson been liinked to this job yet?

He was on Friday

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I don't know but perhaps Lord Mandelson of Fey & Hartlepool could explain why he was not prosecuted for mortgage fraud a few years ago.

Because he merely borrowed the money IIRC in the form of a loan from his millionaire chum (and former Labour Minister at the time) Geoffrey Robinson .

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

And a perfect target for terrorists. The security bill would be immense and would probably dwarf any expenses that are already paid out.

The Swedish parliament operates a system whereby parliament owns a group of fairly modest apartments in Stockholm which are then let rent free to MPs. Admittedly, the Swedes don't pursue foreign policy which marks them out as such desirable targets for the planet's foremost nutjobs, but I would imagine that security has still been taken into account.

It's actually pretty interesting to compare their parliament to ours in a broader sense. Their MPs seem to have retained a sense that government is an honourable calling rather than a money making exercise, and yet manage to do their jobs in a manner that wins approval and a level of trust in government that our politicians could only dream of.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Because he merely borrowed the money IIRC in the form of a loan from his millionaire chum (and former Labour Minister at the time) Geoffrey Robinson .

If that was the case why did he resign?

 

[canveyshrimper]

The Swedish parliament operates a system whereby parliament owns a group of fairly modest apartments in Stockholm which are then let rent free to MPs. Admittedly, the Swedes don't pursue foreign policy which marks them out as such desirable targets for the planet's foremost nutjobs, but I would imagine that security has still been taken into account.

It's actually pretty interesting to compare their parliament to ours in a broader sense. Their MPs seem to have retained a sense that government is an honourable calling rather than a money making exercise, and yet manage to do their jobs in a manner that wins approval and a level of trust in government that our politicians could only dream of.

That didn't stop someone killing Olaf Palm a few years back.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

That didn't stop someone killing Olaf Palm a few years back.

Palme was shot in the street having declined to keep a bodyguard. It could as easily happen to Mandy over here when he goes wandering on his own.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Palme was shot in the street having declined to keep a bodyguard. It could as easily happen to Mandy over here when he goes wandering on his own.

Blimey it was 1986, as memory served me I thought he was killed outside their Parliament in Stockholm, but it was near a cinema. I can't see Mandy wandering about alone some how.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Blimey it was 1986, as memory served me I thought he was killed outside their Parliament in Stockholm, but it was near a cinema. I can't see Mandy wandering about alone some how.

He was "greenwashed" with pea soup a while back, and I read here about him wandering about without protection. I've no idea whether he makes a habit of it, but the opportunities would appear be there for an assassin.

 

[canveyshrimper]

He was "greenwashed" with pea soup a while back, and I read here about him wandering about without protection. I've no idea whether he makes a habit of it, but the opportunities would appear be there for an assassin.

That's interesting. I don't see Mandy as a target of a would be assassin as perhaps Thatcher or Blair, or possibly Major or Brown would be. He like Prescott and a lot of others are more a target for pea soup, paint or eggs. I can see the forthcoming election campaign being a whole lot of fun.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

If that was the case why did he resign?

I'm not so sure he did anything illegal as such.Just highly unethical.You know -the diffence between tax avoidance and tax evasion as accountants etc like to say.
BTW I'm no fan of Mandy's