MP watches adult movies at taxpayer's expense

[mongrel]

The Home Secretary claims expenses for subscription TV including pay per view adult movies, at my expense. Are they having a larf???? If she's that desparate to see some balls why can't she visit Yvette Coopers husband, Ed?


http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...w-1656788.html

[Eien]

Ach mein gott O.Oa that's desperate.

[Yorkshireman]

Its always a 'mistake' whenever they get caught doing anything wrong, if they're so befuddled by paying a simple bill, what are they doing running the country.

I'd have more respect for her if she just admitted she'd been watching lesbian porn.

[Viking Prince]

The bill was for the video portion of the telecom account. She should have only submitted the internet portion for reimb. What she watxhed may be amusing, but is really not the point.

[Yorkshireman]

The bill was for the video portion of the telecom account. She should have only submitted the internet portion for reimb. What she watxhed may be amusing, but is really not the point.

This is'nt just about a tv bill, theres a whole ongoing scandal in UK politics at the moment about the mis-use opf MP's expenses, not £5 for an internet connection, but millions of pounds thats being used wrongly or breaking the guidelines on what its for. On top of that, parliament is stalling on revealing this to the public after being ordered to by the courts. Its a big deal, especially in the current economic climate, people are'nt prepared to stand them guzzling at the trough of taxpayers money whilst thousands of people are loosing their jobs. This particular MP, Smith, is already embroiled in controversy over mis-use of thousands of pounds whilst claiming for a second home.

You need to read the whole article.

[Viking Prince]

This is'nt just about a tv bill, theres a whole ongoing scandal in UK politics at the moment about the mis-use opf MP's expenses, not £5 for an internet connection, but millions of pounds thats being used wrongly or breaking the guidelines on what its for. On top of that, parliament is stalling on revealing this to the public after being ordered to by the courts. Its a big deal, especially in the current economic climate, people are'nt prepared to stand them guzzling at the trough of taxpayers money whilst thousands of people are loosing their jobs. This particular MP, Smith, is already embroiled in controversy over mis-use of thousands of pounds whilst claiming for a second home.

You need to read the whole article.

I read the article. Despite what others have done, this is about a simple expense report that includes a simple mistake and should not be confused with reimbursements for interest on a residence. Just because there is a adult pic purchase is the only reason this is getting coverage. The news media wants to sell product, I do not have to get excited over this little bit of gossip.

[mongrel]

The bill was for the video portion of the telecom account. She should have only submitted the internet portion for reimb. What she watxhed may be amusing, but is really not the point.

I shall add to Yorkshireman's robust arguments by saying that in many professions, such misuse of expenses, inadvertent or otherwise, is treated as gross misconduct, possibly leading to dismissal.

Can't she pay for her own internet, we do, don't we?

Dear God its amazing what a gift Smith is to the Tories.

Absolutely.

[Viking Prince]

Making something out of nothing? That's what sells the news media, but is it a good method to run the government. Correct the silly claim for reinbursement and be done with it. Good Grief.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Dear God its amazing what a gift Smith is to the Tories.

[removeduser_487563287433]

This is, though, I have to say, going to be taken too far. The scent of public humiliation of a female MPs husband using tax payers money to purchase pornography is going to turn extremely vitriol extremely quickly.

[Каие]

I am starting to feel sorry for these New Labour politicians. With the recent Dawn Butler failure in a committee which lost the government a whole clause thanks to Lib-Con cooperation and the failure of Labour MP's to attempt to catch the speakers eye in PMQ's effectively abandoning Harman, I see the aura of defeatism, reminiscent of Major's men in '96.

Not sure if she meant this or it was honest mistake, to be honest I am inclined to think the latter. I am not surprised she failed to do such a simple task, because not to be too harsh, she's been completely out of her depth as Home Secretary from the start, and a bad whip before that. This is the trouble with putting your allies in the cabinet simply for being allies.

edit:

According to Dale, this is technically legal.

The thing is. While entertaining Rosie Palm and her five daughters, Richard Timney hasn't, in theory, done anything wrong. The rules allow MPs not just to claim for mortgage interest on a second home, but also to furnish it and pay for "services". These include Cable TV and Sky. Perhaps individual PPV films don't qualify, but in the rules there is nothing to stop film and sport packages being claimed for, as well as news channels.

