I can't believe that there isn't MASSIVE outrage about Hoon, Hewitt, Moran et al selling their services like..well I would say prostitutes, but that does prostitutes a disservice.

[moondog]

The greedy arrogant fuckers.

And you're surprised because..?

Byers describing himself as a 'cab for hire'

It appears there are no depths to which these peopel do not sink.

And you're surprised because..?

I watched it last night on Dispatches - it seemed far worse when I watched the whole programme than when just watching the excerpts on the news.

And the thoguht of Labour MPs ending up with their noses in the trough like the other lot.

God it is so demoralising, it really is.

Thay all seem to be bad bastards.

Sadly moondog I was not surprised. Politicians seem to sink to the depths sometimes. Power definitely corrupts.

I too am surprised there has not been more outrage. In my opinion this is much worse than many of the expenses stories. Claiming the max from a system of expenses that needs changing is bad but in truth most of us would do the same. But offering to change government policy for money, that is a truly corrupt act.

Maybe people are becoming desensitized to political scandal but I hope not. The only way future lobbying abuses will be avoided is if we make the politicians realize we won't forgive acts like this.

Moondog why are you surprised? This is MN after all...all's well as long as the tax credits keep rolling in

Yes I am outraged but there is little point to being outraged about it here.

the interview with hoon made me sick, when talked about doing government business and then tagging on 'hoon business' onto the end of it.

i have no doubt a lot of these people started off in politics with ideals etc but then they sink into late middle age and their thoughts turn to feathering the nest and personal appearances on vacuous tv quiz shows

elenor You just don't understand! Without WTC, CTC and XTC I'd have to get a job FGS and/or live within my means and erasing poverty means never having to say no to shiny pink tat!

they don't give a shit either they are all rats leaving a sinking ship

Trooper Hoon (as we call him locally) is my MP, and I have to say, he's been bloody marvellous on a local level.

Please don't insult Troopers; Hoon was an unmitigated disaster at the MoD.

Sorry! It's just the way he storms into election places, (my Mum does the counting thing) It's all a bit short-man-syndrome. (even worse since the moustache went)

I think people have Outrage Fatigue - this sort of unravelling seems par for the course before an election... MP's expenses... non-doms... now we're all too depressed and knackered from outrage

Next we'll have the chappie with the orange in his mouth and then the election, and then no one will mention anything for a bit...

Elenor - sadly you are right. And all it proves is that Labour's plans have worked. A huge proportion of the electorate are now state dependant and too afraid to upset the status quo.

What it shows is that those ministers realise that the game is up and they are cashing in madly while they can.

ITA moondog, I couldn't believe that it wasn't the top headline on the news last night. I've never been able to stand Patricia Hewitt, she's so smug and patronising.

hypocrites

...then and all the Labour supporters here.

If it was the conservatives....

....if it was the conservatives, the orange in the mouth thing would have been going on for months.......

I think it is outrage fatigue. What will being outraged do? Nothing. Either labour will get back in or they won't. But what I could bet my last penny on is that in 4 or 8 years time there will be similar 'scandal' related to whichever party DID get in. It is the way of politics. I have thought for some time that to get anywhere in politics you have to be a barefaced liar. Maybe some do start off with great ideals but they soon lose them.

I am from Ireland and pretty similar stuff goes on there.

S'funny isn't it, (thinking about the oranges again) it always used to be sex scandals, oranges, Clapham Common, Cecil Parkinson. Now it's always just money.

I wonder if that's indicative of the age.

'A huge proportion of the electorate are now state dependant and too afraid to upset the status quo. '

Yup. Labour's done well to create a huge client state. That, and the unfair constituency boundaries, favour them.

I agree, moondog. I watched it with dd and she was shocked that I was so shocked. I was trying to watch and trying to explain to her at the same time. She was saying, wait a minute, Labour is for the poor people, right? Try explaining that in the context of Dispatches while your appalled eyes are glued to the screen.

I liked Cameron's slapdown re the Tory would-be peer. "Well, I can tell you, that's not going to happen." Cameron did at least look cross about it. His little babyface cheeks were all red.

Not that there's a cigarette paper between them IMO.

What shocks me is that people will toddle off to the polls and vote for them anyway.

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