MP will not pay, has a point.

[Tommo21]

Frank Field is a big plyer in the labour party. I like this quote....."Imagine that you have been driving, perfectly legally, through a 30 mile an hour zone at a speed of 25 mph.

"Imagine then your reaction when, five years later, you receive multiple fines as a decision has been taken to change, retrospectively, the speed limit to 20.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8312916.stm

 

[Ethan]

I have a lot of time for Field. Unlike most of the others, he has principles and a desire to improve the lot of ordinary people. It is his idea of fairness that has caused this protest.

 

[drawboy]

He has a point. Just because a system is rotten doesn't mean people did not do the right thing by following the rules.Right or wrong is not the point in this case. Mp's followed rules set down ages ago. Yes they were designed so they could grab as much tax payer money as possible and live a lifestyle way beyond the average but as in golf rules are rules and you cannot fine people retrospectively.

 

[madandra]

Forget retrospective changes to their allowance/expenses and simply open criminal porceeding against all those who have committed fraud and claimed for items and services they should have paid for themselves.

 

[Imurg]

Shocked as I am to admit it - he has a point. You can't change the rules and back-date them like that - even if the rules were stupid and unfair to begin with.

 

[brendy]

I think retrospective changes are going to be tough to enforce but on the other hand, they have knowingly been taking the hand out of tax payers money for decades.
If I was to buy a second lodging (remember its only part time accomodation) I would buy a flat/apartment as close to work as possible (I suppose it cuts all manners of expenses). Having gardening expenses etc is a joke never mind buying televisions etc.

If I had my way, an apartment block would be built near to the HOC and loan out each apartment to those qualifying for free accomodation. After that, its up to the parties to finance everything else. If its good enough for the forces, its good enough for those toff nosed ill-informed eejits.

 

[drawboy]

I see your point however if they all did live in an apartment block you may as well paint a great big target on it with the words Bomb Here on the top.
Mp's have had it good for too long and will continue to have it just as good, don't think for one minute that anything will change just because they have been caught out. the allowances will continue just under different names.It is after all the only job you have to pay to get into.

 

[Basher]

Shoot em all!!!!

Greedy, grabbing, shysters! As if they don't get paid enough, they have to go out and claim thousands more for stuff they should be buying with their own money.

If I had done the same at my work, I would expect and no doubt would be immediately sacked with the possibility of criminal proceedings to follow.

 

[Region3]

Stop sitting on the fence Basher! Speak your mind

 

[Basher]

They make me want to spew. Can't stand any of the lying SOB's.
They cannot answer direct questions, lie through their back teeth, line their own pockets. Don't give a toss about the man in the street and have never done an honest days work in their lives.

They seem surprised come election time that there's so much apathy from the great British public!

Even local politicians are the same. Come council election time and up they come knocking on your door and professing to be your best friend. I always ask them where the hell they've been since the last election!

Nope, I have no time for the vast majority of the lying toerag politicians!

 

[AndrewG]

I heard the best analogy to what has been happening on LBC the other day - from a London cabbie. It was along the lines of this : every cabbie, usually on many occasions, has had someone mistakenly slap down a twenty for a tenner fare, and say 'keep the change'.. Now - legally, the cabbie is more than entitled to take the money, roll up the window, and drive away - after all, the customer has TOLD them to take the money and keep the change. Thats what the MPs who have 'not been doing anything illegal' have been doing for years and years...

 

[freddielong]

It a tough one because the rules were there just not enforced correctly, so I beleive they should be able to be retrospectivly enforced.

They knew what they were doing at the time the one that winds me up is Jacqui Smith she should be prosecuted and forced to pay back the money

 

[viscount17]

I see your point however if they all did live in an apartment block you may as well paint a great big target on it with the words Bomb Here on the top.

and your problem is?

 

[Ethan]

It a tough one because the rules were there just not enforced correctly, so I beleive they should be able to be retrospectivly enforced.

They knew what they were doing at the time the one that winds me up is Jacqui Smith she should be prosecuted and forced to pay back the money

I agree. It is not about a retrospective change in rules, it is about enforcing standing rules which they assumed were going to ignored for ever. I doubt if Frank Field is an offender though.

