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BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Bonzo3legs Date: 16 May 09 - 12:15 PM No, a good number of MPs have shown themselves, (if we are to believe all reported in the press, which as we all know sensationalises at the least opportunity), to be little more than thieves, and should be punished accordingly by the full wellie of the law if appropriate. And, if this presents an opportunity to vote out this unelected rabble of a government, then a jolly good job too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 16 May 09 - 12:50 PM The trouble is that under our electoral system the only alternative is a government riddled with similar freeloaders and crooks. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,eric the viking Date: 16 May 09 - 01:46 PM Hey Bill. You've not been on in a long time. Quite right. A prison ship in the thames estury would be good. They could have turned the old LCC/GLC building opposite over the bridge into accomodation. It would have been a good place, then there would be no fiddling of this sort. BUT the trouble seems to be that certain MP's would find a way to fiddle something else! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Bonzo3legs Date: 16 May 09 - 01:56 PM Perhaps they have been to Argentine or Nigerian corruption courses |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,eric the viking Date: 16 May 09 - 02:03 PM Now Terry......that is a great idea. I seem to think that Al Capone finally got his because they found him to be a dollar out on his taxes or something (easily checkable) So they put him away for a while, they could do that to this lot......one chewing gum packet or bar of chocolate and you're copped !!! Hanging offence as Dianne Abbott said. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Backwoodsman Date: 16 May 09 - 02:20 PM "They could have turned the old LCC/GLC building opposite over the bridge into accomodation. It would have been a good place, then there would be no fiddling of this sort." Yep, that was the place I was thinking of. But they didn't want their opportunities for thieving and scamming cut back, did they? |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Frozen Gin (inactive) Date: 16 May 09 - 02:43 PM "Perhaps they have been to Argentine or Nigerian corruption courses" "Congratulations to the Tory Press for diverting attention away from the bankers!2 This thread is definitely taking on a tone of hysteria |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,jeddy Date: 16 May 09 - 04:45 PM not only are the pooitians that claim, responsibe for gross fraud but i think we should be looking closely at those people who looked at those claim receipts and thought that they were accceptable and reasonable requests! surely they should be getting as much stick. as for not voting i understand the temptation but all will achieve is tp prove that we don't care andfrom the responce on this thread we clearly do!!! i@ giong to try to find out who has swindled us the least and vote for themm NotBMP icould never bring myself to do that no matter what. it is in our power to scare and remind those we put in chrge of OUR country, that is OUR COUNTRY, not just a job that yhey can line their pockets. from jeddy |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Leadfingers Date: 16 May 09 - 05:07 PM The Option " None of the Above" on the ballot form , included in the count MIGHT give a message to someone !! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 16 May 09 - 06:39 PM Here's what the chair of the London Assembly had to say about this: "With elections to the European Parliament coming up on June 4th I am sure many people are wondering whether it's worth bothering to vote at all. But that worries me. If the turnout is really low it makes it easier for the BNP to win a seat. "So to decent people who cannot bear the thought of voting Labour, Conservative or LibDem this time, I urge them to think about voting Green. Not only will this help elect more Green Party MEPs, it is also a positive vote for the future. As we said in our election broadcast - if you don't want things to continue as they are, if you think fairness, integrity and the environment belong in politics then think about voting Green." |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Bonzo3legs Date: 17 May 09 - 05:18 AM What is all this "chair" nonsense? It's chairman or chairwoman. You sit on a chair!! Now, I have the solution for the thieving MPs - taking an example from the military junta in Argentina -------------a helicopter over the Thames estuary!!!!!!