So why not do something about it? Get involved yourself.

Watch this space.

All MPs should have a laptop and internet connection allowing them to use the House Of Commons network. There are also plenty of reasons why an MP might want to use the internet for research so I have no objections to it being paid for by their employer (us).

 

 

That's a NETWORK connection though mate, totally different matter.... She's clearly talking about a PRIVATE connection in her own home... I dont see why muggins here should stump up for that.....

 

Whether it be 200 grand or 142 grand, they still get paid more than enough to pay their OWN utility bills in their OWN homes, end of story....

Jacqui Smith's expenses list includes 'a barbeque, plants and outdoor heater'

 

The list goes into detail about how Miss Smith sought money back for scores of items for use in her “second home” in Redditch, Worcestershire, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

 

Included in the claims - which came from the Commons Fees Office and were leaked to the media over the weekend - were a television, washing machine, video recorder, a towel and a toothbrush holder.

 

The Home Secretary classes her “primary residence” as her sister’s home in London, which entitles her to claim the taxpayer-funded second allowance on her family home.

 

The claims, which date back from 2001, include receipts which paid for decorating, work around the house and fencing for the garden.

 

The receipts also covered carpet cleaning costs, the price of a large extending table and a Panasonic SCMP31 mini hi-fi.

 

But a source close to the Home Secretary said Miss Smith had not claimed for every item on the list and had paid for many of the goods herself.

 

They added that even if she had claimed for all the goods, she would have been within her rights to do so.

 

“Just because many of these items are on the same receipt does not mean that they all have been paid for on expenses,” the source said.

 

“Jacqui Smith is by no means the worst offender. Hers are the only ones that have been leaked - it could have been anyone’s.

 

“But she is perfectly legitimately allowed to claim for all these items under the rules. It is allowed under the current system.”

 

Miss Smith told The Sunday Telegraph that the expenses system should be overhauled to become more transparent.

 

She said: “We haven’t got it right yet, which is why the Prime Minister was right to say we need to go further in terms of the openness, and the review of the system of allowances, because people have got to have confidence in us.”

 

Last week, Miss Smith’s husband Richard Timney had to apologise for paying to view two adult films, the cost of which ended up on the Home Secretary’s expenses claim.

 

Over the weekend, Miss Smith insisted that her relationship with her husband was still strong.

 

“We’ve got a strong relationship both personally and professionally - in terms of the work he does in my constituency office. And it’s still strong now,” she said.

 

The Home Secretary also insisted she had done nothing wrong in terms of her expenses and said she “abided both by the letter of the law and by the spirit of the regulations” by claiming her main home was in London.

 

Source: Sunday Telegraph

Geoff Hoon in three homes expenses row

 

Geoff Hoon lived rent free for three and a half years in Admiralty House, London, when he was Defence Secretary responsible for British troops in Iraq. While staying at the palatial building, he earned money from a London property he declared as his main home and then claimed tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayer's money for the upkeep of his constituency home in Derby.

 

Mr Hoon, now Transport Secretary, insisted he had done nothing wrong and had only claimed what he was entitled to under the Commons' expenses rules.

 

He is the latest senior Labour figure to be exposed for using the controversial allowance scheme in such a way and the latest revelations will fuel demands for the system to be scrapped.

 

During his time as an MP, Mr Hoon and his wife Elaine amassed a property portfolio worth £1.7million, according to the Mail on Sunday, made up of three homes in Derby, London and Walberswick in Suffolk.

 

They brought their Derby home in 1986 for an estimated £125,000. In 1992, the year before he became an MP, Mr Hoon bought a house in Lambeth, south London, for around £150,000. Initially he declared his Derby property as his main home and claimed the Additional Costs Allowance on his London home. When he became a minister in 1997 he changed his main home declaration to his London property, in accordance with ministerial rules, and from then on claimed the expense allowance on Derby.

 

However his arrangements changed in 2002 when, as Defence Secretary, he moved to Admiralty House, an 18th building containing three flats then valued at £60million, for "security reasons". He rented out the Lambeth house but, crucially, continued to claim the allowance on his Derby home intended to help MPs with constituencies outside London to maintain two homes, one in their constituency and one near the Commons.

 

While living rent free in the grace and favour flat, Mr Hoon appears to have made a large amount of money in rental income and soaring property prices. Experts estimated last night that the rent from his London home would have been around £18,000 a year. When he sold the property in 2006 he made an estimated profit of £325,000.

 

Last night David Cameron said he would ban cabinet ministers with grace and favour homes from having second home allowances and he vowed to give up his own housing allowance if he gets to Number Ten.

 

Source: Sunday Telegraph

 

Have these ministers no shame at how they rip off the taxpayer!

 

Looks like they don't put their own hand in the pocket to pay for anything.

