Guardian cover-girl
May 15, 2009 Campaigns, FOI in Parliament
I’m on the front cover of today’s G2.
Is this the apex of my campaign? My 15 minutes of fame might now be coming to a close if the Commons actually comes clean, gets rid of the corrupt and institutes a new transparency regime. That actually looks as though it might now happen.
I’m in such a generous mood I feel I ought to invite Speaker Michael Martin out to lunch just to say ‘thanks for making my career.’ I couldn’t have done this without him.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:47 am
great work, great article Heather, Nigel Hawthorne and Paul Eddington will be affording themselves a wry smile this side of heaven.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:49 am
Watch the receipt, he’ll want it for expenses…
May 15th, 2009 at 7:11 am
excellent guardian article, and many thanks for your hard work over the years. the manner and motive of your investigation speak for themselves, and you should be feeling very proud of your achievement this week. the telegraph may have won with a cheque book what you were winning with hard work and a clear sense of right and wrong, but i feel the achievement here is yours. no-one can take away your place in the campaign to bring the concept of accountability to our public servants, and i am very grateful to you.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:23 am
heather – congrats on a brilliant & dogged ‘campaign’.
i doubt this is your professional apex, nor an ephemeral 15 minutes; i believe history may very well look on you as a seminal catalyst in shaking a musty parliamentary culture of sleaze and privilege.
as far as julian lewis et al is concerned, we have’t expected ‘professionalism’ nor honest accountability for a long long time. you’ve created what can only be described as a political avalanche. again, well done!
t klus
amsterdam
May 15th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Terrific article, and one which scoured from me any vestiges of sympathy for complaining MPs. Yes, most of them ARE clean, and much of the Telegraph coverage uses guilt by association (he’s a claims crook and an MP; this guy’s also an MP and he claimed for this; ergo he’s also a crook). I can also accept that the claims system is an opaque mess not even understood by some of the MPs, so some of them WILL have made genuine mistakes and misjudgements (though Elliott Morley’s craven mea ex culpa of ‘it’s a really complicated system guv, so I didn’t know you couldn’t claim for mortgages that don’t exist’ is pushing it a bit). But this has been rumbling for years – how many of those who are now complaining were demanding more transparency when they started getting prodded through ROI requests.
May 15th, 2009 at 7:36 am
Well done and thank you for persevering in the face of such tightly closed ranks, prevaricators and downright liars. You’ve a lot of backbone and determination.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:21 am
Well done indeed and thank you for your perseverance and courage.
May 15th, 2009 at 8:31 am
Well done Heather, you are an inspiration to many of us who make FOI requests. We all face brick walls sometimes when it comes to getting info in this way, but yours is the perfect example of how not to let go and how never to accept exemptions/refusals. Challenge everything and don’t accept anything short of full disclosure. Public bodies rely on ignorance of the detail of the Act and the unwillingness of some to pursue requests to get away with holding back information.
And sometimes that information is just dynamite.
Best wishes,
Neil
(GP, Hampshire)
May 15th, 2009 at 8:48 am
Congratulations Heather. Never ever responded to a press story before – but an outstanding achievement and great to see it acknowledged this morning. I’ve twice been on the receiving end of the dark forces at work in politics…..but it’s a rare thing to be able to chisel your way through as you have done and to get such fantastic results. 100 per cent credit to you. Don’t stop now……………….
May 15th, 2009 at 8:55 am
Hi Heather
You are a star. Well done for having battled your way through the lies and smokescreens. The arrogant attempts at shutting out an outsider to the old boys network would be laughable if they were not so similar to what is going on in Italy and elsewhere. How dare the MPs attempt to change the law to cover up their crimes? It’s beyond contempt. A haven of democracy? I think not..
May 15th, 2009 at 8:58 am
I’d like to add my congratulations and thanks to you Heather. I live in a country (Czech Republic) where standards of both journalism and transparency in public life are well short of those we have (or expect, at least) in the UK. You are a fantastic inspiration. Maybe we should try to get you over here to talk about it.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Well done Heather, ‘Our girl Friday’. Yes agree with the above, great work.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:10 am
Well done indeed. You make me proud again to be a journalist.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:22 am
‘I think in order to begin the clean-up, it is necessary to get rid of those who created the mess in the first place. Only then can we have a parliament of which we are proud.’
Absolutely, Heather. And congratulations for all your persistence and hard work. Despite the Telegraph’s intervention, the triumph is still yours – you’ve got the bastards on the run…
May 15th, 2009 at 9:26 am
Well done Heather. Fantastic that you were not worn down by the intimidatory tactics and procrastination. Have no fear that you will be around for a while because, unfortunately, our politicians will always provide you with work. As regards Speaker Martin, if the House of Commons gets it’s way, he will soon be available to take up your lunch offer on any day that suits you!
