Danny Alexander avoided Capital Gains Tax

Nooo waay am I any politicians granny, claig, my dad used to say "Politicians? Lowest form of life" which is a bit harsh, but I know what he means, and the reasons behind his statement are exactly what's wrong with the way we are governed now.

My dad was once offered a safe Labour seat.

A friend of mine (a constituent of his) asked Danny Alexander for help, and he really did his job. I've seen some of his work, that's all.

I think the overall message from the electorate was that we do not want any one party to be able to ride roughshod over their opposition supporters. We want a more stable and balanced management system for the United Kingdom. Would anyone agree?

This is pure sour grapes by the Telegraph because the Tories didn't win outright. Perhaps the values they are now displaying might explain why. I am supportive of the Tories, and the coalition Government, but I have no time at all for the whinging bunch of right wingers trying to bring the Govt to its knees before it's even started.

Claig - I was going to ask that .

Welcome to Mumsnet Clouty.

welcome clouty, great first post. Keep up the blistering style, but one question are you Danny Alexander's granny?

Danny Alexander is an intelligent and compassionate politician. He is just the sort of person we want in the Treasury, if we care about social values and the less well off, schools, the NHS and communities

He bought a house in his constituency in 2005, when he was elected MP, and designated his london flat as his second home for parliamentary purposes.

He sold the flat in 2007, within the three years that we all get to sell our (what was) primary residence.

He did not flip deliberately, the connection to Hazel Blears is false.

I think the Telegraph want another election, and that they are hoping for a more right-wing government to protect the rich and soak the rest of us.

The Telegraph deserve no credit for this their latest witch hunt.

Hi all, first post, I'm a granny - is that ok?

And are we powerless just because we have a mortgage - no we have choices.

"The markets can't just call in what we owe. These are negotiated agreements like a mortgage".

Exactly - But more like a variable rate mortgage - and the market sets the interest rate (at least for any additional borrowing we need to make).

Vesela, The markets can't just call in what we owe. These are negotiated agreements like a mortgage.

I don't claim we can call the shots but I do believe that we shouldn't put too much trust in the coalition. No party won a majority and therefore there is no mandate.

Liberal and Labour agreed that we needed growth before cuts or we would risk a double dip recession. To gain power Liberals flipped and supported cuts (using the flimsy Greek excuse!). So we can't trust the Liberals, Labour for whatever reason ran up the debts and Tories just love cutting far too much.

I am therefore suggesting you keep an eye on what is happening to your local schools and be sure you are happy with it - this is hardly calling the shots - but it is not just rolling over and saying we have to take the pain of austerity without questioning choices made. For example, is it better to put up taxes - and if so which ones? There are choices.

rarebite, and if the markets decide to just call in what we owe them? You don't call the shots when you're that much in debt.

Whether we like it or not, Labour used taxpayers money to rescue the banks and the markets are now using the debts to force austerity and make us feel we have no choices. We can't just sit and applaud this government because the politicans (Labour, Liberal or Tory) are all the same. We have to make sure that if we don't like academies we insist on consultation. They call it big society but a school can become an academy on the say so of governors - how democratic, how big society, is that?

and if we said he had to pay CGT on the London flat he sold within three years, it really would be one law for the people and one for the politicians! Danny Alexander is entitled not to have to pay CGT like anyone else.

I'm heartily sick of all this. At this time we need our Government, whether it's the colour we like or not, to be concentrating on getting us out of the mess we're in. I am so angry that the Telegraph are intent on destroying any government and members of parliament that we have.

Of course the politicians can't criticise the Telegraph because that would be 'undemocratic'.

longfingernails - difference between Kitty Ussher and Danny Alexander:

Kitty Ussher made her Burnley home her main residence for one month so she could avoid CGT on the sale, and then changed it back.

Danny Alexander just benefited from the three-year tax rule that says when your main residence changes, you have three years to sell your previous main residence without paying CGT (it retains the "place of primary residence" designation for tax purposes for three years).

As the Guardian points out, he's broken neither a tax rule nor a parliamentary one. He didn't even go against the spirit of the rules - what he did wasn't flipping, it was just moving house when he was elected MP/got married in 2005 and made the Scottish house his main residence.

"Labour saved capitalism" and

When the banks failed Labour saved capitalism By way of thanks to us ordinary tax payers, we are now feeling bullied by the markets to pay back fast or risk a downgraded credit rating. We should be glad of the Telegraph they are reminding us that bankers and politicians have an outrageous sense of entitlement - and expect us to pay. We, the little people, need to watch the policies of the coalition rather than just applaud. Do we agree with academies for the outstanding schools - or will this create a two tier system? Do we agree with anonymity for those accused of rape - or will this make investigation and conviction harder? Do we agree with the cuts in finding work experience for the young jobless? We can't just cheer the politicians on because they serve their own interests.

The Telegraph paid someone to release this story. Someone who was supposedly aggrieved about the lack of money being spent on the troops in Afghanistan. This same person then didn't declare this income from the Telegraph (what, with being an upstanding citizen and all that) The Telegraph, of course, knew all about this stuff pre-election but has timed it to bring down a ConDem coalition and (it hopes) bring about a tory govt.

good point all of it and much more must have been known ages ago.

Those Tory Ultras are very, very angry

Not even going to bother.

market backlash will be severe because of labours give aways over the years.

Nowt to do with expenses

It's different now, because the markets were holding their fire until they found out which party would be elected in May and therefore which policies on cutting the deficit they would be responding to. The markets don't give a damn about politicians expenses, and who has and hasn't had their arm in the till. But if we enter a period of political crisis now, because of the Telegraph et al, you can guarantee that the market backlash will be severe. We should all be very worried.

beanlet you are right. What I meant was, they know exactly what they are doing and why. It won't be good for the people, but it is certainly good for someone.