I watched 'Question Time' on Thursday night...I don't often see it, as I have usually tucked myself up in bed before this program starts.
The program came from Grimsby, and was all about the furore about MP's expenses.
Ming Campbell, Margaret Beckett and Teresa May were the MP's on the panel....there was also the managing director of Mac Donalds and the assistant editor of the Daily Telegraph.
Well, the good people of Grimsby gave the MP's a real grilling........they squirmed and justified and made excuses for their behaviour.
Margaret Beckett was asked if she had any intention of paying back any of the £72,000 she had claimed and was booed when she declined. It was stated that the Green Book....which outlines what can be claimed for, says that items must be required for the MP to carry out their duties in Parliament......so how do hanging baskets qualify? Or moat cleaning....or £800 for food.
We the plebs have to buy our food out of our salary/pension/benefits....so why should MP's be any different?
I watched the program and got madder and madder at the greed of these people....and also how they tried to wriggle out of their responsibilities for their actions.......saying these claims were 'honest mistakes'.......it really made me wonder how these so called well educated MP's could be allowed to run our country, when they cannot get to grips with a simple balance sheet of expenses.
Commercial companies have a well regulated expenses system...as the chap from MacDonalds pointed out...and that in the commercial world bogus expense claims were treated with summary dismissal.......would that be so hard to implement in the Parliamentary arena?
They are frauds and cheats and they should be prosecuted.......if any of us cheated on our benefits, then what do you think would happen.........?
Jail....that's what....and we would have to repay every penny.
These folk earn a very lucrative salary, but it is not enough for them. So while you and I are tightening our belts, they are living high on the hog.....and WE are paying!
I went to bed fizzing about the injustice of it all........I had to read two chapters of The Road to Nab End to calm down.
The program came from Grimsby, and was all about the furore about MP's expenses.
Ming Campbell, Margaret Beckett and Teresa May were the MP's on the panel....there was also the managing director of Mac Donalds and the assistant editor of the Daily Telegraph.
Well, the good people of Grimsby gave the MP's a real grilling........they squirmed and justified and made excuses for their behaviour.
Margaret Beckett was asked if she had any intention of paying back any of the £72,000 she had claimed and was booed when she declined. It was stated that the Green Book....which outlines what can be claimed for, says that items must be required for the MP to carry out their duties in Parliament......so how do hanging baskets qualify? Or moat cleaning....or £800 for food.
We the plebs have to buy our food out of our salary/pension/benefits....so why should MP's be any different?
I watched the program and got madder and madder at the greed of these people....and also how they tried to wriggle out of their responsibilities for their actions.......saying these claims were 'honest mistakes'.......it really made me wonder how these so called well educated MP's could be allowed to run our country, when they cannot get to grips with a simple balance sheet of expenses.
Commercial companies have a well regulated expenses system...as the chap from MacDonalds pointed out...and that in the commercial world bogus expense claims were treated with summary dismissal.......would that be so hard to implement in the Parliamentary arena?
They are frauds and cheats and they should be prosecuted.......if any of us cheated on our benefits, then what do you think would happen.........?
Jail....that's what....and we would have to repay every penny.
These folk earn a very lucrative salary, but it is not enough for them. So while you and I are tightening our belts, they are living high on the hog.....and WE are paying!
I went to bed fizzing about the injustice of it all........I had to read two chapters of The Road to Nab End to calm down.