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: ard mhacha Date: 17 May 09 - 05:59 AM It gets funnier still, the Queen is very annoyed with the going-ons at Westminister and it seems she will be taking Gordon Brown to task over the whole episode. While Browns is at the palace he can ask Liz Windsor about her dis- functional familys expenditure, Prince William and Harry use the RAF helicopter to visit their girlfriends home and head over to the Isle of Wight for a stag party, the`copter only uses £15,000 per hour of tax payers money, you have to laugh. This is like Ma Barker telling Al Capone to tread "the straight and narrow". |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Bonzo3legs Date: 17 May 09 - 06:07 AM But the princes are thoroughly decent polo playing eggs, and they speak properly too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,jeddy Date: 17 May 09 - 07:04 AM it seems like you can get away with anything if you have a posh accent god if only i did |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,Shimrod Date: 17 May 09 - 07:36 AM ""Congratulations to the Tory Press for diverting attention away from the bankers! This thread is definitely taking on a tone of hysteria" Why is that hysterical? I agree that MPs' abuse of their expenses system is completely unacceptable, those who abused it should be punished and the system thoroughly over-hauled. But let's keep things in perspective. A few MPs got away with a few thousand quid by exploiting a weak system. But bankers lost billions, possibly trillions, of pounds - losing jobs, pensions and homes in the process and creating massive economic instability. Such instability, in the past, has led to war and the loss of millions of lives. Our attention has now been turned away from the really monstrous abuses of the bankers to the petty and squalid abuses of MPs. As always it seems that if you're going to commit crimes, and to get away with them, you have to think really, really big! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Eric the Viking Date: 17 May 09 - 09:30 AM When is someone from the commons fees office going to make a public statement? From up here in't North; SNP Angus MacNeil,SNP Angus Roberston and of course Alex Salmond all with their noses in the trough.I can't wait for smarmy Tavish Scott to be found out as well. All with excuses. "It makes one sick", as prince charles would say,especially after his "green" trip to South America. "To hear of these excesses by common people, Mummy isn't best pleased". To quote from my sons student award form that I am filling in again so that he may study on a pittance "To knowingly give false information may result in prosecution". I think they should be made to have all profits and proceeds forcibly repaid, then stripped of office, never allowed to hold public office again. Sack cloth and ashes for them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Backwoodsman Date: 17 May 09 - 01:23 PM A red-hot poker up the arse would be better. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Nigel Parsons Date: 17 May 09 - 02:17 PM As it passed almost unnoticed (or on-commented on) in its own thread: UK Politics 101: How to turn a prophet Tune: Charlie is my darling Back in 1987 Darling came to town In twenty years he took the reins Replacing Gordon Brown Oh, Darling is a Charlie, a Charlie, a Charlie Darling is a Charlie Our young chancellor His eyebrows dark and saturnine, His hair a shining white He's changed his main house sev'ral times There's something not quite right. Oh, Darling is a Charlie, a Charlie, a Charlie Darling is a Charlie Our young chancellor He doesn't set the interest rates 'Cos that's done by the bank But when the price of beer goes up It's him we have to thank Oh, Darling is a Charlie, a Charlie, a Charlie Darling is a Charlie Our young chancellor He lets his comrades cook the books, Change houses on a whim. Buy women's clothes, or dirty films, It doesn't bother him. Oh, Darling is a Charlie, a Charlie, a Charlie Darling is a Charlie Our young chancellor |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Frozen Gin (inactive) Date: 17 May 09 - 02:35 PM The Option " None of the Above" on the ballot form , included in the count MIGHT give a message to someone !! "Spoling" the ballot means that it won't be counted. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Bonzo3legs Date: 17 May 09 - 03:46 PM A - spoling we will go!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,eric the viking Date: 17 May 09 - 04:42 PM Spoling: A high chair from Ikea. Probably get one on expenses. (Or a sexy Israeli massage..so it would seem) Jacqui Smiths old man got one of them on her expenses. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Frozen Gin (inactive) Date: 17 May 09 - 04:59 PM Left wing, right wing, what's the difference? They're opposite sides of the same coin, both as bent as one another. