No Tory election charges, so thats going to annoy some people

Lord Foul wrote:all this buggering about having 2nd homes in London shoud be stopped...
build a bloody MP's barracks somewhere close and let em live in that for the few days a year they actually spend working (if you can call it that)

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

Personally I don't give a tinker's cuss what political party they belong to; expenses fraud is stealing taxpayers' money and I for one don't like being stung for 40 per cent tax and then seeing bloody MPs living the high life on it.

I'd be all in favour of locking the buggers in the Tower and throwing away the key.

I quite agree that the "it's within the rules" mob need someone to take a bloody axe to those rules.
firstly feathering your own nest should not be within any rules at the taxpayers expense.
Anyone using expenses to pay mortgages should be required to hand the profits over to the exchequer when they sell up.
those that own properties within 50 miles of london but rent them out so they can rent another property at the taxpayers expense should not receive a penny.
£15 a day is what most self employed can claim for food so MP's should get no more than that. any travel arrangements to and from Westminster from constituencies should be made at the cheapest available ticket price and any upgrades should be at their own expense. All expenses should require a receipt. Paying a spouse or family member to do a job should be paid at 75% of the going rate at most. Swopping spouses with other mp's in adjacent constituencies to get around the current barring of using spouses should also be outlawed or paid at no more than 75% of the going rate.
buying furniture for 2nd homes should be at their expense not ours.
I would also suggest that pay rises are capped at 1% below the national average, or 1% below that of nurse, which ever is the lower.
ministers should not have second jobs ( I don't think they do), but I am not so sure that should apply to all mp's.
And while we are at it no minister should be able to take a job with any industry he has had a portfolio for for at least 2 parliamentary terms after leaving office. the same goes for lobbying.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:

The Devil, You Know wrote:
I quite agree that the "it's within the rules" mob need someone to take a bloody axe to those rules.
firstly feathering your own nest should not be within any rules at the taxpayers expense.
Anyone using expenses to pay mortgages should be required to hand the profits over to the exchequer when they sell up.
those that own properties within 50 miles of london but rent them out so they can rent another property at the taxpayers expense should not receive a penny.
£15 a day is what most self employed can claim for food so MP's should get no more than that. any travel arrangements to and from Westminster from constituencies should be made at the cheapest available ticket price and any upgrades should be at their own expense. All expenses should require a receipt. Paying a spouse or family member to do a job should be paid at 75% of the going rate at most. Swopping spouses with other mp's in adjacent constituencies to get around the current barring of using spouses should also be outlawed or paid at no more than 75% of the going rate.
buying furniture for 2nd homes should be at their expense not ours.
I would also suggest that pay rises are capped at 1% below the national average, or 1% below that of nurse, which ever is the lower.
ministers should not have second jobs ( I don't think they do), but I am not so sure that should apply to all mp's.
And while we are at it no minister should be able to take a job with any industry he has had a portfolio for for at least 2 parliamentary terms after leaving office. the same goes for lobbying.

Good God, man....you're suggesting that they be treated like the ordinary hoi-poloi!

The Devil, You Know wrote:

Lord Foul wrote:all this buggering about having 2nd homes in London shoud be stopped...
build a bloody MP's barracks somewhere close and let em live in that for the few days a year they actually spend working (if you can call it that)

the olympic village would have been ideal and an easy river trip to parliament. The security structures are already in place.

I dont see why anyone who lives up to 1 1/2 hours outside london would need a second home. Many of us mere mortals had to travel that long to get to work before 8 or 9am, they rarely have to start before elevenses. there are excellent transport links to london, by train or car. I used to travel far further every day on some of the jobs I have done in my time. In fact the closest I ever worked to home in my long working life was 25miles.