PS: If you ever need a free pair of hands just drop me an email.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:27 am
I’d like to personally thank you for doggedly pursuing this to the end. What a well earned victory for justice and truth.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:31 am
Heather, you are brilliant. Through every adversity lies the see of greater benefit. You have managed to crack the walnut,your type of campaigning journalism is a dying art but what a success resulting in a spring clean of parliament, and alerting the taxpayer to a host of dirty tricks submitted by politicians. What a brave young woman you are. And such a beastly misogynist bunch you had to deal with too.
We all suspected there was alot going on, and the seed bed of all of this is also lying side by side within the regional selection committees with the same type of attitude. What sheer arrogance politicians have, and they are so dismissive of the rest of us, especially the effect they have on confidence in in local government politics. Local councillors HAVE to stick to Standards procedures.
Good heavens, do all these educated MPs have a bent streak? Does a degree in polics , philosophy and economics/history mean so very little ?
You have shown that example is led by precept. Well done, Heather.
What a tragedy the Torygraph didn’t fix their energies to them in the first instance, or support you whoeheartedly five years ago.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:33 am
A big thank you.
Please could there be 4 lists established in due course by journalists on the evidence produced: a list of the fraudsters, one of the ruthless opportunists acting disingenuously ‘within the rules’, one of those MPs who claimed acceptable expenses (by the standards of everyone else but the Commons, and a list of the whiter than white MPs.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:38 am
Brilliant stuff, well done.
There has been a feeling for years and years that things were not right now we begin to have the prove. Thanks. Keep at it , Its such a sad state of affairs really but its something that has to be done.
How can we be governed by people who have so little integrity ?
May 15th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Heather, I wish the British press had a few more decent, determined journalists like you.
The country would be a lot better for it.
Thank you.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:08 am
TrevorC says it all for me in comment no.3. You’re a hero.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:12 am
I have worked with news people (and had ambitions to be one) for a few years now, but the more I learned about the ‘industry’ the more I saw how many of those involved lived by the ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ news mentality that I absolutely hate. Lazy and pointless. I’m watching the old beast of broadcasting die a slow and sad death because not enough news folks care about putting in the effort for their readers/viewers rather than feathering the nests of their careers or those of their bosses. I’ve been SO cynical about it all and then you and your campaign turn up…and the only reason I discovered your name was via blog comments on the Guardian….and I can’t really put into words just how much my faith in journalism has been restored. Thank you so very very much, good work and you deserve all the credit and every opportunity that comes out of all this.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:25 am
wonderful work, heather. inspirational stuff.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:27 am
will you marry me?
May 15th, 2009 at 10:36 am
Fantastic article; well done in your efforts.
Some more digging for you; how did Tony Blair’s expenses come to be ‘accidently shredded’ and what we’re they hiding ?
May 15th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Heather. You have my thanks for exposing a corrupt and rancid regime. I hope that after all the hard work that you have done that your career blossoms as well it should.
May 15th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Fantastic work – campaigners like yourself are what protect our democracy from our leaders. Thank you for sticking to your guns.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
magnificent!As a French citizen and an admirer of English journalism
I congratulate you on your work though it’s apity that the Telegraph gets all this publicity because they have the big bucks.
Wish we had some journalists like you here in France since apart from the “Canard Enchainé” which does a good job,lots of things get consigned to the bins of History!
May 15th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Well done, check out my interactive map of key MP expenses at http://home.btconnect.com/martibiz/mpexpenses.htm, or all 600+ MPs for 2007/08 at http://home.btconnect.com/martibiz/mps.htm.
May 15th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
My comment has not been duplicated!It’s an errorI’m not going to write everything again.I merely wanted to congratulate Heather
May 15th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
You’ve done so many of us an enormous service with your dogged determined research. You’ve really shown the character of the people that govern us.
The way they tried every dirty trick in the book (and a few that weren’t) even to the point of passing a law just to protect their avaricious porcine butts clearly shows they knew they were in the wrong and badly so.
Yet even with that knowledge, it has taken them weeks to apologise or take action, grudgingly repeating the same tired mantra “it’s within the rules”.
All of it just goes to show that our political masters can not possibly be called “honerable” again.
I’ve been involved myself in a battle with the establishment. I know how hard it can be and what force they can bring against you. So I must really congratulate you on your determination and on the results you have finally managed to deliver!
Paul
May 15th, 2009 at 12:55 pm
Brilliant article and Heather has every right to be very proud. Presumably the disc that the Telegraph received was data that was being prepared as a result of her FOI request. So really the major credit goes to her.
What is very galling is how the MPs are falling over themselves to blame the system (having found to have abused it). Yet they were the ones trying to suppress this information coming out in to the public domain. They knew along what was happening in the system, they had the power to change it all along. It is only because of the public reaction that they’re changing their tune. Who knows how many more years this set up would have continued had it not been for the leaks and the High Court judgement.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Well done – you are a bloody hero!