Edited April 5, 200916 yr by brian91

Geoff Hoon in three homes expenses row

 

When he became a minister in 1997 he changed his main home declaration to his London property, in accordance with ministerial rules, and from then on claimed the expense allowance on Derby.

If ministerial rules say that a minister's London home should count as their main residence (which has some sort of logic to it) why was this rule not mentioned in the row over Jacqui Smith?

 

Again, Hoon hasn't broken the rules but he has acted unwisely. The politically sensible thing to do would have been to stop claiming the second home allowance (or at least reduce his claim by the amount of rent he was receiving on his London flat).

Last night David Cameron said he would ban cabinet ministers with grace and favour homes from having second home allowances and he vowed to give up his own housing allowance if he gets to Number Ten.

Well, it's very big of the millionaire David Cameron to say that isn't it?

Geoff Hoon in three homes expenses row

 

Geoff Hoon lived rent free for three and a half years in Admiralty House, London, when he was Defence Secretary responsible for British troops in Iraq. While staying at the palatial building, he earned money from a London property he declared as his main home and then claimed tens of thousands of pounds of taxpayer's money for the upkeep of his constituency home in Derby.

 

Mr Hoon, now Transport Secretary, insisted he had done nothing wrong and had only claimed what he was entitled to under the Commons' expenses rules.

 

He is the latest senior Labour figure to be exposed for using the controversial allowance scheme in such a way and the latest revelations will fuel demands for the system to be scrapped.

 

During his time as an MP, Mr Hoon and his wife Elaine amassed a property portfolio worth £1.7million, according to the Mail on Sunday, made up of three homes in Derby, London and Walberswick in Suffolk.

 

They brought their Derby home in 1986 for an estimated £125,000. In 1992, the year before he became an MP, Mr Hoon bought a house in Lambeth, south London, for around £150,000. Initially he declared his Derby property as his main home and claimed the Additional Costs Allowance on his London home. When he became a minister in 1997 he changed his main home declaration to his London property, in accordance with ministerial rules, and from then on claimed the expense allowance on Derby.

 

However his arrangements changed in 2002 when, as Defence Secretary, he moved to Admiralty House, an 18th building containing three flats then valued at £60million, for "security reasons". He rented out the Lambeth house but, crucially, continued to claim the allowance on his Derby home intended to help MPs with constituencies outside London to maintain two homes, one in their constituency and one near the Commons.

 

While living rent free in the grace and favour flat, Mr Hoon appears to have made a large amount of money in rental income and soaring property prices. Experts estimated last night that the rent from his London home would have been around £18,000 a year. When he sold the property in 2006 he made an estimated profit of £325,000.

 

Last night David Cameron said he would ban cabinet ministers with grace and favour homes from having second home allowances and he vowed to give up his own housing allowance if he gets to Number Ten.

 

Source: Sunday Telegraph

 

Have these ministers no shame at how they rip off the taxpayer!

 

Looks like they don't put their own hand in the pocket to pay for anything.

 

If you ask me outside MPs should be given one of two choices... They either move to London lock, stock and barrell, or we set up a sort of "Halls of Residence" for MPs in Westminster, where they can reside while they're in London to take care of Parliamentary business.... I'm frankly a bit sick and tired of this "two or three" homes sh!t.... For MPs living in outer London places such as Kingston, Welwyn, Romford or Watford, BLOODY COMMUTE... It's what everyone else who lives in Outer London and works in Central London has to do.... :rolleyes:

 

Maybe if they DID have to make the incredibly unpleasant commute, they might actually DO THEIR FUKKIN' JOBS and use their influence to actually IMPROVE the public transport system in this country.... Or is "doing their fukkin' jobs" a bit much to expect from these crooked c/unts.....? <_<

 

I don't mind a second home allowance for people like my MP who lives in Gateside in NE Fife. It's a 10hour drive to London, so imo MP's who live rather far away should be able to qualify. within 100miles is a reasonable commute. Perhaps they should give this public transport they bang on about constantly a try

I don't mind a second home allowance for people like my MP who lives in Gateside in NE Fife. It's a 10hour drive to London, so imo MP's who live rather far away should be able to qualify.

 

He/She would be one of the MPs who would obviously qualify for my proposed House of Commons Halls of Residence program..... :lol:

 

Why do they have to buy property though, WTF is wrong with just renting a modest one-bedroom place.....

 

Nah, they couldn't profit from merely renting a flat could they....? <_<

True, he would be covered by the Halls.

 

I think i'd be a good idea. They should be allowed to stay for free and given the basic furnishings. Anything else they want they can buy with their own cash

I don't mind a second home allowance for people like my MP who lives in Gateside in NE Fife. It's a 10hour drive to London, so imo MP's who live rather far away should be able to qualify. within 100miles is a reasonable commute. Perhaps they should give this public transport they bang on about constantly a try

When I start to pay taxes I don't want any of my money going into to slimy MP's account. Why the hell do any of them need a second allowance? "For their internet connection", etc. etc. they can pay for that themselves!!

