The Moran doctrine

Rhoda Klapp

Are they all still in cloud cuckoo land? So many feeble excuses and justifications presented to us on weekend TV. The suspicion that claiming the info in the telegraph is wrong/inaccurate/exaggerated has become the new defence. "It was all within the rules", when they wrote the rules and critical provisos in the green book clearly have not been met.

It can't be allowed to be fixed by a rule change. Heads must roll. Contrition (which has been severely lacking) must be seen. A few MPs thrown to the wolves, at least, before the troika slides on.

martyn

Well analysed. At last some intelligent incisive rejoinders are emerging from the press.

Austin Barry

Ms Moron really should find more cogent and less fugitive reasons for screwing the tax-payer. Does she truly believe this self-justifying drivel or that we think we will? Hopeless, just hopeless....

Vulture

The tones of indignant, whining self-justification with which this aptly-named moronic woman met the questions about her outrageous piggery says more
about this squalid business than the expenses claims themselves. They really don't get it; these appalling free-loaders. Shame on her - and shame on us for having allowed these squalid criminals to have represented us for so long.

Verity

As an aside ... "partner" of 30 years? And he never married her? And she has to go and see him at weekends rather than he drive to see her - although presumably she notionally has the more responsible, time-consuming job? (Unless he's a heart transplant surgeon or "Lord" Ahmad's right-hand man or something.) Frankly, I think she should face up to the notion that he isn't very committed to the "relationship" and probably has another one going. She's a source of income. Come on Daily Mail or someone! Track him down!

Her blethering belies her story. She doesn't believe it herself. A socialist liar! Well, I never!

Dave B

According to Ian Dale Mr Moran is on the electoral role for Luton and as a Company Directer also gives home address as Luton. My understanding is that it is a legal requirement for a company director to provide their normal address to Companies House. Is he breaking the law?

Verity

"I have to be able to have a proper family life sometimes ...". She and her "partner" aren't a family. A family is a legal entity.

golfwidow

Never mind what Iain Dale said yesterday - what he added today is much more interesting! Her position now seems even more untenable.

Lance Grundy

According to her website, “Her interests span a wide range of concerns from housing…”

More like “a wide range of concerns particularly housing - and how to get the taxpayer to pay her ‘bit of stuff’s’ mortgage.

Not to worry though, because, despite spending so much time in Southampton living with her family over the brush with her ‘supportive’ lover, it seems “Above all she remains committed and focussed on the task of serving the needs her constituents in Luton South.”

Disgusting.

Liz Brown

Moran is a moron
Has Guido been silenced??????

Kirstie Phillips

It's no wonder, Luton is a dung heap but then she shouldn't be the MP if she's not prepared to live should she?

Denis Cooper

As her partner of 30 years works in Southampton and has done for 20 years, and as she values a proper family life, presumably that means that she was living with him in Southampton when she was selected to become the Labour candidate for the Luton South constituency for the 1997 general election.

This is where my residency requirement would come in: she would not have been allowed to stand as a candidate in Luton South in 1997 unless she had been on the electoral register for that constituency, or for an adjacent constituency, during the three years preceding the election.

In other words, the Labour party in Luton South would have chosen a local candidate, and if Moran had become a candidate it would have been in a constituency local to her family home.

I know it could be argued that this would restrict the choice of talent available for the Commons, and maybe we could miss out on another Churchill; but obviously in this case it would have been loss at all if we'd missed out on Moran.

Publius

She is a sickening bag of sleaze. How she can sit there are trot out these vile excuses is beyond me.

Verity

Whoop de dooh! Go to Iaindale.blogspot.com for more on this "partner", who is a registered voter in Luton. There's more ...

Well done, Iain Dale!

Fragmeister

I remember the change in times of sitting for the House Of Commons was to enable partners to spend time with one another. There's always the holidays. When she's dumped by the electorate of Luton, she can always retrain as a teacher. Shorter holidays, less pay, more stress and, yes, lots of time spent away from partner because of meetings, open evenings, presentation evenings, parents' evenings and so on. Oh, and no cosy expenses system to defraud.

A Nugent

Does anyone know what has happened to the Guido Fawkes site?

Has he gone for a walk in the woods?

Fors Fortis

No wonder these morally bankrupt motormouths stockpiled swine flu vaccine - talk about pigs in clover!

Forlornehope

I watched this woman being interviewed. It was quite clear that she has so little sense of propriety that she does not actually recognise right from wrong. She is genuinely bewildered about why there is a fuss being made.

