Comments on: Do MP expenses get any more sickening than this? http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/ Daily views on British politics and the Conservative Party from a centre-right thinker who writes letters on his blog to politicians, journalists and many others. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:34:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: LFAT http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9640 LFAT Sun, 31 May 2009 20:45:00 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9640 CF, yes, there are larger amounts of money at stake, but the sense of <em>entitlement </em>also needs to be shattered among MPs like this. Anoneumouse, good point. Labour have certainly got some crap legislation through, and this might help explain why. DD, I think you're right - being caught followed by apologising seems to make many of them think that it's 'case closed' when it most certainly is not. Plato, right there with you.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9640','LFAT'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9640','LFAT','CF, yes, there are larger amounts of money at stake, but the sense of <em>entitlement <\/em>also needs to be shattered among MPs like this.\n\nAnoneumouse, good point. Labour have certainly got some crap legislation through, and this might help explain why.\n\nDD, I think you\'re right - being caught followed by apologising seems to make many of them think that it\'s \'case closed\' when it most certainly is not.\n\nPlato, right there with you.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> CF, yes, there are larger amounts of money at stake, but the sense of entitlement also needs to be shattered among MPs like this.

Anoneumouse, good point. Labour have certainly got some crap legislation through, and this might help explain why.

DD, I think you’re right – being caught followed by apologising seems to make many of them think that it’s ‘case closed’ when it most certainly is not.

Plato, right there with you.

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]]> By: Plato http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9638 Plato Sun, 31 May 2009 15:02:19 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9638 For me the issue is about claiming for a tribute to the dead. It makes the whole point of wreath laying a box-ticking photo-op exercise of remembrance. Are these people so skint that they can't cough up for one as their own mark of respect FFS? It's not as if they will be laying half a dozen of them on 11/11 is it? And even if they did - what is £100 to someone paid £64k plus all the extras? I find it immensely insulting to those who gave their lives.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9638','Plato'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9638','Plato','For me the issue is about claiming for a tribute to the dead.\r\n\r\nIt makes the whole point of wreath laying a box-ticking photo-op exercise of remembrance.\r\n\r\nAre these people so skint that they can\'t cough up for one as their own mark of respect FFS? It\'s not as if they will be laying half a dozen of them on 11\/11 is it? And even if they did - what is £100 to someone paid £64k plus all the extras?\r\n\r\nI find it immensely insulting to those who gave their lives.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> For me the issue is about claiming for a tribute to the dead.

It makes the whole point of wreath laying a box-ticking photo-op exercise of remembrance.

Are these people so skint that they can’t cough up for one as their own mark of respect FFS? It’s not as if they will be laying half a dozen of them on 11/11 is it? And even if they did – what is £100 to someone paid £64k plus all the extras?

I find it immensely insulting to those who gave their lives.

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]]> By: devonshire dumpling http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9634 devonshire dumpling Sun, 31 May 2009 12:46:37 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9634 I picked up on one of the greedy sods myself and also commented on another that you did not mention. I suppose saying "it was an error" or "I'm sorry" makes them feel that the puiblic will forgive and forget.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9634','devonshire dumpling'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9634','devonshire dumpling','I picked up on one of the greedy sods myself and also commented on another that you did not mention. I suppose saying \"it was an error\" or \"I\'m sorry\" makes them feel that the puiblic will forgive and forget.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I picked up on one of the greedy sods myself and also commented on another that you did not mention. I suppose saying “it was an error” or “I’m sorry” makes them feel that the puiblic will forgive and forget.
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]]> By: Anoneumouse http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9633 Anoneumouse Sun, 31 May 2009 10:59:48 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9633 With all these admissions of mistakes, it makes one wonder how many times they have mistakenly wandered into the wrong voting lobby. Should we have a rerun of all parliamentary votes in the last 11 years just to make sure.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9633','Anoneumouse'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9633','Anoneumouse','With all these admissions of mistakes, it makes one wonder how many times they have mistakenly wandered into the wrong voting lobby.\r\n\r\nShould we have a rerun of all parliamentary votes in the last 11 years just to make sure.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> With all these admissions of mistakes, it makes one wonder how many times they have mistakenly wandered into the wrong voting lobby.

