Put up or shut up?

vj

I take your point about nuance in some cases of the innocent. However i would make this point. Are there truly any innocent in this case. They have known this train wreck was coming for a very long time. Those who werent neck deep in the trough certainly were aware of it. And if they weren then they are so completely unawre of the political landscape that they shouldnt be in parlaiment in the first place. Im afraid the act of complicity, by inaction makes all those who claim to have been innocently dragged in just as guilty. The course of inaction for so long has made such a shambles of the whole sorry episode that any complaint must be ignored and the "innocent" must go down with the rest. You knew about it and did sod all. Pay up and shut up, and preferably then go.

Malcolm

It's been said many times before, but still remains highly relevant - they just don't get it! Which planet are they on? We, the taxpayer, provide all these facilities at vast expense, so no reason why we should not have access to some of it.

Unless this lot clean up their act and start to act like public servants instead of prima donnas, I fear the worst.

John Haynes

Yes and okay but also too easy. Set aside the "moral outrage" of voters wanting to "get back" at a bullying and useless Parliament which has been rampant for over a decade and what do we have ?

A two stage "Expenses Scandal" whereby wanted or not, hundreds of MPs will be standing down at the next election. Stage 2 has opened with a toothless Numpty former Civil Servant who has decided as his "Last Hurrah" to impose arbitrary limits on various things retrospectively and you have a problem because his "strictures" are not legal and in imposing them, he likely knew that.

Forget "Right and Wrong", morally or otherwise, imagine that you are a backbench MP of any party, are stepping down at the next Election and, quite outside of the Law - Legg has imposed penalties in terms of repayment that will ruin your personal financial life, what do you do, accept it ?

The reality is that we as a Country, need a General Election asap, it is the only way that we can move on, instead we have an idiot in Legg and for his own personal "glory", dragging the thing on - shoot the old git is likely best advice. The Speaker and Harmon have shown themselves to be "unworthy of Office" by allowing this to ramble on.

We need a General Election but because of Legg and an incompetent Government, we are now about to see more NIMBY, DT crap and a continuing refusal to "get on with business" and get the economy back on track.

Those who are leaving are not "going quietly", would you ? Brown's Government is incompetent and even in appointing Legg and their (Labour) support for Bercow as Speaker, a total idiot, have ruined the next election and a "cleansing of the stables" which is what was most required.

Vulture

The attitude of MPs is frankly incredible and proves that the bubble they all live in is impermeable to everything but a well-aimed brick. On the Today programme, Linda McDougall, the wife of the amiable but half-witted 'veteran' Liebour MP Austin Mitchell was incandescent with rage that in future MPs might be required to live in small flats in London (rather than Prescottian vast mansions). She also said that she thought twice these days abt what to buy in a supermarket. So do the rest of us, Mrs M. The difference being, that in the past we have paid for your groceries: yes, right down to old Austin's crinkly crisps. Not any more, ducks. Ain't that a shame?

Sophia Pangloss

Of course John Hutton and others think the best tack for MPs is to 'pay up and shut up' Like Boris Johnston they would rather write a cheque for a few hundred pounds and get on with their lives.

As if nothing happened, as if they did nowt wrong, hoping that the electorate will just forget about the whole thing.

It is not enough for these elected criminals to hand over the loose change and move on. It is even clearer now than it was in Spring that clear fraud has been committed.

strapworld

Can you believe the following? Thanks to 'Events dear boy Events' Blog.

"We are not welcome to eat with MPs

MPs are not a happy bunch. We are invading their space in the Strangers' Cafeteria:

Angry MPs today complained that half the seats reserved for them in one of the Palace of Westminster's cafes were now being made available to the general public.

A cross-party group of 15 MPs, led by Tory David Tredinnick (Bosworth), have tabled a Commons motion calling for the decision to be reversed.

They protested that the measure meant there was "often insufficient capacity" for MPs and guests in the popular Strangers' Cafeteria …

Perhaps it is best if we did have that election and started all over again.

If you agree this is quite ridiculous. Send an email to BCA@BOSCONS.FREESERVE.CO.UK (all upper case) the secretary of the Bosworth Conservative Association)
asking if he is representing his constituents?

2trueblue

Ah, what a shame they are upset. Not half as upset as we are. Over the years MPs have been desperate to hide from us what they were doing re their expenses, abiding by the green book?
Well whatever way you look at it they are on another planer. The rest of us had to live within our means and pay for our own food. The fact that they could profit from by=uying and selling houses on which we paid the mortgage and maintained is incredible. Forget the gardening, cleaning, and food allowance, 'flipping' was the greatest way to make lots, and lots of money, and no one apart from Clegg is talking about it. I hope this matter can get Leggs!

Vulture

@Strapworld
David Tredennick is the MP who ignored the pathetic pleas of Fiona Pilkington to help end her family's torment at the hands of those yobs. He was also on holiday when the jury brought in its inquest verdict. Clearly a first-class s**t, but he is an Old Etonian, and doubtless a chum of Dave's so he's probably safe.

Naomi Langford-Wood

Why haven't they brought back Elizabeth Filkin whom they drummed out for identifying precisely what they are all so shocked about now?

One would think that this much maligned lady would be extremely helpful in assessing and directing in both Sir Thomas Legg's work and could have written the Kelly report herself anyway.

There's a lot of deja vu about these days.

roadrunner

As an ordinary voter it appears to me Legg has produced a sop for the voters whilst protecting the priveliged elite.He has asked M.P.'s to payback trifling sums compared to what Ms Smith and the rest of the flipping M.P.'s got away with.Quite frankly it's joke,hopefully the electorate will remember come the election.

Cogito Ergosum

Legg has acted like far too many senior civil servants. He has imposed a policy with no regard to whether it is sound in law.

This is a deep-rooted attitude in Whitehall. Comes the revolution, or perhaps the Cameron, it will all be swept away.