£10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses

[Benipete]

It is rumored that David Cameran now has a sign on his desk proclaiming.


THE DUCK STOPS HERE.

Start the car.

[garinda]

He really takes the biscuit.

Just as long as someone ls paying for that biscuit.



'Mr Steen, the MP for Totnes in Devon, claimed £87,729 over four years for a variety of services including the care of 500 trees at his Devon property.'

'The MP said in an interview on Thursday lunchtime: “I think I behaved, if I may say so, impeccably. I have done nothing criminal, that’s the most awful thing, and do you know what it is about? Jealousy.'

“I have got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral, but it’s a merchant house of the 19th century''

“It’s not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely and it’s got room to actually plant a few trees.”

'Mr Steen claimed for a forestry expert to inspect 500 trees in the grounds of his estate, among other services'

“As far as I am concerned and of this day I still don’t know what all the fuss is about.”

“What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None. Do you know what this reminds me of? An episode of Coronation Street.''

'He also blamed the Freedom of Information Act'

Anthony Steen: 'voters are just jealous of my very, very large house' - MPs' expenses - Telegraph

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by Benipete

It is rumored that David Cameron now has a sign on his desk proclaiming.


THE DUCK STOPS HERE.
Start the car.

Engines running Beni, mind you, £1600 for a duck platform seems quite reasonable when HMG has just paid scientists £300,000 at Oxford University, to research whether ducks prefer fresh water or rain water

[jaysay]

Originally Posted by garinda

He really takes the biscuit.

Just as long as someone ls paying for that biscuit.



'Mr Steen, the MP for Totnes in Devon, claimed £87,729 over four years for a variety of services including the care of 500 trees at his Devon property.'

'The MP said in an interview on Thursday lunchtime: “I think I behaved, if I may say so, impeccably. I have done nothing criminal, that’s the most awful thing, and do you know what it is about? Jealousy.'


“I have got a very, very large house. Some people say it looks like Balmoral, but it’s a merchant house of the 19th century''


“It’s not particularly attractive, it just does me nicely and it’s got room to actually plant a few trees.”


'Mr Steen claimed for a forestry expert to inspect 500 trees in the grounds of his estate, among other services'


“As far as I am concerned and of this day I still don’t know what all the fuss is about.”

“What right does the public have to interfere with my private life? None. Do you know what this reminds me of? An episode of Coronation Street.''

'He also blamed the Freedom of Information Act'

Anthony Steen: 'voters are just jealous of my very, very large house' - MPs' expenses - Telegraph

Every Party has its cuckoo's Rindi ours are people like this clown. Labours are the Mandies of the World, who should have had is collar felt by the Sweeney a long time ago, but know its Lord Mandy, he could at least have taken the name Lord Mandelson of the Flyboys

[garinda]

As stated earlier, it's traditional for arrogant twits in the party you support, to milk the system, what's more galling are all the others that are at it.

[theprisoner]

I'm amazed the people who are approving the claims, signing off on them, haven't been suspended.

People are people and will look to exploit any loophole they can and once it becomes accepted as the norm and something they can get away with then you're heading for trouble.

While the lax oversight is astonishing in this case it also looks like the fees office have actually been colluding in this all along and advising MPs how to get away with each dodge.

[shakermaker]

Expenses latest:

Story 1) Andrew MacKay has just said he's stepping down as a Tory MP at the next election after a punishing constituency meeting last night in which he was barracked by voters.
He's the man who together with his wife, Julie Kirkbride MP, managed to get the taxpayer to pay for both the couple's homes using the allowance system.
He was parliamentary aide to David Cameron until the story broke.

Story 2) Sir Peter Viggers' duck house is in storage. The Tory MP who is stepping down at the next election has apologised and said he feels humiliated over his expenses. And the ducks didn't even like their palatial quarters apparently.

Story 3) The Archbishop of Canterbury has written a very thoughtful piece in the Times about MPs revealing their lack of integrity over expenses. However he warns the humiliation should now stop - the point has been made, he claims.
He worries that the continuance of it will damage the very notion that politics should be a calling worthy of the most generous instincts.

Story 4) Lots of MPs at the cleaner end of the spectrum have started publishing their own expenses, before they get turned over by the Telegraph. First in the shadow cabinet is Dominic Grieve, and there's not a lot to get excited about in his.

Story 5) Channel 4 news have been filming one of the most vilified Tory MPs, James Gray - he's the one who claimed for decorating his ex-wife's home after admitting he had an affair with his diary secretary while his wife had cancer. He is distinctly unapologetic.

C4 News also talking live to communities minister, Sadiq Khan about the scandal, the Archbishop's worries and the future of Mr Khan's boss Hazel Blears.

Another minister, Caroline Flint, leapt to her defence today in The Times suggesting she'd done nothing wrong technically and shouldn't be punished.



MPs' expenses - what they claimed: http://tinyurl.com/o555sl

[cashman]

whats really galling about this debacle, is the " I Did Nowt Wrong" brigade, from all political parties, those cretins aint even got the nouce, to see that attitudes like that harden the public view even more. "Arrogant Cretins"

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by cashman

whats really galling about this debacle, is the " I Did Nowt Wrong" brigade, from all political parties, those cretins aint even got the nouce, to see that attitudes like that harden the public view even more. "Arrogant Cretins"

Do they know right from wrong? How can they govern us without that basic requirement?

[cashman]

Originally Posted by SPUGGIE J

Do they know right from wrong? How can they govern us without that basic requirement?

NO but they do govern us. its only wrong spug when its you or i fiddling.

[SPUGGIE J]

Originally Posted by cashman

NO but they do govern us. its only wrong spug when its you or i fiddling.

Agreed and they come down on you like a ruddy battleship.

[BERNADETTE]

And now the Archbishop Of Canterbury is asking that we stop humiliating these MP's. Tis a bloody joke, keep naming and shaming them

[cashman]

Originally Posted by BERNADETTE

And now the Archbishop Of Canterbury is asking that we stop humiliating these MP's. Tis a bloody joke, keep naming and shaming them

well he would, no beggar checks his expenses i'll wager.

[SPUGGIE J]

Where the hell is Robin Hood when the poor need help.

[Wynonie Harris]

I've yet to see one MP genuinely acknowledge what they've done. Responses range from the "I've done nothing wrong, I've stuck to the rules" defence to the "I can understand that people are angry with system" line (yes, they are but they're also angry with cheating, freeloading, troughing politicians).

Occasionally, reality breaks through - Margaret Beckett, a drab little incompetent who has been notable only for her mediocrity in the succession of government posts she's held was loftily explaining to the audience on "Question Time" the trials and tribulations of running a grace-and-favour home. The look of startled surprise on her face, as the audience turned on her, as one, was a picture - the game's up, we aren't going to be patronised anymore!