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: pdq Date: 17 May 09 - 05:11 PM " But bankers lost billions, possibly trillions, of pounds - losing jobs, pensions and homes in the process and creating massive economic instability..." ~ Shimrod I don't believe you should blame bankers in the UK. The economic problems we face now were caused by a collapse in real estate value in select regions of the United States. The US government made banks loan money to unqualified borrowers. Two government-run institutions held over half the outstanding money secured by single family housing in the US: "Fannie Mae" and "Freddie Mac". They also make rules that forced private companies to make similar loans to people who had little hope of paying the money back. Various securities were issued that were tied to these questionable real estate loans. When real estate values (especially in California) dropped to 50-60% of their previous value, the whole house of cards collapsed. I see no Brits being at fault. Some of the "poisonous" securites ended up in the hands of non-US banks, but it was in good faith, I believe |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Date: 17 May 09 - 05:32 PM ""I see no Brits being at fault. Some of the "poisonous" securites ended up in the hands of non-US banks, but it was in good faith, I believe "" Now there's an interesting juxtaposition. "Good faith" and "Banks" in the same sentence, somehow doesn't ring true to somebody who is trying to recover nearly GBP2000 in unlawful bank charges, and is likely to get the money in ten years or so, when all legal fiddles and appeals have been exhausted, IF AT ALL! The British Bankers were in it up to their well polished backsides. Don T. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 17 May 09 - 07:09 PM "I don't believe you should blame bankers in the UK." Greedy bastards paid themselves enormous "bonuses" for wrecking the banks they had control of. I imagine that's true in both countries, and yes, we should certainly blame them. But blaming them doesn't in itself mend what they have done, or reduce the danger that faces us. I think Peter Mandelson's infamous comment in 1998 "We are intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich" sums up the mindset that lay behind the shared ideology of those people who have wrecked our economy and corrupted our political system. The frightening thing is that this is the kind of perfect storm that enabled Hitler to come to power in what was assumed to be a civilised and humane country. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Richard Bridge Date: 17 May 09 - 10:23 PM That may be the least justified assumption I ever saw you make McGrath. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Dave the Gnome Date: 17 May 09 - 10:42 PM "Spoling" the ballot means that it won't be counted. Not true! From that source of all reputable information, Wikipedia... (Although I do believe this one to be true.) "The validity of the election may be questioned if there is an unusually high proportion of spoilt votes, however, in countries such as the UK where a spoilt ballot paper counts towards the voter turnout, some voters will deliberately spoil their ballot paper to show disapproval of the candidates available whilst still taking part in the electoral process. In theory, a UK election could have a 100% turnout with no votes cast for any of the candidates if every registered voter were to spoil their paper, although this is highly improbable." I also believe that the spoilt papers can and often are read by the candidates to confirm that the vote was or was not for them. So a cross in the box with a comment of "I would have voted for you had you not been such a greedy lying bastard." could indeed make a point. Cheers DeG |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Date: 18 May 09 - 04:38 AM ""That may be the least justified assumption I ever saw you make McGrath."" I think I'm with MGrath on this one Richard. Circumstances are NOT unlike Germany 1933 (though less desperate) in qualitative terms, and we DO have our very own Nazi party just waiting for ANY opportunity. Don T. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Stu Date: 18 May 09 - 05:58 AM I have spoilt my votes for years (since I realised B.Lair had conned us and because my local town council was so utterly crap) in a variety of ways. I have written rants, insults, advice, pictures and more frequently poetry on my ballot paper but as so many people have suffered for our right to vote, I feel I have to make the effort. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Richard Bridge Date: 18 May 09 - 06:20 AM Don, you address a different assumption. The one I meant was "assumed to be a civilised and humane country. " |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Date: 19 May 09 - 06:21 AM ""Don, you address a different assumption. The one I meant was "assumed to be a civilised and humane country. "" OOps! Much more dickifelt to argue against that one LOL Don T. