MPs expenses

[slow corner back]

Expect a serious upset at the euro elections in England with the greens, UKIP and god help us the BNP doing well and picking up seats. The public are raging with the major parties in England and will hammer them. Cant wait for the locals details to be revealed, bound to be some of them up to their necks in it.

[Minder]

Expect a serious upset at the euro elections in England with the greens, UKIP and god help us the BNP doing well and picking up seats. The public are raging with the major parties in England and will hammer them. Cant wait for the locals details to be revealed, bound to be some of them up to their necks in it.

Are the "locals" expenses going to be revealed soon, am i right in thinking all MP's expenses will be made public and available online in June?

[Doogie Browser]

Expect a serious upset at the euro elections in England with the greens, UKIP and god help us the BNP doing well and picking up seats. The public are raging with the major parties in England and will hammer them. Cant wait for the locals details to be revealed, bound to be some of them up to their necks in it.

Are the "locals" expenses going to be revealed soon, am i right in thinking all MP's expenses will be made public and available online in June?

They are already there to be dissected by the Telegraph by all accounts, they are bricking it now, already have been on the defensive about it. 
The below is from BBC

BBC Northern Ireland political reporter Stephen Walker asked other Northern Ireland MPs if they had expenses voters might question.

He said that South Down SDLP MP Eddie McGrady - did not want to talk about expenses at all, but that his party leader Mark Durkan went further.

The Foyle MP said all the claims he has made were legitimate but he accepted there was a concern amongst the public about the expenses system.

"In this current environment where anything can be questioned," he said.

"It could be the case that myself and others err on the side of caution and propriety and end up paying some money back."

Upper Bann DUP MP David Simpson said everything he claimed for was for the "good of the constituency" and when asked if he thought he may have to pay anything back replied: "Absolutely not."

Lagan Valley DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that there was "nothing he was aware of" that could be questioned in his expenses he said that he had "only just received the receipts".

The South Antrim DUP MP Willie McCrea said he hadn't had the opportunity to go through all his claims.

He said he was satisfied his expenses and allowances fell within the guidelines. However he said 'if there is anything that is not correct I have no problems in making amends but I have to see all my claims first' .

The Daily Telegraph has been outlining the expenses claimed by MPs for the last week.

While it has mostly concerned itself with the front bench of the major parties and some Sinn Fein claims, Stephen Walker said there could be more attention paid to local MPs by the paper later this week.

[thebigfella]

Upper Bann DUP MP David Simpson said everything he claimed for was for the "good of the constituency" and when asked if he thought he may have to pay anything back replied: "Absolutely not."

Lagan Valley DUP MP Jeffrey Donaldson said that there was "nothing he was aware of" that could be questioned in his expenses he said that he had "only just received the receipts".

The South Antrim DUP MP Willie McCrea said he hadn't had the opportunity to go through all his claims.

He said he was satisfied his expenses and allowances fell within the guidelines. However he said 'if there is anything that is not correct I have no problems in making amends but I have to see all my claims first' .

WTF? How do these cnuts not know what they are spending money on already? Probably expensing someone to do their expenses 

[red hander]

One of them claimed to have his moat cleaned? FFS thats just ridiculous!! Its hard to know which is the most galling - these big expenses or the small expenses like light bulbs - they have such disregard for tax payers money that they wont even put their hand in  their pockets for a bit of change to buy new light bulbs - unbelievable! It makes you wonder - if they are so bliase with taxpayers money on these issues how the hell are they going to use it to run the country!

Let's face it, it's not the worst thing Douglas Hogg's ever done ... sure didn't the wee bastard get Pat Finucane murdered

[Roger]

Yeah the expenses of all parties being exposed,but Sinn Fein have not claimed any expenses other than rent paid to a landlord for somewhere for them to sleep when they are in London,however if you and the Telegraph think they should sleep in a hostel or kip down on a sofa well think again because as I have already told you the days at the back of the bus are over,not looking for anything more than anyone else but definetly not going to settle for anything less.