I hope that you and we get a chance to examine the next scandal – their ex-parliamentary fees, directorships and consultancies.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Thank you for the article. Thanks even more for the meticulous, brave work that you have put in lo these many years. I can understand your er, irritation with the Telegraph, but have no doubt, you’re the one who’ll be remembered as the real author of this triumph.
Move over Hildy Johnson!
May 15th, 2009 at 1:30 pm
I came here via the Guardian article.
As a 20 year old who is otherwise completely uninterested in politics, I have to say, your enthusiasm for this case is breathtakingly inspiring.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Well done! You should be very proud of all your hard work and of your achievement! I’m extremely impressed.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
Wonderful piece, which I really enjoyed reading. Thanks for having so much determination.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Heather,
You’re a star!
In addition to the shake up of MPs’ allowances, does not this whole episode suggest that it nis also time for a shake up of the Freedom of Information regime in England & Wales? In Scotland we are generally pleased with the effectiveness, efficiency and even-handedness of Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion and FoI is working pretty well. South of the border things do not seem to be going as well.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Heather, WOT ^ they said ! And please lets get the shredding of (handwritten especially)minutes of meetings in councils and in the houses banned- all shredders banned- file every written and spoken word as recorded and filmed? Make them recorded by cctv and sound throughout the duration of their working day, they shouldn’t object if there’s nothing to hide should they? They need to be watched closely now, don’t you think?
May 15th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Not a lot to add except – excellent work. At a time when the very future of the journalist profession is so up in the air it reminds us all what a vital job so many of them do.
Congratulations.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Don’t worry, Heather. For some reason, the Telegraph doesn’t seem to have run a story about the expenses claimed by Telegraph columnist Boris Johnson, when he was an MP. Looks like you’ll get the chance to dig into that one at least, when the details are finally published.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I would very much like to add my huge congratulations to Heather. I was involved as a researcher for years trying to get the FOI Act established before 2000. Despite its many procedural imperfections, unjustifiable exclusions and appeal process hurdles – which Heather describes so well and with good humour today in G2 – with untamed persistence and dogged determination, positiive outcomes can be won. Just to demonstrate some positive good coming out of the mired morrass into which MPs and their (over)privileged Parliamentary system has got many of them, I have posted below a new Early Day Motion that will appear on Monday’s Commons Order Papers, tabled by Dai Davies, independent MP for Blaenau Gwent, for whom I do some research.
Dr David Lowry
EDM – Windfall Fund and assistance to poorest communities
That this House proposes a Windfall Fund be created by the repayment of monies by Honourable and Right Honourable members following excessive expenses and allowances claims in recent years; believes this fund should be used as a matter of urgency to assist the poorest communities in the country, to assist small businesses and voluntary organizations survive during the extremely difficult economic conditions being faced; and calls upon the appropriate authorities to put such assistance into action at the earliest date
May 15th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
congrats Heather, first time visiting this site after reading the fascinating G2 article. Enlightening to read about the real reason this is all out in the open now. Will have to read your book now to find out more..
May 15th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Thank you Heather Brooke.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
Warmest congratulations – the exposure is so long overdue and so very, very entertaining..
May 15th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I do notthink the media are behaving rationally. I don’t think “Well done”. Pay M.P’s a good salary with no expenses claims and provide flats where necessary. What are your expenses claims Heather somebody has to be paying them…. Share Holders?
Do we want to get back to only wealthy people becoming M.P’s?
You are doing a great dis-service to democracy because most people will not think beyond the headlines and will not vote .
The press have to sell newspapers so they are very pleased to get on the band wagon
Please if you have to dig for dirt can you do so to fellow journalists T.V. and radio presenters.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Thank you so much for all of your hard work. You are a terrific person.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:14 pm
I would be delighted if someone could post the raw data to Wikileaks and allow the collective eyepower of the Internet to audit each and every claim.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:44 pm
You deserve honouring. Every one go here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Governmentcitizensandrights/UKgovernment/Honoursawardsandmedals/DG_067917 and get nominating.
May 15th, 2009 at 4:58 pm
Thank you.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Thank you for the sheer determination that brought all the scum to the surface. However, my experience of UK politics over the last 60 years tells me not to hope for some headlong rush to true democracy. We’ll more likely see enquiries, smokescreens and distraction, with the possibility of a couple of high profile heads rolling, and a bit of tinkering with the system. Otherwise known as the ‘Famous British Compromise’. Or fudge, to use acceptable vernacular.
Looking to the near future, these MPs who are now so vocal in their complaints, will soon have far more to feel uncomfortable about – when they are sharing the benches with the MPs of the BNP, which will surely happen, and will be a situation entirely of their own making. The news on the 5th of June could be a portent of the big match to come.
May 15th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
A quick congrats from across the pond, in Canada.
Bravo! M’lady Bravo!
May 15th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Many thanks for all your great work on Freedom of Information.
Time to add your name to the title on the web site now you are becoming well known.
You deserve some payback with your own branding.
