Endless saga

Publius

"what is needed is that those who have committed crimes receive justice"

-- Which, in Westminster terms, means million pound kiss-and-tell book deals and cosy Mandelsonian jobs in Brussels, followed by fat tax-free pensions.

strapworld

Certainly enhanced the reputation of Parliamentarians. Pleading that tyhey should not face the criminal court by saying they should be tried by their peers claiming parliamentary privilege!! and that issue will be put before the judge when they appear at the Crown Court at the end of the month.

Saying they are 'Not above the Law' BUT implying that they are a race apart from the rest of us.

I think a brick wall with all 'honourable' members stood in front and being shot at dawn is not punishment enough.

But these trials will be a constant reminder to the people of the abuse of their positions by members of parliament. I think most seeking re-election will face an uphill task.

As it has been pointed out by Guido. If Cohen should face charges, so should Gordon Brown. As for wisteria man and his cronies in the shadow cabinet, why should we elect them into power?

Moraymint

We're going downhill fast, but we've much further to fall and faster to go yet.

The riots today in Athens are but a foretaste of things to come in the UK and many European countries over the next year or three.

Our political class has run out of control over the past decade or so, especially here in the UK, but also in Europe and the USA. The gap between politicians and the public is now truly enormous. We're at the front end of a new era, but God only knows what the transition is going to look like, still less the shape of the "new world order".

I'm pretty certain though that the next few years, and probably beyond, are going to involve us ratcheting down the quality-of-life ladder quickly and substantially. We've had this coming for some time.

Regrettably, most of our fellow citizens remain blissfully ignorant of what now lies directly ahead, thanks to political propaganda and non-existent or pathetic analysis and reporting by the MSM - and by the BBC in particular.

The fun will start shortly after the election and the Westminster people know this full well; that's why they're all saying so little about the shape of things to come.

William Blakes Ghost

Oorrftt with their heads!

And that includes the Keens!

John David Barnett

Cameron will clean things up.

Vulture

A few years ago in the 'Tangentopoli' scandal, Italy managed to behead its entire corrupt political class : and the two main parties, the Christian Democrats and the Socialists - went down the swanee.

They were succeeded by....er...Silvio Berlusconi.

Satisfactory as it would be to see Dave's mob and Liebour follow their Italian counterparts into oblivion, who would replace them?

But don't the (alleged) crimes of these Liebour MPs make Lord Cashcroft look like a model of probity and honour?

JaJTalk

As if we all thought the scandal of MP's expenses couldn’t get any worse! A £1,500 fine for the married MPs, Ann and Alan Keane, is nothing more than a slap on the wrist, and will do nothing to restore the public's faith in our political system? And is that even a deterrent for future MP's! 'Change' seems to be the call of both major parties, so change 'their' control we must. I say a spring cleaning of the House of Commons is what 4 out of 5 of the electorate are calling for and, I read, also by the Jury Team http://juryteam.org I like the fact that they are suggesting all MPs in the next Parliament must follow the Nolan Principles on Public Life. They also, the Jury Team that is, also suggest MPs have the same pay scale regimes as civil servants (which, ironically they have just capped!) That would serve them right! http://tinyurl.com/MPs-Pay-Scale

John Mounsey

Bit of jumbled second sentence, David, but I finally worked out what it was you meant! And actually, it's not only shaming and preposterous, it's also utterly disgraceful. The idea that these four dishonest clowns should be allowed a say in the management of our country and the framing of its laws makes you despair. Only the return of the pillory could punish effrontery this brazen.

stephen

Why can't Dave order this disgrace of a Tory peer not to pursue the deeply offensive line of defence! Dave has been quick enough to order his Tory MP colleagues not to attend the Parliamentary Scutiny Committee that wants to call Cashcroft to account. A bit inconsistency Dave?

Irene

I know all four have been charged but I thought it was interesting that the 3 labour MPs refused to stand in the dock but the Tory Lord did!

David Blackburn

John Mounsey,

How right you were - a dreadful sentence. Hopefully it reads better now.

Stevie

One unelected Tory Lord and 3 Labour MP scuzzers today, now add the Keens and Cohen. So, where's that font of all knowledge Richard? Come on little Dick, Let's have your opinion on them.

Richard

@Steve
They are scum....loathsome troughers.
However the real criminals are still in the house. The tax dodgers and flippers.
The election is coming and the people will have the chance demonstate their feels in the ballot box.

Ghengis

Think £12000 for the charlady.

Herbert Thornton

Somebody recently sent us the following, apparently an extract from a book by Matthew Algeo called Harry Truman's Excellent Adventures. It makes an interesting contrast to the standards of behaviour being discussed in this thread -

Harry Truman was a different kind of President. He probably?made as many, or more important decisions regarding our nation's history as any of the other 42 Presidents preceding him. However, a measure of his greatness may rest on what he did after he left the White House.

