Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Moss
I'm sorry but I still don't see how a story about expenses classes as personality rather than politics.
Graham has given up his county allowances for at least five months as a gesture of good faith whilst other MPs in the same position have claimed as much as they can. He is now asking for a bit of financial help in order to do effectively fulfil the requirements of two senior positions.
On first reading it admittedly doesn't sound very good but just think it through again.
Where does his personality come into it?
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I'll try to clarify what I have said . Clearly there is a misunderstanding .
I have not criticised Graham Jones for claiming his county allowances . He is entitled to them , and I think he should take them .
I refer you to Graham's quote ( number 29 ) on this thread , particularly to his first and next to the last sentences .
As I read these sentences I get the impression that he is saying that those responsible for the Telegraph article were out to discredit him by using the expenses issue . I may be misinterpreting his words , because that is how I understood the article when I first read it . It is an attempt to cast him in a bad light . That is a personal matter , and is aimed at Graham's personal integrity rather than his actions which are perfectly legitimate and above board .
What criticism I have is for those who are behind the article , and are using it in a petty way for party political gain .
Those with better knowledge than me of the history of Hyndburn politics will say that it is the sort of thing all parties get up to .
I would prefer a non-party political Council , made up of independent minded people who run the Council in a non-party way . There is no great divide between the parties locally . Even nationally the divide is small . The Liberal Democrats , for example , have sunk their differences with the Conservatives to form a coalition . Labour were at one point close to doing it with the Liberals .
We are far away from the Labour Party of Clem Attlee in 1945 and the Conservative Party of Margaret Thatcher in 1979 . Now there was real division .