May 15th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Heather you absolutely rock. I’ve despaired over the past few years and to watch that foul shower of MPs be arrayed in the stocks has done my heart good. You deserve all the press awards going. And you’re really hot! Thank you.
May 15th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Much as Michael might appreciate your offer once he’s out of a job, perhaps we’re the ones who should be inviting you for lunch, as it wouldn’t have happened without you.
Congratulations on this success, and thank you for your efforts.
I hope it’s the start of a new era in British democracy.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
I have just learned of your efforts – I think you have made an outstanding contribution to UK politics and have brought much needed credit to journalism. I hope some of your fellow journalists start following you lead.
May 15th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Great article Heather. Well done on your persistence and courage. I cannot believe how these MPs – some of whom I have admired, campaigned for – and defended – over the years can behave like this. The small mindedness is astonishing. The Telegraph may have started all this pursuing a political agenda to unseat Brown but now it has got bigger and bigger. I stupidly thought that Labour MPs would have a higher moral code – how wrong I was!
May 15th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Don’t be happy with a mere 15 minutes of fame. You’ve doggedly kept plugging away at this. Don’t stop now.
You are finally getting the recognition for all of your hard work. Now you have to stay there. Don’t disappear now that you’ve got this shower of bastards on the back foot.
Maintain your tenacity, keep digging, and uncover as much as you can.
:)
May 16th, 2009 at 12:27 am
All these people who think shooting fish in a barrel make you a FANTASTIC JOURNALIST… astonishing. In 2007-2008 financial year, the UK government spent 557,400 million pounds. The total cost of paying MPs and ministers was 366 million pounds. That is 0.06 % of government expenditure. But we aren’t talking about the 99.94%. No no. Because you’ve managed to start this moronic crusade. Most reasonable people would say we have the most honest politicians on the planet. Hounding them over a few thousand pounds of expenses is not just trivial, it is harmful. The main effect will be to make poorer people less likely to risk becoming an MP. A secondary effect will be to ruin the careers of perfectly honest people over pittances. Fantastic. You are a genius.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:43 am
Excellent Heather. Keep up the good fight for the public’s right to know.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:43 am
well done, good work. the best part of it is that after Britain then other countries in Europe will have to follow suit.
May 16th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Thank-you Heather,
for your determination exposing these abusers of public monies,now can you also expose the Lobbyists and Banksters that also fund these corrupt parasites with large brown envelopes stuff with cash just like the crooked peers that have been suspended recently.
You deserved to be made a Baroness.
May 16th, 2009 at 4:59 am
Congratulations on your excellent work. 2004 seems so far away now, when Perth and Kinross council officials regarded my requests as an affront to civilization as we know it. Thank goodness for your dogged determination in pursuing this and the culture change that will result. I hope we see an end to the feudal attitude taken by so many public servants who prefer to see themselves as “public authorities’ and cloak their work in secrecy.
Speaker Martin epitomised this approach. Well done you for sending him on his way.
May 16th, 2009 at 6:23 am
Congratulations Heather, I read the G2 article with incredulity at how long and hard you had to battle, when summarised like that it is amazing that you persevered for so long.
You and your legal team deserve to be honoured with a life peerage or something similiarly appropriate :)
May 16th, 2009 at 6:56 am
Great job! A really tremendous saga of sheer tenacity, guts and determination.
You deserve the gratitude of the nation for showing us just what sort of immoral and unprincipled people walk the corridors of Westminster.
…Now how about doing a similar job on Government quangos and uncover what’s really going on in local government and in the rest of Britain’s public organisations.
May 16th, 2009 at 6:58 am
well done for all you excellent hard work, you have shown that the truth is needed for real democracy to work, not the sham that has been British politics for many a year
May 16th, 2009 at 7:00 am
Thanks Heather, you have provided a massive service to the British people, should be knighted!!
The pressure must be kept up through the European, Local and next General Elections so we (the public) do not forget what has happened.
I find it difficult to put into words how I feel about this whole issue. My retired father is still paying tax on his pension!
Thanks again.
Richard.
May 16th, 2009 at 7:54 am
Well done Brooke for all your hard work. it couldn’t have been easy but now the time and effort must really be paying off. These MPs deserve to go, not only for their colourful expenses claims in the first place but for the manner in which they’ve tried to hide them. Diolch yn fawr. And may i add that you’re an exceptionally attractive woman as well. Keep up the good work.
May 16th, 2009 at 8:13 am
Heather, I have been severely critical of the news media for some years. I am old enough to recall daily radio news bulletins giving the nation coverage of home and world news plus a complete run down on WW2 on 15/30 minute radio slots about six times a day. I could never understand a TV coverage that had anchorpeople for every topic being mentioned. The anchor (or two) starting the story then transferring to ‘our correspondent in Westminster, Baghdad, Washington, the Isle of Wight you name it. I have lost count of the number of sports, weather, political, foreign, regional and ‘expert’ correspondents there are on Sky and the BBC 24/7. This is without CNN, Russia Today, Fox News, etc. Following your recent excellent work I am now happy that we have all this. Will you now be looking at the expenses claimed by journalists?
