Sunday, Feb 17, 2008
Why MP's Housing Allowance makes them a powerful VI
The Times: MPs in commuter belt scam
MPs are given £20,000 of taxpayer's money per annum as "Housing Allowance" to spend on a mortgage on a London pad. But they don't have to hand back any of the capital gains they accrue.
So all MPs have a direct vested interest in pumping house prices.
(Even MPs who live in London BTW)
Posted by voiceofreason @ 08:25 PM (417 views) Add Comment
9 Comments
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1. Jimmylad said...
It's those sort of "perks" that the MP's get that makes the whole system corrupt. Once they are in the club with their greedy fat noses in the trough they dont give a sh*t about anything else. This is VI at it's most blatant IMO.
2. drewster said...
Simple fix: only allow them to spend the housing allowance on renting, not buying, a London pad. That would expose them to the private rental sector, which would be an eye-opener for many. I'd love to see their faces when their landlords withhold their deposits. Losing £1,800 might focus their minds on properly regulating the private rental sector!
3. yoyo1 said...
No wonder MPs kept citing the phrase "apart from London" !!!
4. Montesquieu said...
Sorry to ask this as it's clearly common language aroung here. What does VI mean? I missed school that day!
5. Deadspider said...
What you haven't mentioned is their re-mortgaging , pocketing the cash and then getting the Tax Payer to pay the new mortgage .
6. it_is_going_with_a_bang said...
"A third MP, John Austin, who claimed £22,110, bought a London flat which is approximately the same travelling time from Westminster as his constituency home."
What ? Why ? How ?
Self regulation my ar5e.
Greed. Greed. Greed and more Greed.
How on earth can that be a justifiable expense?
Maybe you would all like to ask him ?
email : austinj@parliament.uk
We have a tax system that has made a point of removing benefits in kind and taxing us for things which are not justifiable as an expense and yet Gordon Brown has seen fit to allow members of his party to claim expenses for living away from home when he lives in London?
7. Collywolly said...
VI = Vested Intrest
8. yoyo1 said...
Montesquieu :
Those with a Vested Interest.
There are some fairly powerful players out there.
9. Plato said...
Corruption,Corruption,Corruption. Whichever way you look at it, whatever way you say it, whenever the question arises.
A self destructive force our society is based on.