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Is our current parliaments predicament being reported in ur countries ?

swordheartswordheart
edited May 2009 in Chit chat
I just wondered if any of the forum members who don't live in UK could tell what sort of coverage this expenses claims trouble is getting in your country ?
Post edited by swordheart on

Comments

  • Paul van der LaanPaul van der Laan
    edited May 2009
    It got quite some coverage in the national newspaper (NRC Handelsblad) that I read and some of the electronic media too. It reflects badly upon the UK now which is unfortunate because I'm sure these practices are common in my country too.
  • rich_chandlerrich_chandler
    edited May 2009
    It's being widely reported in the Australian newspapers.
    I wanna tell you a story 'bout a woman I know...
  • dm_boozefreekdm_boozefreek
    edited May 2009
    I don't read US papers and try to avoid the news here in the US, it's more twisted and Spinny than back in England. Really the printed papers are much like the Express all they report are doom and gloom and who is winning in school baseball leagues. TV news well you have the grand choice of Fox News or CNN, need I say more :roll:
    Every night is curry night!
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    edited May 2009
    heres another fiddle the mps are doing with OUR money too

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/revealed-another-way-mps-are-at-it-1686269.html
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • swordheartswordheart
    edited May 2009
    Paul van der Laan wrote: »
    It got quite some coverage in the national newspaper (NRC Handelsblad) that I read and some of the electronic media too. It reflects badly upon the UK now which is unfortunate because I'm sure these practices are common in my country too.

    I think u r right Paul, to be honest i wasn't the least bit suprised at what our MP and probably every other countries MP's fiddled. I bet that the outcome of it all will be less expenses but they will double their wages.
  • swordheartswordheart
    edited May 2009
    mel the bell wrote: »
    heres another fiddle the mps are doing with OUR money too

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/revealed-another-way-mps-are-at-it-1686269.html

    For crying out loud
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    edited May 2009
    swordheart wrote: »
    For crying out loud
    its no wonder they need more tax for stuff like the national health, legal system etc

    all our current tax is paying for their moats, dog food and porn films
    and
    their canvessing and campaigning :(
    (even the parties we dont even want to vote for are prolly being paid for by us)
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • dm_boozefreekdm_boozefreek
    edited May 2009
    mel the bell wrote: »
    its no wonder they need more tax for stuff like the national health, legal system etc

    all our current tax is paying for their moats, dog food and porn films
    and
    their canvessing and campaigning :(
    (even the parties we dont even want to vote for are prolly being paid for by us)

    Nice to know the BNP party leaders are getting a brand new beemer for all those 12 hour shifts I did at WHSmiths :lol:

    ...and here's me thinking all that tax might have gone to give a sick kid a new kidney.
    Every night is curry night!
  • WhizzBangWhizzBang
    edited May 2009
    There were similar scandals in Denmark not long ago. I think that is where the Telegraph got the idea from to start digging around.
  • WinstonWinston
    edited May 2009
    It's being reported by El Pa?s. I suspect it's got full coverage in most European countries.
  • PyjamaramaPyjamarama
    edited May 2009
    Yeap but it did not shock anyone. The things here in Greece are far worst concerning corruption.
    I was very pleased though after watching a video taken from a BBC program in which the audience "demolished" the invited politicians...
  • psj3809psj3809
    edited May 2009
    Cant believe i have it on in the background but its very funny seeing that commons speaker trying to defend himself..

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/video_and_audio/news_channel_live/7459669.stm

    Everyone is basically asking him questions roughly translated to 'you've f*cked up, when are you going to leave' and hes coming up with excuse after excuse.
  • swordheartswordheart
    edited May 2009
    those mp's are a bunch of arragant bosturds, its them who wanted to keep their expenses secret in the first place, now they are trying to pin it all on the speaker.

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5527007.ece
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    edited May 2009
    swordheart wrote: »
    those mp's are a bunch of arragant bosturds, its them who wanted to keep their expenses secret in the first place, now they are trying to pin it all on the speaker.

    http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article5527007.ece

    to be fair to em HE IS the bloke in charge of the office that deals with their expenses lol
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • Scottie_ukScottie_uk
    edited May 2009
    The funny thing about this case is that speaker Martin is being persecuted for presiding over corruption, and attempting to prevent an investigation which is in the publics interest.

    However, had speaker Martin kept a lid on things and prevented the news getting to the press in the first place, I'm betting he would not have been persecuted even if (as is suspected) knowledge of the expenses scam was widely known about amongst MPs.
    Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
  • swordheartswordheart
    edited May 2009
    mel the bell wrote: »
    to be fair to em HE IS the bloke in charge of the office that deals with their expenses lol

    Do you really think he sees every expense claim that is made ? i bet he doesn't see any !!!

    Don't get me wrong he should go along with most of the MP's, but i get the impression that the MP's are wanting to put the blame on the speaker rather than accept that they are in the wrong, we see it every time they come on screen saying " we acted within the rules " and then 24 hours later paying back the money they scammed. from what i have seen and read its the fees office that is one of the main culprits, in that rather than making sure the mp's only get what they need to fulfill their jobs as mp's they seem to have been helping them to claim as much as possible.
  • STeaMSTeaM
    edited May 2009
    I don't reckon many people would give a toss about the expenses if they were actually required.

    The real screw is the buggers funding second homes with allowances, and then selling those second homes at a major profit and not even paying capital gains tax!
  • WinstonWinston
    edited May 2009
    Or taxes for benefits in kind. The thing is, for normal people, like IT contractors, the Inland Revenue puts heat on you for things as trivial as magazine subscriptions, making you prove they aren't benefits in kind, and are absolutely, 100% needed for business purposes, and business purposes only.

    Now cleaning out a moat is quite obviously not required to discharge the duties of an MP, so is very clearly a benefit in kind. When will the Inland Revenue start investigating? Like they would for the rest of us? With threats of criminal prosecution, fines, and punitive interest rates?

    As for the speaker, I could forgive it if it were mere incompetence, but he deliberately tried to cover it up. And I hope the MPs who are casting the stones are without sin.
  • mel the bellmel the bell
    edited May 2009
    STeaM wrote: »
    I don't reckon many people would give a toss about the expenses if they were actually required.

    The real screw is the buggers funding second homes with allowances, and then selling those second homes at a major profit and not even paying capital gains tax!
    there was some woman mp mentioned today that got expenses for a mortgage for her second home................trouble is her second home was only 15 miles from her first???????????
    i catch a bus nearly 10 miles to work EVERY DAY, never mind getting another house closer
    Professional Mel-the-Bell Simulator................"So realistic, I found myself reaching for the Kleenex King-Size!" - Richard Darling
  • Scottie_ukScottie_uk
    edited May 2009
    The speaker has decided to go.
    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8057203.stm

    Now what about the rest of them in the claims office?
    Calling all ASCII Art Architects Visit the WOS Wall of Text and contribute: https://www.yourworldoftext.com/wos
  • dm_boozefreekdm_boozefreek
    edited May 2009
    I assume they'll keep claiming, the only difference is they wear suits, where the lower down people who claim government money wear burbury caps.

    They're all scum, they just get different amounts depending on their circumstances :D
    Every night is curry night!
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