Roger Gale MP has, as mentioned in the press, been successful in sorting out, a misunderstanding over parliamentary expenses claims for telephone calls and I can say that I’m genuine pleased, since I doubt Roger Gale is going to risk his reputation for a few quid.
I’m also sure that Thanet’s other MP Ladyman, is similarly honest, but one thing that still bugs me, is that I believe both have claimed for food expenses, which I feel is wrong.
Why is it wrong, simply because both earn considerably more money than most of their constituents, and are able to dine at Westminster at a heavily subsidised cost and ought like the rest of pay our way from wages or salary.
Maybe MPs’ salaries ought to be paid on the basis of average earnings of constituents plus maybe 50% so that they had an incentive to create prosperity for the electorate.
Claiming the food 'allowance' suggests MPs are greedy people who think the world owes them a living.
ReplyDelete...and we all eat, it doesn't matter where you are, which house you're in, whether you're by the moat or camped out in your sisters spare room.
ReplyDeleteFood is an issue, but lets face it the real crime was flipping your first/second home to be able to do renovations and recoup tax.
I have to say I've worked many jobs where food can be claimed back on expenses. I don't see a problem with it, so long as it's not over used.
ReplyDeleteYes ok there's taking the mick, and I understand where you're coming from Tony, many of the MP's have done so. But I do beleive food allowance is fine in moderation.
I'm guessing that none of those were minimum wage jobs anon 10:39...
ReplyDeleteanon 11:10am
ReplyDeleteNo they were not. But they were not amazingly high flying jobs either.
But to be fair, I have no university degree, I dropped out of school with no completed qulifications and started on minimum wage. I was on minimum wage for a long time, but I wanted to strive for better jobs, put my mind to it, learnt my trade and got there!
Whats the difference between an MP whose's expenses claim is outside the spirit of the allowances regulations and a county council that gives an employee £200,000 to cirmcumvent the new pensions regulations for higher earners.
ReplyDeleteThe answer is one is greedy and the other is even greedier, the £200,000 makes a duck house look like chicken feed. Well done KCC and cllr Carter I dont think.
Didnt we pay for Hugh Robertson MP TV license and a couple of rings ?
ReplyDeleteSure this was on the Tax Payers Alliance website , somewhere ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3r0Ui7NkDQE
ReplyDeleteDavid Cameron
a must watch