The only asset he had when he died was the house he lived in, which was in Independence Missouri. His wife had inherited the house from her mother and father and other than their years in the White House, they lived their entire lives there.

When he retired from office in 1952, his income was a U.S. Army pension reported to have been $13,507.72 a year. Congress,noting that he was paying for his stamps and personally licking them, granted him an 'allowance' and, later, a retroactive pension of $25,000 per year..

After President Eisenhower was inaugurated, Harry and Bess drove home to Missouri by themselves. There was no Secret Service following them.

When offered corporate positions at large salaries, he declined, stating,?"You don't want me. You want the office of the President, and that doesn't belong to me. It belongs to the American people and it's not for sale."

Even later, on May 6, 1971, when Congress was preparing to award him the Medal of Honor on his 87th birthday, he refused to accept it, writing, "I don't consider that I have done anything which should be the reason for any award, Congressional or otherwise."

As president he paid for all of his own travel expenses and food.

Modern politicians have found a new level of success in cashing in on the Presidency, resulting in untold wealth. Today, many in Congress also have found a way to become quite wealthy while enjoying the fruits of their offices. Political offices?are now for sale. (sic. Illinois )

Good old Harry Truman was correct when he observed, "My choices in life were either to be a piano player in a whore house or a politician. And to tell the truth, there's hardly any difference!"

TomTom

There has recently been debate as to whether Parliamentary Privilege covers what an MP says ONLY in The Chamber or in The Committee Rooms as well.

When the Plod invaded Damian Green's Offices and removed computers and correspondence with Constituents, there seemed to be no impediment to The Plod in violating communication between an MP and his Constituents.

When Thomas Fuller stated Be Ye Ever So High, The Law Is Above You it was an doctrine Lord Denning applied....I cannot see these miscreants getting away with such a line exempting MPs from Justice to the point where they could commit Murder and only be accountable to their Party Caucus.

They are likely to have The High Court rule restrictively on Parliamentary Privilege and curtail it considerably

emil

Or as BBC Breakfast Time categorised them;

3 MPs and a Conservative Peer..........

(no bias there for your £145 a year telly tax then)

Boudicca

There will be NO justice. Vitually all of the den of thieves have got away with it. Tell Power2010 which of the thieves most deserve hounding during the election campaign.

http://www.power2010.org.uk/page/s/wanted?source=wanted&utm_source=power2010&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wanted

David Lindsay

I cannot imagine how Lord Hanningfield managed to be a front bench spokesman for the Official Opposition while simultaneously the Leader of a County Council, no matter how close to London. Nor could the Leader of Westminster City Council pull that one off.

And all credit to the magistrate for making anyone facing charges stand in the dock.

But for all the faults of Charles I, the law of England at the time specifically precluded the trial of the monarch. He was not, and did not claim to be, above the law. Rather, that was the law. When an appalling kangaroo court broke it in spectacular fashion, it unleashed one each of his Three Kingdoms the worst tyranny in each of their respective histories, and at least arguably the only true tyranny in the history of England. Think on. Long and hard.

And think on the letting off of all but four MPs. Think on how all four of them are retiring anyway. Think on how all four of them came from the party that the Police and the CPS thought at the time was going to lose the forthcoming General Election, rather than from the party that they thought was going to win. Think on how the only token Tory whom they could find to prosecute was unelected and obscure. Think on how he did not have to appear in court with them, but instead at a different time when the mob had gone home.

Think on, and on, and on. Very long indeed. And very hard indeed.

Stevie

@Richard
Yes, the real criminals are still not being brought to book. For instance, there's one MP, lives in a grace and favour mansion, has another grace and favour mansion for the weekends, 'gave' his London flat, which he bought from the lovely Mr Robert Maxwell to his wife so he could claim tens of thousands on his other actual home. This thief paid his brother to clean his wifes flat out of my taxes and also charged me to paint his kids summer house. His name? James Gordon Brown, trougher in chief, hypocrite deluxe and Prime Minister.

Victor Southern

Sky News has variously described Lord Hanningfield as a Tory MP and as a Tory front-bencher, Jon Craig being one of the culprits.

All of the broadcasters are very anxious to show that not only Labour politicians are being prosecuted. In fact they will almost certainly be joined by at least one other today and probably still another within 10 to 12 days.

Alexsandr

See trougher in chief Baroness Uddin is not to be prosecuted. How did that happen?

David Ossitt

Irene

“I know all four have been charged but I thought it was interesting that the 3 labour MPs refused to stand in the dock but the Tory Lord did!”

How can this be?

They should have been dragged there in shackles if needs be.

That long faced bastard that claimed for a non existent mortgage should be tarred and feathered.