MPs and their ruddy expenses...Are we surprised?

[MrsMerryHenry]

Whoever heard of a squeaky-clean politico?

See I don't think it's true that the majority of people would be cheeky with their expenses if they could, certainly in the public sector.

Generally if you're working in the public sector you're not doing it for the money anyway and often you're all too aware of how tight your organisation's budget is - if you've spend months and months applying for a pitifully small grant for a project the last thing you'd do is piss it away on your own expenses.
DH often has to travel down to London by train for (public sector) work things; he would always book well in advance and travel at a less convenient time to save money even though he's allowed to claim a full standard rail ticket, and I don't think that's untypical.
I agree with Cestlavie 100% about the hypocrisy though. It's particularly damaging to them for it to come out now, when everyone else is being told to tighten their belts

The huge second home allowance claim by Shaun Woodward particularly annoys me. He's someone who doesn't claim his ministerial salary because of the enormous personal wealth he has; I've seen him talk about how he chose not not to claim the salary (on Question Time I think), and I believe he has gained clout with the electorate for not taking money he does not require.

However, that's completely undone by claiming the full second home allowance, despite having a grace and favour home from us, and all the property he owns anyway from being so bloody rich. I really dislike him now; what a phoney.

'it was not against the rules' is no different from, 'we were just following orders'

Agree, Kathy.

I have seen appalling wastes of public money in the NHS, but I can't do it personally. For every requisition I sign off, I question whether a)it's needed and b)if I can buy it cheaper elsewhere. I travel as cheaply as possible, and accept that I'm not going to stay in a 5* hotel when I'm away anywhere.

The rules definitely need to change, but so do the attitudes of the politicians.

My father works in a managerial position in the public sector, and they get nothing other than salary - they have to pay for their own Christmas do. They don't get anything. (Well, he has a laptop which he does have personal use of, but he certainly doesn't get his home redecorated FFS.)

Politicians these days seem to view themselves as celebrities in that they want the cars, houses, perks, dinners, foreign tours (whether they are relevant or not) and so on. They seem to forget that they are public servants, paid for by the people they serve.

It does make one wonder somewhat, what do they actually spend their salaries on? They claim for the homes and furnishing them, they claim for their gardens, they claim for transport, for stationery, for food (thos all important jellied eels and kit kats), for barbecues, bread bins, eye liner and nappies, for all sorts of odds and ends around the home. Their actual salaries must be pretty much untouched.

Good point, Effie. Booze? Drugs? Prostitutes?

60k is not very much at ALL for a job of that seniority, most MPs would earn far more if they did something else

They do need a fairer system but I can't get worked up about this - yes some of them are taking the piss but there is nothing really appalling in the Telegraph's "revelations" that we didn't already know

It annoys me that people like Cameron go on about this when he can easily AFFORD a few nice homes. You could not do that on an MPs salary!

Who was it that claimed for tampons and a kitkat?

That was me

I love a morning coffee with a tampon

MrsMerryHenry well, we know they can claim for booze and porn, so it wouldn't surprise me if they actually tried to slip through a claim for prostitutes and drugs too...

They haven't named the tampon man, but he's a Tory who lost his seat in 2005. I might try and work it out!

Tampon man? How did that help him do his job???

Tampon man must have been one of Tim Collins, Adrian Flook or John Taylor, as they were the only three Tories to lose seats in 2005 (all to the Lib Dems).

Hmm, choc and cat food

Perhaps he bought the tammies to stem sudden bleeding? Apparently it's what they use when you have your wisdom teeth out.

The Tories losing seats in 2005 were:

John Taylor - Solihull
Adrian Flook - Taunton
Tim Collins - Westmorland & Lonsdale

Taylor is 68, if he has a wife she's probably a bit past Tampax.

Flook "married Frangelica O'Shea in 2003, giving birth to a daughter, Clementine Alexia, in 2005."

Tim Collins is a similar age (early 40s) and is the more likely candidate given that presumably Flook's wife was only in need of them for a few months.

I think it is fucking disgraceful, I am beyond angry reading the lists of what they have claimed. KitKats FGS!!!

It is ridiculous, I think they should pay back every single expense that is not essential.

Your powers of investigative journalism far exceed mine Someguy LOL! I'm ashamed to say that after I found their names I got too distracted by a big bowl of peanuts to look any further.

Collins it must be; very good work! Now find out which Lib Dem claimed for the eyeliner.

Female Lib Dem MPs:

www.libdems.org.uk/people/annette-brooke - doesn't look like she's a makeover in the last 25 years, she's an OU tutor, nuff said. Not her.
www.libdems.org.uk/people/sandra-gidley I'm guessing not
www.libdems.org.uk/people/susan-kramer Not seeing much slap on her

Plausible candidates:
www.libdems.org.uk/people/lorely-burt
www.libdems.org.uk/people/lynne-featherstone
www.libdems.org.uk/people/julia-goldsworthy
www.libdems.org.uk/people/jo-swinson
www.libdems.org.uk/people/sarah-teather
www.libdems.org.uk/people/jenny-willott

I think it's most likely to be Featherstone.

But very tough to say.

I'll trust your instinct on that one; I think Featherstone's a pretty good call! I'm actually quite shocked that there are so few women MPs in the Lib Dems (and also quite shocked at myself for not knowing there were so few). 9 out of 63 is a ratio of 1:7. I thought they'd have a few more than that.

In France they have to sleep in a hotel kinda thingy so DH's brother (who lives in Paris) reckons! - why can't they do that here?