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Date: 19 May 09 - 06:46 AM Well, we've all had our chance for a good slagging session, and basically come to the conclusion that all our MPs are a bunch of corrupt, conniving, thieving, greedy bastards.....right? WRONG! It is undeniable that misuse and abuse of the system has been rife, but there is a large section of the House of Commons, and the Lords too, which is comprised of honest men, who have NOT taken advantage of the opportunities offered, and who have conducted themselves in the upright and honourable manner which we are entitled to expect. However, these "honourable" members have found themselves tarred with the same brush, and subjected to unfair vilification based on what some of their colleagues have done. The Daily Telegraph IS (to its credit) publishing a list of good guys, as well as bad, but the Media in general is not responding. The public needs to know who they CAN trust and vote for, whichever party they support, and it may be that a swift kick up the backside for our local TV and Radio people would help. I'm desperately worried that the backlash from this may empower some very nasty people to the detriment of us all. Don T. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 19 May 09 - 07:14 AM A story about Freedom of Information - an American news reporter - and British Government expence accounts....which was published last week.
foiadvocate.blogspot.com/2009/05/american-reporter-causes-stir-in.html
Sincerely, |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Eric the Viking Date: 19 May 09 - 12:42 PM Way to go.Thanks Heather. That girl is quite right. "Britain trades on a mythical reputation about the health of its democracy," she said. That is entirely true. We in Britain have precious little freedom left.There is no democracy, we are governed by an unelected leader with a parliament that is basically corrupt. We need an alternative to rid ourselves of this plague. Please don't tell me how bad it is somewhere else, I quite realise that but if you stop to consider how our civil liberties have been completely erored it is a disgrace we have stood by for too long and let happen. Do you really think cameras, microphones,DNA, identity cards, people tracking in every shape and form, keeping records of e-mails, phone calls, internet sites visited etc will stop criminals and terrorists one bit? I doubt it. Do you think it is right that the police can "kettle" and abuse people on lawfull and intentionally peaceful protest? Is it right that they can close off whole areas without any reason given? Pretty soon, they may come knocking on the door............. Don. You may be quite right, but many of those knew the system was open to abuse and stood by idly doing nothing even if they didn't make personal gain. I know that there are honest and decent people everywhere. It's a shame that parliament has invented so many laws that make us, the general population, guilty before judgement or trial unless we can prove innocence. Such as the DNA database, various motoring laws, powers given to such as the child support agency etc. What happened to our right to be innocent until proven guilty? These sneering politicians are at last begining to get the just reward for forgetting that we elect them to improve our common lives and not thiers. These years may pass into folk legend as the time when government and the country was returned to the common man. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Richard Bridge Date: 19 May 09 - 01:11 PM Constitutional lawyers have for decades been teaching how the two-party system denies democracy. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Bonzo3legs Date: 19 May 09 - 01:28 PM Spelling ------- EXPENSE please! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Eric the Viking Date: 19 May 09 - 03:38 PM Perhaps the best (IMHO) answer would be to only vote for independent candidates. I don't mean that extremist groups would be allowed to field their members as independent but a parliament without the party whip would at least see MP's voting according to concience or voters wishes. They would have to represent their electorate. With expenses sensible and capped, designated accomodation instead of "second" profitable homes with mod cons many of us could only dream of, they would have to conduct the business of parliament. As "ordinary" people, they may be more in touch with the rest of us. As "ordinary" people they would stand and live in their electoral area and not be thrust on us by "the party". MP's should come from and live in the area they represent. (Unlike up here where at the last election a member from a party who had never been here before in her life tried to get elected stating that she'd move here if she was elected !! The public told her they didn't want her in no uncertain terms and also at the ballot box. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: akenaton Date: 19 May 09 - 03:57 PM Don T. "Circumstances are NOT unlike Germany 1933 (though less desperate) in qualitative terms, and we DO have our very own Nazi party just waiting for ANY opportunity" Correction.....we have four of them! And waken up for fuck sake, we all know that politicians are bastards, but everybody in this stinking society is on the make "just waiting for any oppertunity". Don't you know that's what the capitalism you love is all about? |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 19 May 09 - 05:16 PM Politicians may be bastards, but there are different types of bastards. Diseases are diseases, but there's a difference between a bad cold, a dose of measles and the Black Death. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,Greycap Date: 19 May 09 - 05:29 PM Don't be rotten to the politicians - 99% are making it look bad for the rest. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Eric the Viking Date: 19 May 09 - 06:05 PM Whilst there are different types of diseases. It is probably true that any disease unchecked could prove fatal To distinguish between a cold and the black death for example. A cold can kill if it is not fought and eradicated by the bodys' defence mechanism.It is easier for the body to defend itself against a cold than the black death.It is harder against the black death as it is more resistant. These politicians are like that. If we get a good defence now such as the expenses scandal it will stop them evolving into something like the black death !!They may have started off many years ago with small abuses of power, now it seems they have evolved into something more. Time to disinfect I say. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: GUEST,jeddy Date: 20 May 09 - 08:28 AM i think bleach might be neeeded. this infestation of germs is worse than we thought! |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Eric the Viking Date: 20 May 09 - 11:44 AM My worry, along with the hundreds of others I've got, is that the lessons won't be learned and the rot will stay with us. Take a few years ago, Mandleson...out into the wilderness for his tricks, then into europe and back in favour (despite his dodgy claims) Hazel the hells angel. Dear old Gordon says anyone who has done the dirty will not be in my parliamentary party...yet Hazel who looked last week as if the chips had been cashed in is not guilty of a "mistake" or avoiding taxes, but Gordon has every confidence in her. I suppose , though I fail to understand why, he has to keep some of his rotten bunch or else kick them all into touch. Then he'd have almost no one. Personally, I think she should go along with the rest of them. Let's see if the others get let off for their mistakes..If they do, then the whole thing is a sham and we will be even worse off for government condoning wholescale deceit. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 20 May 09 - 12:41 PM The evidence of this thread is that the danger we face is not from latter-day Hitlers but from the lynch mob. Whoever said "hysteria" above was about right. The basic MP salary is a bit more than £64k, which puts them in the top three per cent of UK earners. The maximum second-home entitlement is £24k (tax free, which is equivalent to £40k taxed at the UK higher rate (40 per cent). Add that, and also count also add the benefit of the (generous) non-contributory pension and you finish with a remuneration package of £120-130k depending how much value you put on the pension. That puts them in the top one per cent, broadly in line with GPs and a little way ahead of secondary-school heads, these being the usually cited comparators. I don't regard that as outlandish. Itnernational comparators don't help much in my view. There is wide disparity from one country to another for no obvious reason. Also the workload differs dramatically, and there is also disparity in career opportunites - variance in remuneration/responsibilities for ministers, etc. (Ireland's prime minister is one of the highest paid in the world, no doubt reflecting his exceptionally huge responsibilities.) Anyway, I can't say I'm desperately concerned about the level at which we remunerate our politicians. When the expesnses allowance was introduced in 1983, this was in part a trade-off for the fact that they did not impleement an independently recommended pay hike. That was wrong-headed, but again I'm not inclined to get hysterical about it. It should be remembered that many MPs take home nothing like the £120-130k package because they don't claim anywhere near the maximum second-home allowance. Where they do, some of those claims are entirely legitimate in every sense. Even where such cases are dubious, it is becoming clear that the fragile basis of those claims was fully understood by the fees office which allowed them. In fact in some cases the fees office encouraged such claims. All this unrestrained venting of envy-driven bile on politicians who, in the main are far less greedy and corrupt than in very many other countries, simply demages democracy, which is not a perfect basis for government at the best of times. Try redirecting some of it at, say, Premiership footballers, to say nothing of our merchant bankers, venture cpaitalists and company directors, who are sometimes rewarded a thousand times more handsomely than any MP. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Eric the Viking Date: 20 May 09 - 01:51 PM "All this unrestrained venting of envy-driven bile on politicians". Surely Peter this in not envy, but angry? Of course the riduculous (and enviable if you want )amounts of money made by pop/rock stars, company directors, bankers footballers etc may make them obvious targets for envy and perhaps many of our politicians see themselves on the "A" list and alongside them. From my point of view and many other people to whom I have spoken are angry. Because; these are the law makers who have found hundreds of ways of making us live in a punitive society, the people who give old age pensioners a 10p rise on their pensions, who tell people living on benefits through no fault of their own (It does not need stating there are many lazy ones) that they get enough to live on, who give the unemployed a pittance and see them loose their houses through repossession, who consider that £5.something is a living wage hourly rate to support a family, who tax us and then tax us on top of the taxes, who stand in parliament and moralise at us, etc. These are people to whom we have entrusted the running and ordering of our society on our behalf.We are entitled to better !! Whilst you may make comparisons with some Head teachers and Doctors for the salary. There is a big difference in workload, responsibility and what would be the response to the revelations of late. A HT would be out on his ear if he made these "mistakes" and a Doctor would probably get struck off. These MP's seem to have gotten away with it (mostly)by claiming a "mistake". "I'll pay it back", solves everything. The it being anything that should not have been claimed for.
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Date: 20 May 09 - 02:55 PM ""Correction.....we have four of them! And waken up for fuck sake, we all know that politicians are bastards, but everybody in this stinking society is on the make "just waiting for any oppertunity". Don't you know that's what the capitalism you love is all about?"" Christ, you ARE a miserable sod, aren't you, Ake. You know damn well that there are a considerable number of honest men, inside parliament, who haven't been involved in this system, and an even larger number OUTSIDE, who care about their fellow man(something YOU certainly can't claim), and live honourable and useful lives, benefitting the community with their presence. All YOU seem capable of doing is pissing and moaning about what is wrong with a world that can't see the amazing revelations of the wonderful (though intellectually lazy) Akenaton, for the blinding truths YOU perceive them to be. Tough luck mate. Most of us CAN see the good in mankind, imperfect though we be. It's much harder to se the good, if any, in the constantly negative, though intensely opinionated brethren. Don T. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: McGrath of Harlow Date: 20 May 09 - 07:17 PM How could anyone possibly get by on £64,000 a year without bulking it up with dodgy expenses??? I don't know anyone who has ever earned anything even approaching that much. I find it hard to imagine earning that much myself. I find it even harder to imagine how I could earn that much and feel it wasn't more than enough. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 20 May 09 - 08:42 PM McGrath, you may move in a narrow and impoverished circle but you know very well that the "haves" of this world never have enough. And UK politicians come far down the scale in that respect. For my part I would prefer payscales nearer the old GDR model, whereby surgeons and company bosses earned only about twice as much as the lowest paid. That might be a bit extreme, but I don't see why anyone needs more than three or four times the average wage. The argument that people would then have no incentive to rise to the top and become the boss is simply ludicrous. But alas we don't have that system. Believe it or not, McG, I have perhaps two dozen friends and work colleagues who are on £64k or more. Many deputy headteachers, especially in London, will be on that kind of salary. I am sorry to say that those of you who are bitter about what MPs are paid are doomed to disappointment. The decision to put their remuneration in the hands of an independent authority will quite certainly ensure that they get a substantial hike in their £64k basic pay. There is a strong case for reducing the number of MPs, and there is an even stronger case for cutting out the real abuse whereby some MPs take on paid work outside parliament. The expenses scandal is a relatively trivial matter. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Richard Bridge Date: 20 May 09 - 09:02 PM Hmm, £64K to start work after lunch? I think I could manage that. |
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Subject: RE: BS: UK Politicians: Noses deep in the trough From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 21 May 09 - 05:37 AM Ah, Richard, it would seem you understand the workings of parliament about as well as you understand the UK's constitution! |