Should we have a rerun of all parliamentary votes in the last 11 years just to make sure.

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]]> By: Constantly Furious http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9632 Constantly Furious Sun, 31 May 2009 10:36:38 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9632 I have to disagree: this fiver is a trivial distraction. So the bloke’s a miserable, tight, twat. Big deal. It doesn’t need the whole nation to appear at his front door, torches blazing, pitchforks glistening, when there are far bigger fish to fry.

As I blogged earlier: I think The Telegraph needs to shut up now
.
All this trivia is distracting from the real fraudsters and major troughers.

If caught out, its seems all an MP needs to do is sit tight and keep quiet for a couple days, and there’ll be a nice “duck house” story along, and we’ll all forget about them.

What happened to Baroness Uddin? To Jacqui Smith? To Hazel Blears? To Shahid Malik? **** all, that’s what. We’ve all moved on, distracted by much smaller stories.

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]]> By: LFAT http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9631 LFAT Sun, 31 May 2009 10:03:34 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9631 PP, interesting angle but these guys are irrelevant in the big scheme of things so they wouldn't be laying on behalf of the government, as far as I can see.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9631','LFAT'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9631','LFAT','PP, interesting angle but these guys are irrelevant in the big scheme of things so they wouldn\'t be laying on behalf of the government, as far as I can see.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> PP, interesting angle but these guys are irrelevant in the big scheme of things so they wouldn’t be laying on behalf of the government, as far as I can see.
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]]> By: North Northwester http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9630 North Northwester Sun, 31 May 2009 09:49:48 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9630 I think the politicians' duties as legislators and leaders is to choose the wars, finance the troops, let the generals give the orders and finance hospitalisation, benefits or burial. As parliamentarians they should pay a small sum of personal money in gratitude for the servicemen making their jobs possible in the first place. With respect Pagan Pride, - that follows British constitutional theory and our national morality. It may be different in Australia, and jolly good luck to them, but that's the way I see it here in Blighty.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9630','North Northwester'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9630','North Northwester','I think the politicians\' duties as legislators and leaders is to choose the wars, finance the troops, let the generals give the orders and finance hospitalisation, benefits or burial.\r\n\r\nAs parliamentarians they should pay a small sum of personal money in gratitude for the servicemen making their jobs possible in the first place.\r\n\r\nWith respect Pagan Pride, - that follows British constitutional theory and our national morality. It may be different in Australia, and jolly good luck to them, but that\'s the way I see it here in Blighty.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I think the politicians’ duties as legislators and leaders is to choose the wars, finance the troops, let the generals give the orders and finance hospitalisation, benefits or burial.

As parliamentarians they should pay a small sum of personal money in gratitude for the servicemen making their jobs possible in the first place.

With respect Pagan Pride, – that follows British constitutional theory and our national morality. It may be different in Australia, and jolly good luck to them, but that’s the way I see it here in Blighty.

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]]> By: PaganPride http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9629 PaganPride Sun, 31 May 2009 09:19:43 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9629 I have actually commented on this before - and I am not saying that the circumstances are identical merely similar. In my previous life in Australia I was a District Committee member of the RSL, in which capacity I was required to lay a number of wreaths at a variety of cenotaphs and war memorials around the state of Queensland. Every time I laid the wreath on behalf of the RSL even if I had bought it, I was reimbursed. When I laid a wreath personally as an ex-servicewoman I paid for it myself. Perhaps (and I don't the know circumstances) this wreath was laid on behalf of the government, in which case I can't really see the difference.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9629','PaganPride'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9629','PaganPride','I have actually commented on this before - and I am not saying that the circumstances are identical merely similar.\r\n\r\nIn my previous life in Australia I was a District Committee member of the RSL, in which capacity I was required to lay a number of wreaths at a variety of cenotaphs and war memorials around the state of Queensland. \r\n\r\nEvery time I laid the wreath on behalf of the RSL even if I had bought it, I was reimbursed. When I laid a wreath personally as an ex-servicewoman I paid for it myself.\r\n\r\nPerhaps (and I don\'t the know circumstances) this wreath was laid on behalf of the government, in which case I can\'t really see the difference.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I have actually commented on this before – and I am not saying that the circumstances are identical merely similar.

