to be unforgiving of my employees?

[PigletJohn]

With some other people, I own a share of an organisation. I recently discovered that one of the managers fiddled £45,000 on her expenses. She's offered to pay £5,000 back. Her basic salary is £141,000 but she gets perks on top.

I say we should sack her at once, but her colleagues say that she's apologised so we should forget about it.

I don't think the other owners are too pleased either. Should we do what the other managers say, or are they just saying that because some of them have been fiddling their expenses as well?

[bringbacksideburns]

She's a Crook.

[Andrewofgg]

She should spend more time with her family.

[Justanotherlurker]

Woah, forgot IMO to end my previous post with....

Sorry

[Shonajoy]

Sack her. This is the first time, or the first time she's been caught? No apologies, just get rid. What else has she lied about? You'll always be wondering.

[Justanotherlurker]

Financeprincess, I agree that not all of them have their snouts in the trough, however it wasn't just the incumbent party that decided to accept the recent pay rise, nor the press regulation which is welcome but politicians of any colour will benefit from.
This is an example of cutting loose the lowest hanging fruit, there where many others involved in the expenses scandal that have just got away with paying back 'what is owed' and an apology.

This is systematic and to think the electorate has really truly any say in what happens is a bit naive

[Quinteszilla]

She should pay it back and go to prison.

So should any manager siding with her.

[Financeprincess]

Some MPs might also have their snouts wedged into the trough, yes. Not all of them, though, as was shown when MPs' expenses first came under the microscope. Some MPs' expense claims were irreproachable.

Irrespective of who may be claiming questionable expenses, or trying to wriggle out of answering questions about their expenses, or threatening newspapers, it's we who elect politicians. Never forget that. They don't.
Not because they necessarily want to do the right thing, but because they can see the consequences of angering voters. Neil Hamilton lost Tatton, as safe a Tory seat as you can imagine, to Martin Bell over the 'cash for questions' affair. 'Sleaze' was arguably one of the factors behind our last two changes in government.

I repeat, this is why Mandelson and Laws got the push from the front bench and why Elliott Morley, David Chaytor and some of the other MPs who tried to dodge the proper legal process when they were accused of fiddling their expenses were expelled by their parties. The parties saw that they were liabilities because voters were outraged at both their financial conduct and their unwillingness to face the consequences of their actions.

Don't think that the electorate are powerless. We're not.

[Justanotherlurker]

• to be bringing in the press....
  
  Didn't preview fail

[Justanotherlurker]

Not sure if someone has already posted this,

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/conservative-mps-expenses/10746009/Maria-Miller-expenses-transcript-of-advisers-conversation-with-Telegraph.html

Bearing in mind she is the one who is supposed to be bring in the press gagging law....

And I think 'pretty shocking' is being rather polite

www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/05/maria-miller-expenses-culture-secretary-mps

As for writing to your mp who are part of the gravy train... Hmmmm, but not sure what else anyone can do..

[Jinsei]

Sorry, what I meant by that is that the bastards simply do not care. As long as they are getting their money and seedy kicks they have no concern at all for the "little folk"

But they don't care because most of us are so apathetic - me included. I feel like I'm too busy to be out on the streets protesting about it, but there's a part of me feels that things won't change if we don't do that.

[Financeprincess]

There are things we can do about it:

Refuse to let the matter drop. Write to your MP, write to newspapers, make your opinion heard. Politicians' offices and parties' campaign teams read social media too.

Don't vote for anybody who has acted like this, or condoned acting like this, ever again.

When people come to your doorstep next year, canvassing for the next general election, tell them exactly what you expect of your MP and ask for a commitment to transparency and integrity.

I still think that Miller is doomed. The furore shows no sign of dying down.

[Viviennemary]

The point is that there is nothing much we can do about it. And it will be even worse if there is more press regulation. We won't even know about this kind of thing. And they will all be free to fiddle and cheat as much as they like. There are a handful of MP's interested in actually helping people.

[Aboyandabunny]

Thomas Docherty cut his campaigning teeth in my constituency at the 2001 election. He could add to the pool of talent up here again.

[Aboyandabunny]

I am becoming quite keen on the demerger proposed on 18 September as a way to promote and widen the remit of an entirely more competent set of regional managers.

