MP Expense Saga Carries On!
April 24, 2009
As the general ager towards MP’s continues from all average Joe’s in the UK, Gordon Brown has had his proposal for MP expense reform thrown out of the arena.
Committee Standards in Public Life (CPSL) Chairman, Sir Christopher Kelly has said:
“This is not something that should be left to politicians to sort out for themselves. This the single most damaging issue for public trust in politicians in the last 15 years. There must be reform and it must be done properly. If public confidence is to be restored, there needs to be an independent inquiry by people with no political agenda of their own which can look hard at all the evidence and that is open to anyone who wants to contribute.”
Brown has looked to get second home allowances scrapped and a daily attendance allowance paid instead. Surely, as with any job, anywhere in the World, a daily allowance for work is a salary, which for MP’s is already more than triple the average UK salary.
Why do MP’s feel they need to be paid twice?! When they take on the role as MP, they must know that they will have to work from London some of the time. Why do I pay more that 50% of my salary, one way or another to tax, for MP’s to reap benefits on top of benefits?!
The whole situation makes my blood boil and I have no faith in the useless politicians, put in place by hard working British folk. Let’s face it; they spend more time bitching about each other, than fixing the mess that is the British economy. Things like our immigration policy clearly hasn’t worked and our education and health care systems are falling apart at the seams.
Politicians should get paid their salary; if they need to recoup the expense of nights in hotels then they should produce receipts. There should be a cap on the amount they can claim per night, or let’s face it; the likes of Jacqui Smith will be in the most expensive hotel in London every night.
With the recent budget taking even more money off the UK, politicians need to get real and under no circumstance should they decide their own pay and expense policies!
Trouble In North Korea
April 14, 2009
International talks with North Korea seem to be drawing to an end with no result in them abandoning their nuclear programme. North Korean leaders are now looking to restore their disabled nuclear reactor; this comes after the international community came down hard on the country when they launched a missile recently.
North Korea says that the launch was a peaceful space programme test, attempting to put a satellite into orbit. Russia and China have asked North Korea to return to the negotiations following their walk out.
Pyongyang’s closest ally, China, asked for “calm and restraint” from all sides.
A Beijing Foreign Ministry statement said:
“all sides will… continue to advance and push forward the six-party talks and the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula”.
The six-party, who encompasses North and South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the US began 6 years ago and has already seen many setbacks since then. North Korea have deemed the UN action as an “unbearable insult” and that they would “strengthen its nuclear deterrent for its defence by all means”.
More MP Scandle and Smear!
April 14, 2009
As if there isn’t enough for parliament to deal with at the moment, close advisor to Gordon Brown had time to start a smear campaign against leading Tory MP’s.
Damian McBride made claims about David Cameron and a number of other Tory MPs. McBride has now resigned however; this has done much damage to number 10. According to Gordon Browns spokesman McBride will receive no severance pay.
Labour MP’s think that Gordon Brown has “taken action” by writing to those affected, though as yet no apology has been made.
I think if the government spent less time fighting each other and more time sealing with the UK’s trouble in the country would be in a much better state.
Jacqui Smith in Trouble Again Over Alleged Expenses Misuse
February 19, 2009
Let’s face it they all do it, but it does appear that she keeps tapping away, claiming as much on expense as her fat little fingers can!
The decision to let Smith claim her sister’s home as her main home, has allowed her to claim at least £116,000 in allowances. It’s just greedy and damn unfair! As if her sister charges her rent anywhere near that amount?!
Though previously turning down two complaints made, thankfully now the Parliamentary Commission for Standards has now accepted a complaint against Jacqui Smith and is following procedures accordingly.
Parliamentarians are paid enough as it is, these ‘allowances’ are ridiculous! How will they ever have any idea how it is to be a ‘normal’ person living in the UK if they can claim money all over the place. This isn’t how the rest of us live.
Not only this but let’s face it, we’re paying for the money she is claiming! She should be sacked and these so called allowances should be stopped!
Learner drivers, do we need them?
February 17, 2009
I know we all had to learn to drive once, and I’m usually very patient with learner drivers because I remember how difficult it was when I was first starting out and how annoying it was when someone would overtake me or sound their horn in frustration. Therefore I always give them plenty of space and time to perform their manoeuvre.
However, what I get narked about is when learner drivers are taken out at peak times and they’re clearly not ready for it. Where I live seems to be a hotspot for dithering learner drivers practising their 3-point-turns and their parallel parking around my car! It’s extremely annoying and I worry for the safety of my car.
Furthermore, what’s the point in learner drivers being taught to drive on the roads and duel carriage ways, and then when they pass their test they’re let loose on motorways without any further training? Is it any wonder that so many people hog the middle lane when they’ve never been taught to actually drive on the motorway?!?
Learner drivers aren’t the problem, the way in which they are taught is, due to the crap system this country insists upon for teaching drivers.
It wouldn’t happen in Germany.
Congo Back In Grave Trouble
November 3, 2008
The UN has said today that they have credible reports of camps housing 50,000 displaced people have been torched in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Aid groups have said that they are struggling to reach 250,000 people who have fled fighting between the government and rebel forces. David Miliband and his French counterpart FM Bernard Kouchner are preparing to travel to the country amidst intense diplomatic efforts to end the crisis.
In the provincial capital North Kivu, in and around Goma, a tense ceasefire is holding out.
General Laurent Nkunda who is the rebel leader is saying that he is fighting for the Tutsi community, protecting them from Rwandan Hutu rebels, the same Hutu rebels that were accused of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The government of the Congo has promised to prevent Hutu forces from using the territory but as yet has failed to do so. The country has great mineral wealth and General Nkhunda has objected to government plans to exploit these resources. The government will not negotiate with Nkunda, saying that he is a terrorist.