In my previous life in Australia I was a District Committee member of the RSL, in which capacity I was required to lay a number of wreaths at a variety of cenotaphs and war memorials around the state of Queensland.

Every time I laid the wreath on behalf of the RSL even if I had bought it, I was reimbursed. When I laid a wreath personally as an ex-servicewoman I paid for it myself.

Perhaps (and I don’t the know circumstances) this wreath was laid on behalf of the government, in which case I can’t really see the difference.

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]]> By: LFAT http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9628 LFAT Sun, 31 May 2009 08:44:39 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9628 I wonder how many members of the Armed Forces live in Charlie's constituency. They won't be best pleased about this (to put it mildly).<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9628','LFAT'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9628','LFAT','I wonder how many members of the Armed Forces live in Charlie\'s constituency. They won\'t be best pleased about this (to put it mildly).'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> I wonder how many members of the Armed Forces live in Charlie’s constituency. They won’t be best pleased about this (to put it mildly).
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]]> By: North Northwester http://www.lettersfromatory.com/2009/05/31/do-mp-expenses-get-any-more-sickening-than-this/#comment-9627 North Northwester Sun, 31 May 2009 08:33:15 +0000 http://www.lettersfromatory.com/?p=3185#comment-9627 "Mr Kennedy, the MP for the seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber, also attempted to use his taxpayer-funded office costs allowance for Remembrance Sunday poppy wreaths." I can really see our soldiers leaving a receipt in some dusty village or scarlet-spattered hill fort in Afghanistan, inscribed: "IOU matchless , self-sacrificing service; poorly-paid and rarely thanked. Apply at the NAAFI or War Graves Commission for your complimentary wine glasses and the privilege of parliamentary democracy." Or how about the classics: " Go tell the politicians passer-by that here we lie, obedient to their wishes.' Utter, utter swine.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9627','North Northwester'); return false;">Reply to this comment</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('9627','North Northwester','\"Mr Kennedy, the MP for the seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber, also attempted to use his taxpayer-funded office costs allowance for Remembrance Sunday poppy wreaths.\"\n\nI can really see our soldiers leaving a receipt in some dusty village or scarlet-spattered hill fort in Afghanistan, inscribed:\n\n\"IOU matchless , self-sacrificing service; poorly-paid and rarely thanked.\nApply at the NAAFI or War Graves Commission for your complimentary wine glasses and the privilege of parliamentary democracy.\"\n\nOr how about the classics:\n\n\" Go tell the politicians passer-by that here we lie, obedient to their wishes.\'\n\n\n\n\nUtter, utter swine.'); return false;">Quote this comment</a></div> “Mr Kennedy, the MP for the seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber, also attempted to use his taxpayer-funded office costs allowance for Remembrance Sunday poppy wreaths.”

I can really see our soldiers leaving a receipt in some dusty village or scarlet-spattered hill fort in Afghanistan, inscribed:

“IOU matchless , self-sacrificing service; poorly-paid and rarely thanked.
Apply at the NAAFI or War Graves Commission for your complimentary wine glasses and the privilege of parliamentary democracy.”

Or how about the classics:

” Go tell the politicians passer-by that here we lie, obedient to their wishes.’

Utter, utter swine.

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