[piscivorous]

Sorry, what I meant by that is that the bastards simply do not care. As long as they are getting their money and seedy kicks they have no concern at all for the "little folk"

Sad thing is that I don't think any politicians at all can be trusted.

[piscivorous]

I agree with you Jinsei but what action would you suggest? We had a major problem involving an elderly relative abroad and asked our MP for help. His sole action was to write one letter to a lib-dem peer whose answering letter fell somewhere between passing the buck and fuck off. MP then said he was unable to offer any more help, no assistance with foreign office, no advice, nothing he couldn't possibly have been otherwise occupied with Brazilian rent boys and illegal substances

[Jinsei]

The question is, if we're all so outraged, what are we going to do about this? Are we just going to tut and let her get away with it, or are we going to take action?

I'm asking this question of myself as much as anyone! I probably will write to my MP, but is that enough? People in public life get away with this kind of thing because we allow them to.

[StealthPolarBear]

love the "(public sector)" below :)

[NutcrackerFairy]

And hands up all those who feel the eligible claims for expenses are outrageous anyway.

I don't understand how this MP was legally allowed to claim for the interest on her mortgage... when she then allegedly is able to make a £1.2 million profit on said property?

Shouldn't a proportion of that profit then be for the tax payer or something?

MPs can't have it both ways.

I personally don't get how mortgage interest is a legitimate expense anyway. If the MP has bought the property and has a mortgage from the bank for said property than the interest is their responsibility alone.
Running costs of a second property I can understand if the MP is only living there due to their need to be within their constituency/close to Westminster and actually have a primary residence elsewhere.

But to have the tax payer pay their mortgage interest and then to make a profit on the property which is theirs alone makes my blood boil!

[LtEveDallas]

One of my bosses, who audits claims, is currently having to go through the last 5 years of a colleagues claims (which would have been checked and cleared at the time) because he erroneously (no intent) claimed an extra 1.99 for something he wasn't entitled to claim for and a senior checker didn't notice, and didn't know that it wasn't allowed.

This 1.99 was in the middle of a claim of around £4K, and prior to December would have been allowed - on 1 Dec the rules changed and neither he nor the auditor were aware. He IS fully entitled to the rest of the £4K.

For the sake of 1.99 his current claim (that he IS fully entitled to and non payment of which WILL effect others) has been suspended and my boss is going to have to put in something like 40 extra hours work that she will NOT be paid for, checking every single claim he has ever made as if he were some common criminal.

1.99 versus 45 Grand.

All in it together MY ARSE

[MrsMaryCooper]

Sack her and prosecute for theft/fraud. That's what my organisation would do. (public sector)

[Joysmum]

Funny how those fiddling benefits get a far greater penalty. Personaly I think it's dishonest and deliberately deceitful and is stealing. I think she should go.

[StealthPolarBear]

exactly Heavi :)

[NutcrackerFairy]

I find this situation absolutely outrageous and it's probably the tip of the iceberg in terms of fraudulent expense claims made by our MPs.

Compare and contrast to this a situation I am currently in with Tax Credits [the bastards]. They feel I have made an error with a previous claim in failing to declare a change in childcare costs [I didn't and am currently disputing it]. They have termed it 'negligence' not fraud by the way and so accept there was no deliberate attempt to misappropriate funds but that I did not inform them in a timely manner of a change [which I bloody did but that's beside the point I'm trying to make].

My point is, that if Tax Credits have their way, they require me to pay back every penny of the overpayment AND a fine. If I am indeed at fault, this is fair enough [and in fact I am happy to gradually pay back any overpayment even if I am not at fault as I don't want more money from the taxpayer than I am rightly entitled to anyway].

So if this is the hard line for my relatively minor misdemeanour [and for an amount far far less than £45,000] why the hell has this woman got away with it, not been sacked, and only been asked to pay £5,000 back????

Oh yeah Dave, we really are all in this together aren't we. I am absolutely disgusted at the brass necks of these people. I think it's just about time for a revolution.

[Heavitree]

She's made forty grand out of you lot. Not a bad investment.

People get sent away for shoplifting petty items.

Let me know next time there's a vacancy at your firm, I could do with a quick cash injection.

Seriously, Of course she should be sacked and police called.