 

[viscount17]

Like it or not, at some point a line will be drawn under this,
and 'fair' as you may think Field is, he's going to drag a lot of those I would like to see prosecuted, those who well knew what they were doing and that it was a flagrant abuse, to safety.

 

[Herbie]

The whole issue for me is not about the rules or their interpretation, it is about the integrity and morality of politicians who have, in some cases gone out of their way to make sure that flawed money spinner rules are exploited, something most are guilty of. They are supposed to serve the people first, not themselves. He knew the rules, he used the rules, how come such a 'GREAT' bloke didnt stand up and say....."Hey, hang on, I dont need this, its a flawed rule, lets get it sorted out before everyone takes advantage!" No, he didnt. He has a point? My a***! He has a get out of jail free card that the gullable will accept as innocence!

 

[Tommo21]

The whole issue for me is not about the rules or their interpretation, it is about the integrity and morality of politicians who have, in some cases gone out of their way to make sure that flawed money spinner rules are exploited, something most are guilty of. They are supposed to serve the people first, not themselves. He knew the rules, he used the rules, how come such a 'GREAT' bloke didnt stand up and say....."Hey, hang on, I dont need this, its a flawed rule, lets get it sorted out before everyone takes advantage!" No, he didnt. He has a point? My a***! He has a get out of jail free card that the gullable will accept as innocence!

I think you’ll find out that FF (the GREAT) did say I don’t need this. He only claimed a small amount of what he could easily have claimed. No big deal I know, but I see one man who certainly didn’t abuse the system, but what do I know being gullible.

He, in my opinion, has a point about changing the rules after the event because it’s factual. If your suggesting FF should have tried to change the rules, that’s not what I’m on about and I don’t see FF as trying prove his innocence.

 

[Herbie]

The whole issue for me is not about the rules or their interpretation, it is about the integrity and morality of politicians who have, in some cases gone out of their way to make sure that flawed money spinner rules are exploited, something most are guilty of. They are supposed to serve the people first, not themselves. He knew the rules, he used the rules, how come such a 'GREAT' bloke didnt stand up and say....."Hey, hang on, I dont need this, its a flawed rule, lets get it sorted out before everyone takes advantage!" No, he didnt. He has a point? My a***! He has a get out of jail free card that the gullable will accept as innocence!

I think you’ll find out that FF (the GREAT) did say I don’t need this. He only claimed a small amount of what he could easily have claimed. No big deal I know, but I see one man who certainly didn’t abuse the system, but what do I know being gullible.

He, in my opinion, has a point about changing the rules after the event because it’s factual. If your suggesting FF should have tried to change the rules, that’s not what I’m on about and I don’t see FF as trying prove his innocence.

On this issue of claims, probably none of them have a clear concience on this issue, but they will all have lines and language to feed us with to cover their asses, its what they all do and always have done. The system has been flawed for years and they ALL know this, it has taken the financial climate of the day and public discust to make them all take the issue seriously, the fact that NONE of them took it seriously enough before says a lot about them all.

The integrity and character of these people should be important all the time, not just when things go bad, if it was, maybe things would never get so bad?

Of course he is trying to prove himself innocent, innocent of failing to do something about the issue of a flawed system and dodgy claims, that HE would have known about, as would all MP's.

Spouting that he didnt take as much as he could, then belatedly wishing to see change, I find typical and pathetic. They all owe the country an apology, they have all dipped in the coffers when they need not, they should all repay everything they did not need nor deserve, they have all presided over a dodgy system.

If there was an alternative I would be happy to see every single politician sacked and start a fresh, but that impossible in the real world, so we just have to make the best of the crap we are left with as real change is a long way away, but keep a very watchful eye on them all.

As for gullable???? It is spin, waffle, political ground gaining. Making a point about change is what a number of them have made after the fact, its what political editors have suggested, its what members of the public have been aware of for years, yet when FF does it, all of a sudden it becomes important to recognise it??? Please?....Its no more than recognising a kid tied his shoes for the first time when hes been ignoring it for years cos mum and dad never bothered much when they were undone, so he got away with it.
They are all the same, do we have different measuring sticks for different levels of the same, neglect, abuse, selfishness?

 

[Tommo21]

What ?

 

[Herbie]

What ?

What a very convincing reply