Ids Discovers Taxpayer Ripoff Scheme

[wonderpup]

MPs have spent more than £3.6m of taxpayer money renting constituency offices from their own political parties, it has emerged.

Iain Duncan Smith, the Secretary for the Department for Work and Pensions, paid Chingford & Woodford Green Conservative Association rent for his constituency offices.

http://news.sky.com/story/1168529/mps-in-3-6m-back-door-funding-scandal

Yes- that fearless defender of taxpayer money has discovered another blatant rip off- and has milked it for all it's worth. Not that he was alone-to be fair- both parties were at it.

But it's particularly obnoxious that IDS should go around making the moral case for welfare cuts while engaging in this kind of cheap trick to siphon taxpayer funds.

[stormymonday_2011]

http://news.sky.com/story/1168529/mps-in-3-6m-back-door-funding-scandal

Yes- that fearless defender of taxpayer money has discovered another blatant rip off- and has milked it for all it's worth. Not that he was alone-to be fair- both parties were at it.

But it's particularly obnoxious that IDS should go around making the moral case for welfare cuts while engaging in this kind of cheap trick to siphon taxpayer funds.

I am sure the money was just 'resting' in their account

[council dweller]

Time for IDS do the right thing....only seppuku will be good enough. (Well, he is 1/8 Japanese)

[SarahBell]

http://news.sky.com/story/1168529/mps-in-3-6m-back-door-funding-scandal

Yes- that fearless defender of taxpayer money has discovered another blatant rip off- and has milked it for all it's worth. Not that he was alone-to be fair- both parties were at it.

But it's particularly obnoxious that IDS should go around making the moral case for welfare cuts while engaging in this kind of cheap trick to siphon taxpayer funds.

I think I queried stuff in our local mps accounts years ago relating to this.

[josesbicycle]

I'm sure lots of MP's will be on Sky news telling us that it's "within the rules".

Well who makes the rules?

The more you learn about these people the less likely you are to vote.

[The Knimbies who say No]

My MP does likewise, I've asked him on Twitter is he will end the arrangement but he hasn't replied....(yet?).

Such a clear conflict of interest would be unthinkable in most areas of employment.

Approximately 1/3 of MPs, a clear majority of whom are Conservatives(131 vs 62Lab/25LD), aee involved in such arrangements which funnel taxpayer money to party coffers.

Of course, a case could be made for such a setup if the rents charged were peppercorn by comparison to the market rent in the area, but it seems this is not the case overall as the average lease cost is greater for MPs using these arrangements than for those who do not.

And we keep getting flannel about rebuilding trust, transparency etc....

[“Nasty Piece of work”]

Is this is not the first thing he discovered?

[jammo]

To be fair, they may as well be helping themselves to billions. We the public are never going to do anything. Scandals like this barely distract us anymore, they are basically expected. I hope I'm wrong, but meh.

[tomandlu]

Scandals like this barely distract us anymore, they are basically expected.

At this stage, it's like finding out that Genghis Khan was a bad tipper.

[SarahBell]

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/index.php?showtopic=109767&view=findpost&p=1777680

That's from 2009

Our MP shared with another MP and it's the local labour party office too

Member

1. Cost of staying away from main home

2. London Supplement

3. office running costs*

4. Staffing costs*

5. Centrally purchased stationery

5a. Stationery associated postage costs

6. Central IT provision

7. Staff cover & other costs

8. Comms Allw*

Total

Rt Hon Michael £23,077 £0 £17,471 £83,615 £281 £1,388 £1,123 £0 £8,646 £135,601

Woolas, Mr Phil £23,083 £0 £21,319 £88,848 £658 £2,363 £1,405 £0 £11,372 £149,048

So between them they pay £17,471 and £21,319 for office running costs - plus £83,615 and £88,848 for staffing.

Do they have an "office" in london they pay for too? Or do they really put that much money on staff and office in Oldham?

[John51]

Can't we pay them a specific multiple of NAW, expenses included?

That way, if they want a pay rise, they have to make sure that the NAW goes up.

[Lennon]

Can't we pay them a specific multiple of NAW, expenses included?

That way, if they want a pay rise, they have to make sure that the NAW goes up.

Wonder what would happen if the multiple was 1.0x...

[“Nasty Piece of work”]

If the NAW X 1 applied, we would never get the much hated, liars whom hanging is too good for and decide the laws we have to live under . They would all go into, and stay, in banking.

[Steppenpig]

Can't we pay them a specific multiple of NAW, expenses included?

That way, if they want a pay rise, they have to make sure that the NAW goes up.

Give them the equivalent of the student loan, repayable when/if they ever get a proper job. Westminster is just like a finishing school for most of them. I imagine the prestige of having attended is worth at least as much as a degree, even if they are still incompetent, and will increase their future earnings correspondingly.

[winkie]

They may say it is the perks of the job.....but if they do not like being open, honest and transparent they should choose another occupation where they will not be so heavily scrutinised in what they do....not what they say or how they say it, it is how they act and what they do that counts.

Edited November 15, 2013 by winkie

[“Nasty Piece of work”]

Show me an open, honest and transparent MP. I can only see worthless scum.