True, he would be covered by the Halls.

 

I think i'd be a good idea. They should be allowed to stay for free and given the basic furnishings. Anything else they want they can buy with their own cash

 

Precisely.... :rolleyes:

 

 

If you ask me outside MPs should be given one of two choices... They either move to London lock, stock and barrell, or we set up a sort of "Halls of Residence" for MPs in Westminster, where they can reside while they're in London to take care of Parliamentary business.... I'm frankly a bit sick and tired of this "two or three" homes sh!t.... For MPs living in outer London places such as Kingston, Welwyn, Romford or Watford, BLOODY COMMUTE... It's what everyone else who lives in Outer London and works in Central London has to do.... :rolleyes:

 

Maybe if they DID have to make the incredibly unpleasant commute, they might actually DO THEIR FUKKIN' JOBS and use their influence to actually IMPROVE the public transport system in this country.... Or is "doing their fukkin' jobs" a bit much to expect from these crooked c/unts.....? <_>

I think you'll find the MP for Kingston (Ed Davey) does commute. I don't know about the others.

 

Yes, I think the idea of some sort of tied accommodation needs looking at although some MPs will have been living in London before being elected. If they have children at school, I don't see why they should have to move to a different part of London and see the children move school. But for many MPs it could work.

I don't mind a second home allowance for people like my MP who lives in Gateside in NE Fife. It's a 10hour drive to London, so imo MP's who live rather far away should be able to qualify. within 100miles is a reasonable commute. Perhaps they should give this public transport they bang on about constantly a try

100 miles is much too far. An MP would probably expect to be at the Commons by 9.30 and not leave until after 7 pm. That's a longer day than most of us work. A two-hour commute each way on top of that would be ridiculous. I want my MP to be in a fit state to do his job without being totally cream-crackered.

When I start to pay taxes I don't want any of my money going into to slimy MP's account. Why the hell do any of them need a second allowance? "For their internet connection", etc. etc. they can pay for that themselves!!

Anyone who is expected to do a job in two places (their constituency and Westminster) which may be a few hundred miles apart should be entitled to some sort of allowance. Otherwise you are saying that the MP for Cities of London and Westminster (whose travel and second home expenses should be nil) should effectively be paid more than the MP for Westmoreland.

 

I know politicians are very unpopular but please think about the job they are expected to do before slagging them off.

I know politicians are very unpopular but please think about the job they are expected to do before slagging them off.

 

We wouldn't be slagging them off if it wasn't rather obvious that a good many of them are just sticking their noses in the trough and totally exploiting the situation....

We wouldn't be slagging them off if it wasn't rather obvious that a good many of them are just sticking their noses in the trough and totally exploiting the situation....

I was referring specifically to Josh who was suggesting they shouldn't get any sort of second home allowance.

Anyone who is expected to do a job in two places (their constituency and Westminster) which may be a few hundred miles apart should be entitled to some sort of allowance. Otherwise you are saying that the MP for Cities of London and Westminster (whose travel and second home expenses should be nil) should effectively be paid more than the MP for Westmoreland.

 

I know politicians are very unpopular but please think about the job they are expected to do before slagging them off.

Yes but why should we pay for them?

 

I hate taxes (even though I don't pay 'em :lol: ), I just really cannot get my head around the concept of it. You work for yourself, not for the government. Any money you earn should be kept for you, as one earned it.

 

Strange.

I was referring specifically to Josh who was suggesting they shouldn't get any sort of second home allowance.

No they bloody well shouldn't, they should pay for it out of their own pocket.

 

I wouldn't mind as much if the government was run by MP's who are actually decent at their job..

I was referring specifically to Josh who was suggesting they shouldn't get any sort of second home allowance.

 

Well tbh, I kind of agree with Josh in a lot of ways on this... Why should MPs be allowed to just buy houses and claim for it at the taxpayers' expense...? They need a place to stay while conducting Parliamentary business...? Fine, we'll build 'em a Parliamentary Halls of Residence, a bit like the sort of residences that Students have when they leave home to go to uni.... Or else we give them an allowance to rent a one-bed flat somewhere.... As it it stands, MPs are going around buying these houses as nice little investments... Hoon's situation with the three properties, one of which he was renting out is particularly disgraceful, Prescott had two Jags, this guy has three houses... Hoon is near-as-dammit guilty of FRAUD as far as I'm concerned, and I'd damn well make him pay back every single penny he profited from... MPs should not be allowed to so blatantly profit from their position in this disgusting manner....

 

No, it really is about time we ended this ridiculous state of affairs, far too many of these MPs are just blatantly taking the p!ss and getting away with it....