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Sunday 27 May 2012

Thursday, 15th January 2009

Bad news buried under the third runway

Peter Hoskin 1:58pm

Just to point out an important post by Sam Coates over at Red Box. Turns out the House has chosen today, when the airwaves are dominated by the Heathrow announcement, to publish an audit of MPs' expenses (pdf here). I'll leave you to check out the details in Sam's post, but it's now looking less likely that we'll see a full publication of expenses or, indeed, any proper restrictions introduced. All in all, I wouldn't be too surprised if the Government's quite pleased that John McDonnell has been suspended from the Commons for protesting the Heathrow expansion. There'll be even less room in the papers for these dispiriting cover-ups to be exposed.

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Forlornehope

January 15th, 2009 3:32pm Report this comment

So what are the Conservatives and Liberals going to do about it?

Tiberius

January 15th, 2009 4:14pm Report this comment

Forlornehope; since Michael Heseltine is a senior citizen now, they'll arrange for Otis Ferry to smack Brown clunkingly with the mace at PMQs next week.

Helene Davidson

January 15th, 2009 4:14pm Report this comment

Limited oversight of snouts in trough MPs, no justice for Equitable Life pensioners. It is disgusting and makes me ashamed to be a citizen of this country. It is sliding towards becoming the type of corrupt banana economy that bring a rapid end to both democracy and accountability, fairness and decency. Our politicians appear to possess none of these. If they are incapable of stapling an expense receipt to a claim form, they shouldn't be holding office and spending my money.

Liz Brown

January 15th, 2009 4:18pm Report this comment

This news needs to be shouted from the rooftops............

Liz Brown

January 15th, 2009 4:26pm Report this comment

have just watched the John Mcdonnell incident - definitely staged to distract from the refusal to have a vote on the third runway and to hide the cover up of MP's expenses

Alfred T Mahan

January 15th, 2009 4:31pm Report this comment

What's the betting this isn't even mentioned by Al-Jabeeba or Sky? It ought to be given at least as much air time Heathrow and probably more.

Come on, dead tree press - now's your moment!

Polly and Alice's mum

January 15th, 2009 4:36pm Report this comment

If David Cameron were to make a huge fuss about this.... along the lines of "the people of Britain are having to tighten their belts and are worried about their jobs, and yet in this House we quietly allow ourselves to get away with this sort of shoddy behaviour - and the Conservatives WILL NOT ALLOW IT" he would be on to a real vote winner.
Go for it, Dave!

CCTV

January 15th, 2009 5:20pm Report this comment

Anatole Kaletsky knows the real story - no expansion of Heathrow - the front page of The Times is simply a red-herring...Anatole knows

Hysteria

January 15th, 2009 7:03pm Report this comment

AK was hilarious - the man has no credibility at all.

To the expenses fiasco - it really is risible - if we were a country further south and warmer we would have people on the streets by now (and I do not mean the homeless) but what do we do? - grumble and complain .

Will nobody speak for our country??

Polly - you have a great point - but I doubt Team DC will do very much

It's pathetic and depressing !!!

Polly and Alice's mum

January 15th, 2009 8:28pm Report this comment

As I thought, and as you predicted, this news was totally buried. I have watched news at 6 on BBC, news at 6.30 onITV and news at 7 on channel 4. Not a dickie bird. Not a mention.
I could weep.
What on earth can we do? As Liz Brown said earlier, this should be shouted from the rooftops, but who is to do the shouting?
PS. Unfortunate surname, Liz!