Comments on: Article: Tweaking tails

By: Revelation

Revelation — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:51:46 +0000

Well done and keep battling for full disclosure. One reason why MPs may be so anxious to protect details of their IEP expenditure is that some of them divert monies from this allowance to fund party political work – which is, of course, not a legitimate use of public funds. You might also want to check out the grounds for the payment of bonuses to MPs’ staff – who, although often underpaid for the demanding work that they actually do, are not usually required to meet any particular targets in order to qualify for such bonuses. Rather the bonuses often seem to be paid only to protect the allowance for future years and are random and not shared amongst all staff or MPs offices equally. Unnecessary office furniture etc also seems to be purchased on the grounds of ‘use it or lose it’. ‘Project’ work paid for through the Staffing Allowance could also do with greater scrutiny…..

By: Nemesis

Nemesis — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 19:59:02 +0000

Well done Heather, power truly corrupts even the most righteous of the species!
It seems to me whether Euro MP’s, Westminster MP’s or local councillors, they all share a common and parasitic trait. While Britain burns, they fiddle and oh how they fiddle. They are all at it to varying degrees, even the ones who are supposed to police them!!
When caught they should face the same penalties that any citizen would face according to the size of their sin. If faced with the sack or even imprisonment, perhaps they would think a little longer before raiding the public purse, no better than grubby little drug addicts pinching to fund their lifestyle.
They would hang their heads in shame if they felt any, but they stick two fingers up to us their employers and carry on regardless. Even now, no doubt, they fiddle.

By: Evan Owen

Evan Owen — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 13:05:43 +0000

Yes Heather, well done, these people MUST be made accountable which is why I am also busy with the FOIA.

I wish I’d known I could have employed Barristers and the like!

My Information Tribunal decision was 47 pages long, it dismissed the pleadings of HM Treasury and raised more interesting points. I did it without any legal assistance whatsoever and my own education stopped at a Comprehensive school, a Welsh one at that.

There is second hearing, yes second, of another FOI request appeald by the FSA before the Information Tribunal in July. Why do these people waste so much time and money in what is simply a stalling exercise? They should have to pay the legal bills out of their own pension pots.

By: Bob C

Bob C — Fri, 30 May 2008 06:45:39 +0000

Heather I just wanted to congratulate you on your efforts and say how much the man in the street appreciates that someone, somewhere has the ability, knowledge and tenacity to do this and follow it through. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of Adam Curry from the Daily Source Code podcast? He is currently endeavoring to motivate the British Public to start asking more questions and protesting against the draconian state this country has become. They Work For Us! Just wanted to say well done and thanks.

By: Lincoln V Rasalingam

Lincoln V Rasalingam — Fri, 30 May 2008 02:01:03 +0000

Hi Heather

After reading your article in the times, I ordered your book ‘Your Right to Know’ and got the book today from Waterstones. I read it, could not put it down. Every sentence in the book is a bullet point. I have been simmering all my life to express my anger an frustration with the conduct of Law Makers and bureaucrats but you have expressed it so succinctly. The book is the modern day Bible that every citizen and every household should own one. Well done Heather and I wish you success and happiness.

By: Podcast Bob

Podcast Bob — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:04:22 +0000

Heather I applaud you for your stirling efforts, determination and calm eloquence. I wish there were more like you to keep these guys on their toes. They Work For Us for goodness sake!! You may get a call from Adam Curry from The Daily Source Code at some stage. He will be up for a serious chat if you have the time.

By: Mark O

Mark O — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:00:00 +0000

“The bill received overwhelming support in the Commons, and only failed when a massive media outcry meant it couldn’t find a sponsor in the House of Lords.”

Great article and thanks for all you have done, but can the media really claim all the credit for the failure of MacLean’s bill to exempt Parliament from FOI? There was a wave of public revulsion at the double standard being applied to privacy in the UK and I seem to remember doing a bit of letter writing myself, including via the ‘Write to a Lord’ facility on http://www.writetothem.com.

By: Nick

Nick — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:32:57 +0000

Colin – according to the letter on the BBC’s Open Secrets website, the Blairs only claimed for the portion of the mortgage payments that represented the interest on the amount outstanding on their home. They didn’t claim (according to that letter) for the increased loan.

By: richard

richard — Tue, 27 May 2008 16:43:12 +0000

Well done Heather,keep up the good work, the parasites need to be exposed.

By: Bill Baker

Bill Baker — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:53:20 +0000

The people of Colchester will be interested to find they have a Conservative MP. Last time they looked Bob Russell was a Lib Dem.

By: George (Merseyside)

George (Merseyside) — Tue, 27 May 2008 15:13:29 +0000

A brilliant piece of investigative journalism . The reality is that politicians have disengaged themselves from the electorate and not the other way round .For real empowerment of the electorate I would like to see The Idiots Guide To using the Freedom Of Information Act.If MP’s can get away with this what are our local councillors doing ..not just collecting allowances ,there must be a repayment of expenses ,to them .

By: michael-john

michael-john — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:42:20 +0000

brilliant article and well done for the campaign!

It is about time MP’s returned to the real world where you have to account for any expenses accordingly…..if it is tax payers money you are claiming then it is only fair that this has to be explicitly detailed and have absolutely no margin for “error”. The mind boggles at the sheer amount of money they have swindled over the years. I understand that valid expenses should be awarded, but this has to be investigated properly by an independant body…if politicians have no grasp of the real expenses of day to day living then how can they govern our country accordingly??!!! on a more genral point do all politicans actually need a second residence in London?

Fianly any exposure of fraud should be dealt with as fraud and criminal convictions should be pursued!

By: Colin

Colin — Tue, 27 May 2008 13:17:57 +0000

May I echo Peter’s thanks and sentiments. I do not understand the press’ low key reaction to this. If I understand it correctly Tony Blair claimed allowances to meet what was effectively (i.e. to the extent that it exceeded his mortgage costs) a personal loan. If so I simply do not believe that was within the rules and/or the spirit of the rules. I simply do not understand how this seems to slip under the radar because it is tantamount to fraud – obtaining money by deception. Further there have to be taxation implications – where are the Inland Revenue in all of this?

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 27 May 2008 08:07:32 +0000

Thanks’ Heather for such an eloquent article! You’ve actually said what I and most of the voting population of this country would have wished to have said, if only we had a voice (but you said it without the use of my shop-floor language).
I think they should be made to return their ill-gotten gains to the public purse.

By: Jo Coles

Jo Coles — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:23:40 +0000

It is little wonder that the general public are fed up – not only with the government – but also with the general behaviour of our politicians both at Westminster and locally. The behaviour of our elected representatives who appear to feel that, once elected, they are both above the law and the peasantry who put them in their positions of power, is nauseating to watch. How we shake our heads in disbelief at the behaviour of the old French aristocracy and of renaissance prices who ran their fiefdoms with complete disregard for the positions of the masses. What is diferent now in the behaviour of our politicians?

By: Geoff

Geoff — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:38:49 +0000

Thank you for all your excellent work and yes it is truly diabolical how MP’s think they are above the law.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 26 May 2008 17:44:58 +0000

“More recently Derek Conway, another Conservative MP, faced calls for his resignation after paying £260,000 to members of his own family.”

Yet, no prosecutions.