MPs snouts in the trough

[JohnD]

MP paid taxpayer money to his son, pretending he was working as a researcher

"Mr Conway was reprimanded by the Standards Committee after "no record" was found of Freddie Conway doing any work for him as a researcher.

The student was paid more than £40,000 for his three-year employment period."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7214573.stm

"...His elder son Henry Conway was mentioned by the committee as having a similar research assistant role before his brother took over."

...MPs are given allowances to run their office and pay their staff and there are no rules to stop wives, husbands, sons, daughters and other family members working for them.

I see the average MP claims about £90,000 a year as "staffing costs." I wonder how much of this goes to sons, daughters, wives and mistresses?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/mai...CBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/10/26/nexpenses226.xml

These MPs are our employees, yet they decide their own pay, over-generous pensions and allowances, without consulting us - and, it seems, pay our money to family members without them doing any work for us. If we had a business, and we employed an office manager, what would we do if we discovered he was padding the payroll ith his own family, who were not actually doing any work for our business, but were being paid by us? Would we just sack him, or would we try to have him prosecuted for fraud and conspiracy?

 

[joe-90]

MPs are under paid. They should give him a pay rise.

 

[ellal]

If we had a business, and we employed an office manager, what would we do if we discovered he was padding the payroll ith his own family, who were not actually doing any work for our business, but were being paid by us? Would we just sack him, or would we try to have him prosecuted for fraud and conspiracy?

Depends on whether you were doing the same really...

That's how government works!...

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

John D, you seem shocked by this, scandals such as this are uncovered all the time, dodgy payments into election funds, dodgy property deals etc etc

The guy will get the sack (but he will be back in politics after a reasonable amount of time), he will be replaced by another MP who no doubt will find some way of fiddling his expenses.

 

[joe-90]

What should happen is that there is a parliament wide investigation to see who pays who what. Even Ming Campbell's missus is on the books.

Obviously it won't happen as there's be a huge shortage of MPs in the aftermath. It's OK to be a crook in parliament - just don't get caught with your hand in the till.

 

[AtoZ]

loads of them use their wives as staff and there is nothing wrong with that if they work.
the son tho, how does he get time to do research for his dad when he has to do his own uni work and still get lashed with his tax dodging, gap year taking, peru bound dont know what i want to do yet-so i'll study media,chums..

have a wash..
...............
mp's should get more in theory.
i dont think most of em would know what to do with a real job.
lawyers, who take time out to write laws that the rest of the lawyers can get around, and they can all make money while doing so..

 

[JohnD]

John D, you seem shocked by this,

not shocked

revolted.

 

[tim west]

The tories were hoping to whip up some anti government dirt when they dug up their stuff on mandelson and others but they forgot one golden rule MAKE SURE THERE ARE NO SKELETONS IN YOUR CUPBOARD BEFORE YOU START ACCUSING OTHERS

 

[joe-90]

I don't see what all the fuss is about.

An MP should be paid a sum to run an office depending on how big his constituency is. What he does with the dosh should be up to him. It's the same system as a GP surgery.

As far as the guy that did the fiddle goes, if he has admitted that he has made a false claim then I'm sure he will pay it all back just as a benefit over-claimed is paid back.

 

[JohnD]

...if he has admitted that he has made a false claim then I'm sure he will pay it all back ... .

So if you commit fraud and are an MP, there are two options:

1) You get away with it
2) You get found out and pay some of it back

If you aren't an MP, you go to prison.

 

[joe-90]

Ant and Dec ripped off the public with a phone scam for about two million - but never even got a slap on the legs. There are no laws anymore.

 

[Bilioustrumpstaine]

...if he has admitted that he has made a false claim then I'm sure he will pay it all back ... .

So if you commit fraud and are an MP, there are two options:

1) You get away with it
2) You get found out and pay some of it back

If you aren't an MP, you go to prison.

Yep I think you have it about right there mate.

I wouldn't give you ten bob for the lot of them (regardless of party)

Remember the shameless money grabbing antics of Cherie Blair.