MPs' expenses: things for policywonk to say if she gets the chance

[policywonk]

So I'm off tomorrow afternoon to this panel discussion thing: here are the details

I'll go through the old thread tonight but post any more stuff here. Y'know, if you want to.

I'm SO OVER MPs' expenses.

If the MPs televisions, enormous sofas, tennis courts and so on are being paid for with public money, shouldn't they technically belong to the country and have to be handed back if an MP leaves office? And can the Government not buy various flats in London to be used as MPs accomadation, rather like halls of residence but so VERY much posher?

Can you say 'Up the revolution!' please.

And I'd like a MN in-joke in there somewhere.

I think I'm only going to get the chance to speak once. And that's not guaranteed either.

I am interested in the mindset of someone who is so mean but clearly has such an enormous sense of entitlement as to claim 89 pence on a bath plug

have they never worked in an office where you occasionally but the odd thing without shoving it through expenses? y' know like a pint of milk, a coffee etc

i suspect the answer to that is "no" and they are career politicians

i do feel that the politicians who have behaved correctly and with some moral compass clearly intact are having their reputations damaged by this

Oh, and this i am interested in - how do your FORGET you have actually paif your mortgage off and claim anyway?? Do you not have to submit statements

oh, if you can only ask one question, Leningrad's is good

Transparency, there's a buzz word.

100 points if you get bumsex in.

Why can't MPs expenses be like my company's expenses - if I spend money on a non-consumable item (ie not hotel, travel, food) then it is company property which they can choose to allow me to keep or not.

Also why do MPs who have second homes also claim food expenses. It isn't as if they are eating twice as much is it? Or is it?

Good luck for tomorrow PW. What are you wearing

I am far too dim to come up with a worthy question.
Just wanted to wish Ms Wonk all the best, you fox you!

P.S will you be submitting expenses and will they include receipts for Hobbs and M&S a la G20 wossit?

Could they all live in a Hall of Residence, like maybe in Battersea, and share a minibus in?

how is it that MPs are allowed to claim up to £1000 for a bed, whereas those needing a social fund grant for a new bed will get £150.00?

Could they use the AIBU test when considering new purchases?

I would like to know how much in
total their greed has cost the taxpayer?
To the nearest million would do.

Fab idea, Iwoulddodoctorwho!

SOrt of like "What would an mner do?"

Yes. They could have wristbands with WWMND on one side and AIBU on the other just to remind them.

Go on, suggest it PW.

the best summary of the situation i have heard so far came from a colleague of mine today - "if you put a trough in front of a pig then it's going to stick its snout in" - classic

Have they seen the benefit fraud ads? Have none of them got the grace to feel enough shame to resign as MP's?

I warn you Westminster MAD at the moment.

Police everywhere due to Tamils and the satellite news vans have taken over due to the speaker resigning.

10 points if you get searched by the police or barged at some point on your walk there

Wristbands, car stickers, baseball hats, ties...the possibilities are endless!

I agree with rubyslippers. How the hell do you forget you've paid your mortgage off??

Thanks for these - I like Martha's comparison with the social fund.

Dunno what I'm going to wear yet - feeling premenstrual and suspect the trousers I want to wear would cut off circulation to legs.

Foxy - thank you - I'll set off half an hour early!

I've forgotten loads of stuff - perhaps he drinks?