Could it be true ?
The Constabulary are now more popular than parliament ?
Perhaps it could be the right time for another crackdown.
With the fallout continuing over the way the public have been outraged at the extent to which some MP’s have been abusing the spirit of their expenses and allowances there are some interesting suggestions as to how they should now be paid for necessary and essential expenses. Despite the public anger there are still only a few admissions of abuses with the continual stream of ‘within the rules’ deflections from the real issues that concern those who abuse their position and act outside of the moral freedom they have awarded themselves over the years.
The usual line of arrogant grinning MP’s try to stay cool as though nothing has happened. The smug smile of defiance indicating that they are both untouchable and have all the right answers. Well not this time.
For accommodation there could be a block of small self contained flats, apartments or other economical and financially sustainable accommodation supplied to be available for those essential Government meetings when they deem it necessary to come out en-mass to be seen to be supporting the party line or to debate important public issues of the day. They would be able to stay there when they are forced to leave their constituencies for essential parliamentary business in London. This could change when video conferencing facilities are available to prevent all the unnecessary and expensive travel costs.
On the subject of travel costs, there could be an annual issue of free railcard, free national bus pass and free national coach travel card to assist with their travel around their constituencies and to London for parliamentary duties.
After a year of being forced to travel either at their own expense or by train, bus or coach networks, I would strongly suspect that there would be radical and speedy improvements to all three when they have experienced the delays, crowds and problems that most other people have to cope with who travel by these forms of transport because there is no affordable alternative.
Perhaps they will then represent their constituents as a priority and not spend most of the time at meetings or on various committees at meetings or travelling to and from various meetings following the party line. They could do a damn sight better instead of having two, three or more other jobs or consultancies to further remove them from their chosen and dedicated job representing their constituents instead of representing themselves.
In the mean time I hold little hope that anything will drastically change before the deflections towards other things that are deemed to be important enough to get the media and public anger off their tails.
Misplacing the responsibility of their office might come above how deserving they think they are and remind them of what the responsibility of their role as MP consists of.
If they have acted within the rules, how come that so many of them are going ? Could it be something to do with the generous tax-payer funded resettlement expenses they could be able to claim ?
After Jacqui fork-tongue has advocated making things within the Police financially sustainable, exactly how she looks in the mirror at herself is beyond me. Perhaps she has no reflection and is unable to see the inner conscience. Selective memory loss as well as the most hypocritical double standards only add to the teflon attitude so many seemed to have.
Still the apologies and excuses roll out. Such a shame that our elected leaders have short and selective memories and think they are in a position where they are above having to explain themselves.
From Jacqui fork-tongue, Little Hazel Smiley and all the other devious freeloaders who have been exposed for how they have abused both the privileges of office and the British tax payer, it will soon be time when they call for all this to be forgotten so they can move forward and to get down to politics and government.
Moving forward ?
After duck islands and all the rest I suspect not quite yet.
When they count their crosses I suspect they might finally begin to understand exactly what some of them have done. As yet, the local council and Euro MP allowances have not yet come into the firing line.
Perhaps we will get that vote on Europe that we were promised ?
I can feel a letter to my MP coming on.
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Our local newspaper here in Edinburgh has been on top of the councillors’ expenses thing for years. Thanks to massive (adverse) publicity, the amount being claimed is now reasonably low.
It’s awful that people have to be shamed into behaving honourably, but if that’s what it takes…
Good points there, perhaps politicians should be treated as private soldiers, given uniforms and accommodation to suit. And obviously their pay scale will start the same as a private soldiers too.
When you write that letter to your MP, be sure and enclose a self addressed envelope with a stamp (and make a note that you did). Christ, this is starting to sound like how I had to cover my arse in the inspector ranks of the job.
That may be so, WEB. Were the contest results any closer, I doubt Lord Mandelson would spin a case for self congratulation if it emerged MP’s found themselves marginally better received than police.
Perhaps the best pseudo Mandelson offering would be that during their lifetimes and to some extent afterwards, Hitler and Stalin were hugely popular figures with no good intentions.
Dr. M. I am not naive enough to think that this will last beyond the next negative headline. It would be nice to think that we had more get out of jail cards up our sleeves than ‘Lord Mandleson’ but I am still at a bit of a loss to see how this multi-resigned polititian has now ‘earned’ this lordship. I presume, like the expenses scandal, it was within the rules. He appears to hold some impresive sway and influence to keep on bouncing back into the political world at a higher rung each time. Either that or he has some useful knowledge levers in his toolbox.