Is there any word on who exactly was the landlord of the SF flats? 

Why, what differences does that make Roger?

They were paying way over the odds.  Just wondered who the beneficiary from this normally frugal party was for their exhorbatant rent.

[Maguire01]

No Maguire i was not bluffing,that is what i said £1,800 month each,5 MPs divided into £9000 = £1800month=£450 week each room which includes car parking maintenance and cleaning

Fair enough.

now I dont know much about property in central London but I would have thought £450 week to stay there wasnt too bad. I do not believe everything I read in the Telegraph and what their fictitious estate agents say about the value of the properties

Only SF are renting flats in North London, not Central London. But maybe the Telegraph did have fictitious estate agents - who knows? Why are you so sure?

I know going by their past record on the Irish and Sinn Fein in particular they would be very happy if Sinn Fein MPs went to London on business and slept in the gutter

Yes, SF's MPs are are the only MPs being exposed at the minute.

sorry Maguire but days of being sent to the back of the bus are over even if you dont want them to be.   

And that's just a rant. Who is talking about the back of a bus? Sure all MPs are chauffeur driven now anyway.
As i have said above, the expenses of all parties are being exposed. There's no need to claim victimisation here.

Yeah the expenses of all parties being exposed,but Sinn Fein have not claimed any expenses other than rent paid to a landlord for somewhere for them to sleep when they are in London,however if you and the Telegraph think they should sleep in a hostel or kip down on a sofa well think again because as I have already told you the days at the back of the bus are over,not looking for anything more than anyone else but definetly not going to settle for anything less.

You're very defensive. Do you work for them?
I have never bought the Telegraph in my life (except for the Belfast Telegraph for the Jobfinder  ).

I have never suggested that SF MPs should be treated any different to any other MPs. If they need a second home, they should have one. All that is being questioned is the amount they're paying for them.

It's really no different to the Paisley's being exposed for the price of renting their constituency offices in Ballymena - described as significantly above the normal market rate in the papers earlier this month. It's not about Nationalists or Republicans being pushed to the back of any bus - there's no need to play the victim.

[Caid]

I'm fed up hearing about these MP expenses.  The UK is facing a prolonged period of high taxes and high inflation as a result of the financial crisis, the banks are in disarray, the construction industry is on its kness, public spending is being culled and yet all the people can talk about is how outrageous it is that some charged a carrier bag from Lidl.  People need to catch a grip.  Ok the system doesn't work.  Fix the system.  Vote for Lib Dems.  Then let the politicians concentrate on the bigger issues that will actually make a difference to your lives

[pintsofguinness]

I'm fed up hearing about these MP expenses.  The UK is facing a prolonged period of high taxes and high inflation as a result of the financial crisis, the banks are in disarray, the construction industry is on its kness, public spending is being culled and yet all the people can talk about is how outrageous it is that some charged a carrier bag from Lidl.  People need to catch a grip.  Ok the system doesn't work.  Fix the system.  Vote for Lib Dems.  Then let the politicians concentrate on the bigger issues that will actually make a difference to your lives

You must be an MP

[Doogie Browser]

Margaret Beckett getting a grilling on Question time now.

[ziggysego]

Margaret Beckett getting a grilling on Question time now.

Did you hear what David Dimbley said to her?? 

[Doogie Browser]

Margaret Beckett getting a grilling on Question time now.

Did you hear what David Dimbley said to her?? 

You are a hornball Ziggy!

[ziggysego]

Margaret Beckett getting a grilling on Question time now.

Did you hear what David Dimbley said to her?? 

You are a hornball Ziggy!

Whaaaaaat? It wasn't me that said it!

[thebigfella]

Margaret Beckett getting a grilling on Question time now.

She's getting a fair old grilling now compared to the rest.

[red hander]

I believe Peter and Iris are in for some rough headlines tomorrow re: expenses ... should be thoroughly enjoyable reading