Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Its always a level playing field until some one throws a hand grenade in the middle;)

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

I know this probably belongs in "Words and Phrases I Hate", but "level playing field":mad: ... I hate it .... along with all other trite sports "metaphors" that creep in to political debate.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

It all depends on what motivates people to vote a certain way ... if folks are just geneally p'od at the govt. in Westminster, people will vote tory, even if they run a goldfish as a candidate. If people actually do vote for the best candidate, it might make a difference, but I don't think this will happen ....

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

I don't think they will Eric. I think a new person, from either party, would stand a good chance. For example, this area is mostly a Labour voting area. Greg has held his seat for 19 years. People may be a bit dissolusioned with the the Labour party and even with Greg so might not have voted for him if he'd have stood BUT a new Labour candidate can wipe the slate clean to some degree.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Sorry Gayle, but a new Labour candidate, in any way shape or form, is going to have a hell of a struggle to overcome the national situation.
New Labour went when Tony Blair went off the scene, the dregs that are left in charge have some grovelling to do before the electorate are convinced that they will tell the truth in the future.
How the hell can you wipe the slate clean when our lads are dying in Afghanistan:confused:
How the hell can you wipe the slate clean when pensioners have lost thousands of pounds on private pensions:confused:
How the hell do you explain to people who have lost thousands with the Bank collapse through mismanagement:confused:
How the hell do you explain why so many people have lost their jobs because THE ECONOMYS ON ITS ARSE:confused:
You can fool some of the people some of the time, but not people all of the time.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

The Tories got away with fooling most of the people for 18 years... anyone on a state pension is far better off now than they were 10 years ago... bank collapse?.. havent noticed many banks closing down and if there is a collapse that's down to international bankers...the war in Aftganistan was, and still is supported by the Tories.
Unemployment is the biggest concern, recent figures are bad and I would always blame the Government for mass unemployment.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

My biggest concern is that Darling is borrowing £260 million every day, if you borrow you have to pay back, something Labour have never been good at

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Think I agree with Roy on this one. If JC came back to lead the Labour Party they will still lose .... if you have time, check out the '93 general election in Canada, in which Brian Mulroney's tories, who were about as popular with the voters as Browns Labour Party, lost 149 seats, and were left with only two MPs. I sure hope this doesn't happen in England. I think, and I always will, that in democracies such as ours .... and you might be surprised how similar our system is to yours at the federal level ... we need a left of centre party. If they don't form the govt., at least they can act as a brake on the right wing policies of tories.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

...and here's another politician talking about all the "sacrifices" that our poor, put-upon MPs have to make.

BBC NEWS | UK | MPs face 'extra costs' - Beckett

However, this time it's a Labour one, so a lot of the politicos on this forum will go very quiet about it.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Amazed no one has meantioned the headline story in the Observer yet ... :rolleyes:

Grand gesture by 'value for money' councillor - News - Accrington Observer

You can expect maybe a couple to be missed due to unavoidable other commitments, but holidays ... no excuse ... at this rate of pay you work your holidays around them !

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Her self pitying bleating is as out of order as the rest of them whinging about expenses.

Beckett, Baroness Uddin, Lord Taylor et al, and that devious littlle Squirrel it away Blears, should all be fired.

(Please note, all those mentioned are Labour politicans, the next time I'm accused of political bias.);)

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Increase their pay and make the expenses system fair and sensible.

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

I would agree with that.....subject to a means test. :)

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Why a means test?

Are people who have money not worth the same rate of pay as those who have less money?

Re: £10,000 offered to leak MP's expenses
 

Put that question to the many pensioners who have lost savings and pensions to this lot of loosers.
I think that a test before election should include motive. as well as means test.
Do you really believe that the many MP's who are in parliament are there on merit or are there for self gain, on top of the money they already have to enhance thier career prospects at the taxpayers expence?