May 16th, 2009 at 8:50 am
Just wondering what is your career? I have fought unnecessary poverty in Africa. Injustice in the criminal system, ripping apart families. Helped people fight a fascist regime. Helped fight elections for different parties at different times that I thought were best for the country. You have put all your energies into this campaign to find out what TVs our MPs buy. I’m sorry, I don’t understand. More people have got more angry about these pathetic expenses claims than about wars, hunger, poverty and injustice put together. This is not a defining moment in our political history. This is the revenge of the unambitious, small minded and puritan. I implore you, put your energies into something more positive, please.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I wasn’t even aware of how or why this whole “scandal” happened until reading an article on the bbc site this morning. Well done for sorting out the UK politician expenses.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:52 am
Excellent work, Miss Brooke. We owe you a debt of gratitude. It is a pity that the British press, the BBC and the “clean” MPs didn’t themselves draw the public’s attention to the potential (never mind the actual) abuse of the allowance system. In my mind they are all guilty by omission.
May 16th, 2009 at 10:03 am
Well done you. You have done a phenomenal job and I can only imagine how hard it must have been to keep fighting in the face of MPs’ determination
to maintain the cover-up. Thank you. You should be recognised for what you have achieved, but no doubt your contributions to party funds are not sufficiently generous…
May 16th, 2009 at 10:08 am
I salute you – a lesser person would have given up
May 16th, 2009 at 10:12 am
So, what sort of FoIs should we be asking of our local councillors?
May 16th, 2009 at 10:22 am
CONGRATULATIONS on your fine pieces of journalism and dogged persistence in the FOI news story.
Do not allow those preening, corrupt, venal and in a very few cases, dangerous, Members of Parliament to put you off serving the Public Interest with integrity and genuine concern: Attitudes to your work which it appears a large number of MPs have forgotten entirely is the purpose of holding Public Office.
Be very aware that henceforth the knives are very definitely out for you; what may have seemed the heated and acrimonious world of ‘american politics’ is nothing compared to the Westminster Village as you will discover in the next year or so.
Unlike in the States these MPs, Peers and Civil Servants still expect to rule, believe they should rule and of course with no written Constitution are able to self-perpetuate their powers in any and all circumstances.
Whilst you laudably believe this is the turning point for a new, better ‘democracy’, it is unlikely to occur in the United Kingdom: How else do you think it possible after 3 of the Nations belonging to the ‘Union’ have taken Devolved powers the 49,000,000 English Citizens are still ruled by a Scottish Prime Minister!?
No, unfortunately for the average UK Citizen, these 650 MPs and their fellow-travellers the Peerrs of the Realm and Senior Civil Servants will close ranks and frankly, with no laws or rules etc. already in place how will any genuine Reform be possible when those affected do not actually have to make any such change. You may think Public pressure will force improvements: You will find a Royal Commission lasting anything from 9 to 18 months will take copious evidence from all over and come back with recommendations which all will greet with alacrity and nothing else!
That’s Democracy in the 21st Century UK!
May 16th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Please accept my thanks for what you’ve done. If the Speaker doesn’t take you up on that meal, I’ll be glad to – and I’ll pay for it.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Dear Heather,
Well done.
Do you think there may be one or two vacant seats in Parliament. Have you considered standing?
We will need a lot more honest people in Parliament in future.
What do you think?
May 16th, 2009 at 11:07 am
That these appalling practices have been exposed is only right. Iam depressed and dismayed with our elected reps. So for that well done. However, I dont think what os going on is anything new. I think Stephen Fry made an important point when he said the UK media are on the whole the most venile and repulsive bunch when it comes to integrity. If the salaries and expenses and lifestyles of journos were published I think we would soon realise that most of the media establishment in this country is pretty corrupt itself. Worst, they have no longer report the news they create it. Worst still we swallow it hook, line and sinker. I am not sure that all this will inevitably lead to greater democracy and greater democratic involvement. It could lead to utter disillusionment and apathy and open the way for something worst.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:15 am
Sorry heather just read you article on the BBC website and I have to say you present a reasoned argument on the strengthening of democracy that this expense fiasco will lead to. However you leap to assumptions and make generalities that I have to say weaken your whole argument. I dont think there is any connection between failed IT projects and MPs ability to manage their expenses, but I accept that I have not analyzed this in detail. However for a start many government IT projects are successful and most are at least as successful as those in the private sector. So please if you are going to argue that we need to know the details of MPs expenses before we can trust them to govern us, back this up with evidence or at least correlated facts rather than speculation and assumptions.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:24 am
For those criticising Heather’s determinedness and the Telegraph’s decision to publish the data:
The information was going to be released in time, but with addresses redacted. So we would not have known about “flipping” or second/third house claims or all the other stuff. The “security” claim was a smokescreen to hide all this.