Aid chiefs speaking in Geneva have said that the area in and around Goma is incredibly volatile and access to those who need help in the area is exceptionally difficult.
According to a spokesperson for the UN there have been harrowing reports in north Goma; camps have been attacked, robbed and burned.
The rebels currently have control of the region and aid agencies have no access. The whereabouts of the 50,000 residents is currently unknown. There is a desperate shortage of food and water in the Goma area, with refugees being forced to leave.
The security fears have forced aid agencies to stop work. Along roads for miles and miles, there are families with their lives on their backs.
Marcal Izard a spokesperson from the Red Cross said:
”The whole population in Goma, and around Goma are feeling extremely unsafe, they need food, water, shelter and, most of all, protection, [and] some sense of knowing that they will not be attacked, that they will be spared by this new round of clashes.”
There is a desperate need for humanitarian assistance in the area. International help is needed to help thousands of displaced refugees. How much terror can this region take? There are so many that can remember the genocide of 1994 and they were the lucky ones. We can all know the harrowing stories shown on Comic Relief; the graves and those left behind with memories. We must learn lessons from past events and try and ensure that these people are not forgotten.
Extremists Barred From UK
October 29, 2008
At last tougher measures are being put in place to prevent extremism in the UK. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that those who are preaching anti-Britishness will not be allowed to enter the UK.
Since 2005, there have been 230 people barred from the UK, but up until now their identities have remained a mystery. Now, in some cases their names will be made public. Of the previously excluded people there have been; holocaust deniers, neo-Nazis and animal rights activists, with around 80 being religious extremists.
It is expected that Mrs Smith will announce her full plan later today and will look to call coming to the UK a ‘privilege’ which shouldn’t be abused.
Conservative Home Affairs Committee member Patrick Mercer worries that the measures will target the wrong people and has said:
“It’s the people who are working undercover, who aren’t known about, who are working inside the community and influencing people there, they are the really dangerous people.”
Chris Huhne, Lib Dem home affairs spokesman said that the plans didn’t go far enough to dealing with those already in the UK and preaching on the web. He said:
“The main problem with these sorts of eye-catching gimmicks is they don’t make us any safer at all. What we’re looking for is delivery.”
I think that this is a step in the right direction. Being British is a very lucky thing indeed. The UK is open to immigrants more than most countries and we are happy for people to join our culture. It is a shame that the small minority that insight hate give a bad reputation for the many that contribute and engage in our society. If there were better measures in the UK to deal with those who have no intention of becoming British and do not want to integrate into our communities, then it is likely there would be less bigots hassling those who do.
In very few organisations employees can vote on their own pay increments. Yet, a number of ministers have tried to vote in a 66 percent pay rise, bringing their annual salary up to £100,000 per annum (not including expenses for let’s face it everything), well above that of average national salaries.
Over the last few years we have seen firemen, policemen, nurses, teachers, I could go on, denied pay rises to give them a realistic and just above inflation increase denied. Never have ministers done a day’s work in these essential roles of society and yet seem to think that their role is far more significant compared to many hard working public sector employees.
So, the vote came out against the 66% rise, but let’s faces it; it has been spun to make the government look good. They already have a massive salary but want to be known as holier than now because they missed out on a massive 66% pay increase.
Those in the public sector I think may struggle to be very sympathetic. With the cost of petrol, food and energy increasing at an unbelievable rate, there will be a close eye kept on what ministers give themselves for doing such a good job of keeping our country in order?!?
Yet, they have voted to keep their second home expense at a whopping £24,000 per year, which is far above and beyond a massive proportion of the UK’s salary earners. On top of this they have made a decision to only be audited internally rather than by a commission.
That just bodes the questions; who is governing our government?
More Minister Expense Neglect
June 30, 2008
Husband and wife team are the most recent ministers to be investigated for expense neglect.
In maximising their income, Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper have managed to claim an extra £27,000 to put towards their second home. The average UK salary is only £22,000, so this does seem somewhat unfair whether it is within the rules or not. Between the couple they earn nearly £240,000 a year which is considerably higher than that of the majority of Britain.
In the current economic climate, where many Britons cannot afford to get onto the property ladder, it seems absurd that Ministers can claim such an excessive amount, on top of their salary to pay for their second home.
Yvette Cooper has in the past been housing minister, though how she would be able to relate to the plight of many first time buyers and struggling home owners is unclear, especially when her homes are currently worth over £1 million.
With the continuing fight to increase public service pay, tight purse strings nationally and the impossibility of many Britons of getting a mortgage, it may be time to look at those who look after our country and see what value they add to our situation.
It may also be worth adding that ministers have given themselves a pay rise this year…
Less Bickering, More Running The Country!
June 25, 2008
In today’s social and economic climate I seem to find myself more and more disconnected from what’s going on within our great country. Do the people who manage this land know what they are doing? Are they really interested in what I want, or what any of us want for that matter?
In an attempt to find out what was happening in the UK at the moment, I spent some time watching politics from Parliament. Instead of serious issues (of which I feel there are quite a few at the moment) being debated, I saw what can only be described as public school boys sniping at each other trying to gain points for their party. I don’t particularly care which party is in power, throughout history they have all made enough catastrophic mistakes between them all. Besides, their values and beliefs seem to be merging into one of the same. Surely all that matters is that our country is managed effectively?!
I say that we can do without the bickering. Why do we want to watch the person who should be respected as our leader, degraded in front of the World? I don’t care if Cameron thinks that Brown is incompetent, I could mention a number of politicians that have come across as complete imbeciles when appearing on question time. The point is to debate the issues important to Great Britain. This can be done far more effectively if they stick to the point… Great Britain.
Come on guys, sort yourselves out and please sort our country!