DM Davies

Did anyone hear Shaun Woodward on BBC News 24?
He started rather well - "it's all a terrible mess, the system's all wrong, the public are right to be annoyed, my expenses look terrible and if I try to justify them it will only sound worse"

He then spoiled it by talking about biscuits. As if there was an equivalence between his Housing Allowance and the biscuits he was offered in the Green Room.
His finished by saying that he was happy to reveal all his expenses but that every other public body such as the BBC should reveal theirs.

Good. That's agreed then.

Marian C

Liz Brown
May 10th, 2009 4:41pm

"Moran is a moron
Has Guido been silenced??????"

Moran is more than a moron Liz, she and the rest of her ilk are an absolute disgrace. I would like to see what the people of Luton have to say about their MP.

General Election now!!!!

I can't get onto Guido either!

Julianlzb87

majority 5,650

bye bye Moran.

ChequePlease!

I agree with Denis Cooper. Ms Moran has just forwarded the case for the requirement that prospective MPs stand for parliament only in the community in which they have established long-term residency.

Evidently, for the average MP, with both partners working hard to bring home the bacon, and multiple residences to maintain, there is too much emotional and financial hardship.

They will agree wholeheartedly to stop this cruel practice, won't they?

kenny murphy

We need by-elections in all these seats. It is disgusting.

This "It was within the rules" arguement is an embarassment.

Aless Bieri

I can understand the need for a residence in Westminster, but other than that they should follow the same rules as the rest of the country.

It should be up to an MP to provide for themselves a house for their main residence, and having an unusual family situation shouldn't change this.

Other than MPs who in the world can use the fact that they live miles away from their place of work to justify a second home? It's absurd.

If she can't live near to her place of work then maybe she should look for a different job closer to Southampton

Athesius the Facilitator

They are talking about a special audit commission for the MPs expenses costing £600,000 a year to run. The press should resist this with every brick they can throw. They should ridicule it for all it's worth. There is only 600 and something of them, give me a break. What on earth is going on that this bunch of morally bankrupt fibbers need this special treatment.

Margret Moran what a woman, she serves her Luton constituents from a house in Southampton that is payed for by an immoral claim. MMmmm. I hope her Luton voters are aware of this.

Bob.India

Guido - If you hear our cries tell us what is happening and how long before your site is up again! Is it coincidence that this has happened or is something sinister afoot?

Travis Bickle

There is one solution to this - Parliament to be dissolved immediately, strict rules based on a larger, taxable salary (I'd even give them up to £175K to see how broad their shoulders are in paying the spiteful higher rate tax burden) and NO expenses or second home allowance, all travel to be done by prepaid warrant, and those MP's who think this not enough for them don't bother putting themselves up for election. Full details of any MP's putting themselves up for re-election must publish their expense claims in full for past 4 years and let the electorate decide if they deserve to be reelected.

Bob.India

OK Guido, back again. Phew!!

JHill

Yes folks, and when Ms Moran gets fed up of relaxing in Southampton she has a lovely renovated Spanish villa to go and relax in as well...

That's the life!

Alf Tupper

So. Not ALL greed is good Fraser?

Chuck Unsworth

"You need the support of your partner and I believe that that’s a right, everybody is entitled to some support and some family life."

Garbage. There is no such 'right' or 'entitlement' for anyone. If she thinks so, where in the Statutes is it mentioned?

Does she also think it is a 'right' to spend our money like this? I think she probably does. If so, it's quite clear that she is delusional and needs urgent psychiatric 'support', probably in some sort of secure hospital.

Verity

Agree, Chuck Unsworth. Plus, she said everyone is "entitled" to ... "some family life". Then why doesn't she spend time with her family? Her "partner" is not a husband and is therefore not legally family.

At the same time, why doesn't this "partner" come to Luton - at his own expense?

This woman's only got a 5,000 plus majority, so she might shortly have plenty of time to spend with her "family".

Mr Davies

Miss Moran in my opinion is as useful as a chocolate fire guard. I have wrote to her many times to ask her to name just one single issue where she has made a difference to the life’s of the people of Luton, or any other achievements she has made within her 9 years as a MP, I cannot think of one, She as never replied to my letters I have sent her, maybe its because she also cannot think of one. I also think she is a very weak MP as she always leaves her staff or her friends to speak and to defend her actions this is not what one would want from a MP. Please shut the door on the way out Miss Moran.