If the claims were reasonable, understandable, justified and above board then why is there such a massive outcry? Because many of them were utterly unacceptable. Heather didn’t “dig for dirt” – she simply sought to find out how tax payers’ money is being spent, which is what many FOI requests are about.
And why did MPs try so very hard to block release of their expenses? Now we know.
Well MPs, when it comes to your expenses, and as you so delight in telling us citizens again and again (as you try to collect more and more personal data about us), if you have nothing to hide then you have nothing to fear….
May 16th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Well done. Hildy Johnson would be proud.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Good. Now examine the lobbying firm connections between clients of former aide to Tony Blair, Lord Philip Gould, and the appointment to the OGC of so-called “independent” planning consultants commissioned without tendering by local authority planning officers who work under Westminster delegated powers, over which John Prescott was reported to have said “it would seem conflicts of interest are not uncommon”. Then ask Norman Lamb, Lib Dem MP (a good guy as far as I know) what this has to do with the Royal Town Planning Institute, and why they failed to implement their code of conduct which would otherwise have regulated the uncontrolled development of supermarkets resonsible for the destruction of small town centres and much of the social decay around us. While you are at it, ask Jack McConnell why he replied “I could end up in all kinds of trouble if I answered that question yes or no” in response to “Do you consider it appropriate that private firms of planning consultants, whose clients include international supermarkets, should be commissioned by planning officers to write so-called “independent” reports where local councils are in receipt of planning applications by the very same clients, yes or no?” And finally, of our council in Dumfries & Galloway, ask why when presented with a trained solicitor’s opinion on what actually constitutes a conflict of interest, they now consider all correspondence on the matter to be closed. Have I said enough?
May 16th, 2009 at 11:59 am
It makes me laugh that there are still comments from people who cannot understand the severity of this situation. like their castle is on fire and they are still trying to get someone to clean their moat or hang their chandalier. Can’t they smell the smoke! Heather should be given a place in government. The Minister for Honesty.
May 16th, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Firstly, congratulations and well done in getting this in the public eye.
In reponse to Ian Deller, the prominent example is the NHS NPflT programme. Progress has been pursued by, notably, Computer Weekly and they have been met with the similar obfuscation and resistance to publishing details as the MP expenses. http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmhealth/422/422we18.htm
There are private IT projects that have wasted money but the real difference is that none have ever been allowed to grow so large and the taxpayer is not funding them.
Finally, what are we going to do about it? Is there real potential for a new ‘white suit’ party that can set out the rules clearly and stick to them?
May 16th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Just want to thank you for uncovering the truth about our career politicians, this information is not trivial it is an essential insight into the character ( or lack of ) of our elected members. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed watching arrogant greedy sociopaths ( MPs ) try to justify their greed to the country. This can only serve to strengthen democracy, I look forward to a New Parliament and an elected second chamber. This has been a great week for British politics, heart felt thanks Heather it could’nt have been easy for you, but you stuck it out and gave us ordinary folk hope for the future.
May 16th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Hi Heather,
Bravo for the quality and tenacity of your investigation! British journalism today, at all levels and in all media, needs many more like you.
I particularly liked the start of your piece on the BBC News site: “Britain trades on a mythical reputation of democracy. The more you dig into the reality, the less you believe that myth.”
You are absolutely right, and the whole issue of freedom of information in Britain (compared to Sweden, for example) amply demonstrates the refusal of the ‘rulers’ to be accountable to the ‘ruled’.
Keep up the good work, because the Westminster “club” still has plenty of other opaque areas that need the searchlight of public interest.
May 16th, 2009 at 2:06 pm
Dear Heather.
Well done! It took a lot of guts and patience to do what you have done. As for those who criticise your efforts, especially on the grounds that there are far more important things to care about, whether it be wars, famine, etc. Doesn’t it occur to these people that to bring an end to ANY injustice in the world a start has to be made somewhere – however innocuous it may appear to some, and by showing the world how venal many of our elected representatives are you have made a start. I only wish that the rest of the British media would give you the credit you deserve.
Ken.
May 16th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
This article is a wonderful piece of work and you are to be congratulated upon your fantastic investigative journalism. You have every right to be very proud. You certainly set the ball rolling and look what is happening now!! Well done on behalf of all exasperated tax-payers.
May 16th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
Perhaps now you can start on the hidden crime detection figures, senior police officer bonus payments and the scandal of “non validation” of crimes within 72 hours? You know it makes sense. Well done for exposing the truth about the Westminster fraud.
May 16th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Delighted to see your efforts yielded such results. The price of freedom is eternal vigilance indeed.
May 16th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
I read your piece on the BBC website and you say this is a chance to revolutionise British politics.
I hope not.