This is, though, I have to say, going to be taken too far. The scent of public humiliation of a female MPs husband using tax payers money to purchase pornography is going to turn extremely vitriol extremely quickly.

...and then be forgotten as soon as something more juicy comes along. In good old British media tradition. Maybe more details will emerge from Mr. Griffith to draw away their attention.

[Ältester der Motten]

If she's that desparate to see some balls why can't she visit Yvette Coopers husband, Ed?

Now he would be really desperate to let that happen, whoever he is.

[mongrel]

Now he would be really desperate to let that happen, whoever he is.

His name, for those not in the know, is Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary.

This is, though, I have to say, going to be taken too far. The scent of public humiliation of a female MPs husband using tax payers money to purchase pornography is going to turn extremely vitriol extremely quickly.

Quite ironic, seeing that she has effectively banned BDSM pornography and is drafting legislation for a database that will track our use of the internet. Unfortunately, nemesis often follows hubris.

[Ältester der Motten]

Ah, I understand now.

[The Longbowman]

Why the bloody hell do politicians get expenses anyway?!

My God that Jacqui Smith is a first class moron. Although we clearly have the same taste in tele.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Politicians get expenses because you cannot expect an MP to sleep rough when he spends Friday and Saturday working in his constituency.

[The Longbowman]

Politicians get expenses because you cannot expect an MP to sleep rough when he spends Friday and Saturday working in his constituency.

Sleeping rough?! Are you having a laugh. They earn up from 60k a year and there are digs provided for them in London. Up the basic salary, provide more 'free' accomodation and cut the expenses. Quite simple really.

[removeduser_487563287433]

Sleeping rough?! Are you having a laugh. They earn up from 60k a year and there are digs provided for them in London. Up the basic salary, provide more 'free' accomodation and cut the expenses. Quite simple really.

MPs are paid relatively modestly when compared to general public sector salaries. The Prime Minister receives a salary comprable to a mid-ranking army officer. It is in the interest of representative democracy that MPs be provided with suitable housing and travel in their constituencies. It would be stupid to overreact just because some MPs are abusing their expenses.

What a lot of people do not realise is that MP's expenses also go towards things like staffing. The people on absolutely nothing at all who are the ones who sort out your housing, visa and council problems and generally listen patiently to your ranting.

[mongrel]

MPs are paid relatively modestly when compared to general public sector salaries. The Prime Minister receives a salary comprable to a mid-ranking army officer. It is in the interest of representative democracy that MPs be provided with suitable housing and travel in their constituencies. It would be stupid to overreact just because some MPs are abusing their expenses.

What a lot of people do not realise is that MP's expenses also go towards things like staffing. The people on absolutely nothing at all who are the ones who sort out your housing, visa and council problems and generally listen patiently to your ranting.

I have no problem with what one would call business expenses, such as staffing, verifiable office expenses etc
.
However some expenses go beyond any reasonable person would consider legitimate in some cases

Apart from the controversy about whether we should fund her for staying in her sister's spare room, there is the matter of us taxpayers paying for her furnishings, for example a £500 quid kitchen sink, 88p for a bath plug (the tight git),a £460 dining room table, a £704 sofabed, a £1,000 antique fireplace plus expenses for the cost of coal to burn in it, a Hotpoint cooker, £399, Hotpoint tumble dryer worth £189 and two washing machines in under two years, a £249 Ariston and a Zanussi worth nearly £300. We have also forked out for DVD players, two Samsung widescreen televisions and two digital set-top boxes worth more than £1,100.

The average person is expected to service their own mortgages, or pay rent, feed and clothe themselves and furnish their houses on half an MP's salary, often less. this level of largess cannot be justifiable.

I find it somewhat disturbing that this is probably well on track for being given exposure than proper scandals. This is a minor card, but the "moral" angle is going to charge things ridiculously out of proportion.

If it helps to hold MPs into account for the wider issues, I'm all for it.

[mongrel]

A slight diversion, I have received a heads up from someone in Leyton.


Harry Cohen this time. When challenged as to why the taxpayer had to foot the bill for his mortgage payments, he said,

“I am almost certainly the most professional MP Leyton and Wanstead has ever had, and that includes Winston Churchill,”

Yes, this virtually unknown backbencher, scrounging off us taxpayers, thinks he's better than the man who led Britain through it's darkest, yet finest period of it's history. Words fail me.

http://www.guardian-series.co.uk/new...es_claim_list/