AIBU not to resign

[ElBurroSinNombre]

I have done something naughty at work, that unfortunately got found out about and now some of my colleagues are saying I should resign. My boss is being fairly lukewarm about me and I actually feel rather exposed. Last week I made a heart felt apology to all of my colleagues at a meeting which I thought would be the end of the matter. But now I have found out that someone has started an online petition demanding that I resign;

www.change.org/petitions/maria-miller-mp-resign-as-basingstoke-mp-and-culture-secretary#

What shall I do?

No I'm asking why she claimed more in expenses for what the actual mortgage was worth.

She did't claim more in expenses for what the actual mortgage was worth. The mortgage was, at its highest £575,000. She never claimed anything like the value of the mortgage.

The answer is again set out in the 107 page report. Do please read it if you have any further questions. Piglet provided a linky.

Are there any petitions to stop MP's pocketing the profit from their tax-payer funded homes? This is criminal and needs to be stopped!!

Miller was ordered to pay back £5,800 after overclaiming more than £45,000 in expenses what was it you were saying about misclaiming?

she did however claim for a mortgage of more than the house cost, because it had been remortgaged after purchase.

The commissioner said that if you are having extra people living in your house, the allowance is not supposed to pay their living expenses, so their proportion of the costs should be deducted.

The fact that MPs have constructed a set of rules which means the taxpayer pays for their house, and when it is sold, the MP keeps the capital gain, is a separate (shameful) matter.

I think it's shameful that she thought shed get away with it in the first place piglet shameful that the PSC was told to drop it From £45,000 to £5,800 and shameful that she also tried to obstruct the investigation and that her SpAd felt it reasonable to threaten telegraph.

I can't believe there's such ambiguity in the house-purchase arrangement in the first place. Firstly, why should the taxpayer buy a house that entire families can live in? Secondly, why is there not some straightforward allowance? Giving someone free reign to buy a house and "make improvements" on the taxpayer's dime, and then the freedom to go on on make a profit, is disgraceful.

A public servant who, when confronted with such ambiguity, would interpret the policy very much in their favor displays a lack of judgement/integrity and the fact that she would proceed without some kind of written guidance AKA permission is a display of stupidity and presumptuousness.

Exactly TruffleOil!!

But the point is you work for an organisation where almost anything goes. Fraud, lies. cheating the system. So you probably will fit in very well and get the support of your colleagues especially it seems your Manager DC.

Fair point, Vivienne.

It's all left a very sour taste. Bedroom tax for disabled people. Cracking down on welfare cheats. I hope this one doesn't go away.

It's so ridiculous. I would really like to know why there is not a straightforward allowance for living expenses while in London? If you pay them a flat 300GBP fee per day in London (not incredibly generous, not incredibly stingy - just right for a public servant), then this would equate to 45K per year, assuming 150 days in London.

Let them use their allowance how they see fit. Who cares. Why are we paying for house improvements? It gives me the rage.

I am still chuckling at this one from NeartheWindymill

All rather sad when one thinks of how much has probably been put into the system compared to what has been taken out. Presumably Mrs Miller could have earned far more and had much reduced expenditure had she not become an MP.

Does this mean that any teacher, nurse, doctor, fireman, soldier, civil servant, paramedic etc., who feels that they could earn more elsewhere is justified in stealing from their employer? What a pathetic and weak justification of this reprehensible behaviour.

I see now that Miller has been accused of tax avoidance - of course she is denying that as well. Just keep signing the petition and let all of your friends know about it.

She is now saying she will pay the capital gains tax. How very generous of her. She's toast or at least she should be if DC had any sense.

Vivienne she's now said she's going to pay the Capital gains Tax? Oh well that's okay then. Their arrogance is astounding.

I am a bit shocked that there's anyone defending this. It seems indefensible.

Funny how they can keep their gains on their houses. I'm guessing if they took a loss on a house for which they took mortgage expenses they would be seeking "relief" from the taxpayer?

She claimed more money that she was entitled to.

Whether that was nearly 6,000 or over 45,000 in many ways doesn't matter.

She took money she was not entitled to claim.

She then tried to shut down a newspaper report on it by using her tax-payer funded position to threaten a newspaper.

I for one am glad she has resigned.

As for the oft touted line that MPs or cabinet ministers are low paid - considering the number that walk onto Business boards afterwards due to their continuing political influence, it is safe to say the few years they are 'low paid' is adequately compensated for in many other ways. Demonstrated too by the fact that basically the tax payer buys them a house in London which they can then personally sell at huge profit.

I'm an 'over paid' teacher and I couldn't begin to dream of buying a house at 1/5th of the value of her 1/2 million pound London property.

She stuck her hand in the biscuit tin and got caught.

Pity a few more of them aren't also being hung out to dry. They do not have the morals or incentive to police themselves and it is about time they had the same kind of independent overview of their actions that they insist teachers and the police have.