The press, public and politicians are frothing at the mouth with righteous indignation about the expenses and this, for me, is a ‘BIG WARNING’. We’ve had this arm-waving hysteria before. In the past, when politicians have been forced into a corner over an issue (like the Dangerous Dogs Act), they have enacted rushed and bad laws. They have reacted to the furore of the moment and not looked beyond.
I am in no way excusing the behaviour of slippery politicians, but there is an echo from the disintegration of past governments. Generally, the seemingly unimpeachable governments, that came to power on the ticket of eliminating sleaze, end up falling snout-first into the pig trough.
Regulation is required, and this may include a simple lump sum allowance for these ducking and diving MPs. They have clearly had too much room for manoeuvre, slack auditing of their expenditure and some have given into temptation.
But taking a step back and getting the next empenses regime right is better than acting in haste and repenting at leisure.
Best regards
A
May 16th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Maybe it’s now time to go after the expense claims of the civil service? I’ve heard talk of similar outrageous expenses and of a similarly secretive culture.
Good work Heather.
May 16th, 2009 at 4:40 pm
Thank you Heather, the nation owes you a great debt of gratitude.
May 16th, 2009 at 4:43 pm
When do we move onto Local Councillors? In Brighton we have 31 elected, not employed, Councillors who have decided to join the Local Government pension scheme which means we will be giving them tax payers money long after they have been removed or remove themselves from office!
May 16th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Dear Heather, supoerb article. All your hard work, at times it may have seemed was for nothing, but at the end well worth it. You are the real star of this whole episode and people will not forget.
Do you have a website of your own ????????
Regards
Paul Whitty, Zuirch, Switzerkand
May 16th, 2009 at 5:08 pm
BBC are crediting you Heather
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8053264.stm
May 16th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
Dear Heather
I’m an italian married to a british, together with my daily it.newspaper I also read the Telegraph.
In Italy no newspaper or Tv talked about the MP’s espenses for the first 4 days.I was upset with my newspaper ‘Libero’ for the simple reason that politicaly is very near to the Telegrath, so I wrote a letter to the editor,the next day finally an article from a former telegraph’s journalist: Nichoals Farrell, who now lives in Italy, also the italian readers have been able to read the story,finally today also ‘Il corriere’ write about you and what you did.
It’s a shame that in Italy we don’t have journalist like you.
The left one criticise the right or viceversa,and reader count nothing.
Concernig the scandal I think it all started here:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1179994/MPs-Expenses-Tony-Blairs-296-000-mortgage-constituency-home-bought-30-000.html.
Thanks to you all the mess came out, thanks again for the work also because I live in UK 6 months a year.
Nicholas Farrell’s article
http://www.libero-news.it/articles/view/544658
May 16th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Yes the Myth of democracy is about right. With a Royal Family and a House of Lords at the top end and various old boy networks manipulating questionable planning authorities and the police at the other. But the British have always comfortably lived under the myth that we do things better and more honestly than those nasty foreigners; ask Stephen Fry, he knows. perhaps he shares the same trough.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
The sickening thing is, that even if some of these crooks are voted out, they have recently voted themselves an increased ‘winding up allowance’ and an ‘re settlement grants.’ – see column 7 of expenses and green book for details. Still nobody has mentioned their second jobs, their heavily discounted tea rooms, bars, restaurants final salary pensions and discounted gyms.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:55 pm
Exceptional work, outstanding passion. It is good to see a stand for values and integrity made public. While the likes of Mr. Fry may deem it petty, it is precisely the petty nature of this cheating and the subsequent refuge in arrogance that makes it so deplorable. In fact the smaller the theft the more unnecessary and cynical. It only highlights its premeditated nature. Cheating is cheating, there are no two ways to it. What can one expect from individuals that not only can’t keep their hands out of the cookie jar, but seek to trivialize both their wrong doing and those who expose it. Democracy?
Thanks!
Regards
Ralph, Melbourne, AUS.
May 16th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Kudos! And thank you.
We’ve covered you in The Scandal and the Heroine – http://www.britsattheirbest.com/002861.php
We quoted copiously from the Wall Street Journal, which has a good write-up.
All the best.
May 17th, 2009 at 12:17 am
great work Heather. i think your getting the respect you finally deserve.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:44 am
You’re my hero!
You should write a book about your five year odyssey even though the disc was finally leaked to the press. It wouldn’t have happened without you.
I am surprised your patriotism wasn’t questioned to dissuade you from proceeding. Or wasn’t it? (I know you were born in the US but I couldn’t determine whether you were an American or British, not that it should matter, except to make sense of my question.)
Do you think you would have been able to get this far if you were still working for the BBC? The reason I ask is because the BBC seems at times to shy away from hurting the reputation of the government on which it depends for its budget. I know the BBC is supposed to be independent but I sometimes wonder if their editors are immune to persuasion by fealty.
May 17th, 2009 at 11:52 am
Brilliant stuff. Now please find out the expenses for the ‘royal’ family. I bet that’s FAR worse than anything the MP’s have done…..
May 17th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Brilliant, diligent, persistent work. Your phrase “I wanted the detail. That’s where you find the truth.” has become my new faviorite quote – its true of so many other things in government policy too. Pity about the generality of journalists though.
May 17th, 2009 at 7:51 pm
Ah widnae sup wi’ ye, ye scunner! Usin’ a’ yer freedom o’ infurmation stuff an’ a’ that, it jist isnae oan! Ye wee bisom!
There’s only ane Heather ah’ve goat any time fir, and that’s Heather wi’ the Weather oan the BBC Scotland weather forecasts! So dinnae come roond ta ma hoose sniffin’ fir a date, cause ye winnae get one and Mary Doll micht lamp ye ane wi’ the fryin pan! Ye couldnae afford ma tastes onyway (deep fried foie gras an’ Mars Bars fir starters, wi’ a gold-plated munchy box an’ Irn Bru special reserve tae follow) an’ ah widnae waste mah own accoont on the likes o’ ye!
Dinnae ye fash, noo. Gordon will get a’ the backbenchers tae vote fir me if they have ony vote. He disnae trust onyone else, he’s like that Hitler radge in thon Doonfall film or that nutter oot ae Trainspottin.
http://speakermartin.blogspot.com/
May 17th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
I agree with Paul who said
I came here via the Guardian article.
As a 20 year old who is otherwise completely uninterested in politics, I have to say, your enthusiasm for this case is breathtakingly inspiriring.
I have read all the comments and would like to add: please don’t let the handful of people who don’t believe you have done a great, important job, get you down. You’ll never please everyone. And regarding he chap who said people should be trying to solve wars, corrupt dictators etc., rather than petty expenses claims of MPs; yes those things are more important, but we need people to take on the slightly less important stuff too. Thank the gods for people like you.
May 18th, 2009 at 7:11 am
Thank you Heather, I am amazed that it took a US citizen to get this information under the FOI Act. To see what the cheating British MPs are spending our Taxpayers money on.
Once again thank you.
May 18th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Another person forwarded from the Guardian article, and I just want to add my name to the chorus of thanks to you for your work over the years.
May 18th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
You deserve a medal, in fact several, for turning over these stones and revealing the nasty things that have crawled out.
Thanks very much indeed.
May 19th, 2009 at 10:26 am
It would be nice if The Telegraph were to loudly acknowledge that their current success is based on all the hard work you have done for years, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Never mind. Next year when Joanna Lumley is Prime Minister I’m sure you will get the honourary damehood you so richly deserve.
May 19th, 2009 at 4:11 pm
Hi Heather,
Great result so far but we still have to reform MP’s expenses & Pay, Police expenses & pay, Council expenses & pay Hospital Managers & Pay etc etc etc. Today Speaker Martin is in the process of going, that is one down and many more to go, on and on and on but if we all get behind you we can do it!!!!
May 20th, 2009 at 6:09 am
Sorry what I forgot to say was the way I see it is the greed of our politicians has spread down into all aspects of public service. We are top heavy with Managers who are only in it for the next pay rise or bonus. It is so easy just to cut services but a really good Manager would try to keep the service going while looking for ways to cut out waste. Lincolnshire Hospital Trust is an excellent example, they always have money to employ another Manager but are slow in getting funding for a bowel screening campaign to save peoples lives. Intimidation and control from the top is often used to keep people lower down the chain from highlighting problems, just look at what went on at Stafford Hospital Heather you have campaigned for openness and honesty in the way money for our police service is used. Britain is in a big mess from the top down and we have to clean things up!
May 20th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Heather’s passion and dedication to Freedom of Information, and her quest for greater transparency in English government, will do nothing but strengthen the British government. In addition, I believe it will hopefully restore the people’s now-shaken respect for the institution and the public servants entrusted with keeping it all running. I know for many British citizens, having experienced no other type of government, they cannot truly understand what it means to have a transparent and responsive government serving them. As an American, I cannot imagine living under any other form of government. However, after living in England for almost two years, I was shocked at the glaring disregard for the public and the sheer, vulgar disregard for the people by her public servants. Heather’s pioneering work can do nothing but make the U.K. a better, more equitable society for everyone! Brava, Heather, Brava!!
May 22nd, 2009 at 11:39 pm
One and sixteenth-ed!
October 1st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Now could you please come back to america and finish cleaning our den of snakes here?
UW Engineer, Washington state, USA
February 27th, 2010 at 2:52 pm
Having done such a wonderful job in exposing the fiasco of the MPs expenses, please continue with your investigative powers in making sure that all MPs who have broken the law are brought to justice. If I had committed fraud on the scale of the MPs I would have been arrested and charged – and quite rightly. Please reply as I would really like to know if you are still pursuing our arrogant MPs.
February 28th, 2010 at 10:01 pm
Heather We are so proud of you.
Please continue your exceptionally good work
Stuart & Patricia Marcus
email: patricia.marcus@gmail.com