stormymonday_2011 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Lots of small business owners manage to find time to give their services for free to local charities, community groups, sports teams etc. Maybe the problem is we have too many old farts like him in parliament who spend half the afternoon napping. They sure seem to spend most of their time in the HoC's asleep...the poor old dears. Quite. I served 4 years as a local Councillor in quite a big Parish (large enough to have its own employees). I never received so much as a free cup of tea for my services let alone any cash remuneration or expenses. The sole perk was a jug of tap water at meetings. If Rifkind, Straw and Co dont consider it a duty and a privilege to serve their constituents then I am quite happy to do it for half the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 It just shows how out of touch they are if they think that this gives them a better understanding of business life 'in the real world', as Rifkind argued this morning. In the real world, businessmen don't get randomly approached by unknown Chinese companies looking for help or advice on doing business in Britain. It's one thing to peddle influence, but to do so in the naive belief that you are offering anything else of value is so delusional that I'd prefer someone who was nakedly corrupt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onlyme2 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Some more details of his incomes from various representation..... Nothing has changed for the parliamentarians. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31589202 " and Jack Straw have whip withdrawn over 'sting'"I wonder what they should do about a chancellor using the publics money to support bankers and push up house prices ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Deflation Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Weirdly john major is often mentioned as a really nice guy, funny polite and affable. all the rest are described as total *****, Which I found surprising but the few who met him all seem to say the same. Blair is often mentioned as the biggest **** they ever met. I always thought John Major was under-rated. He comes across as a genuine guy; he's also a good, clear speaker. He bonked Edwina Currie, but, hey, we all make mistakes. Unusually for a political tome, Major's autobiography is supposed to be a very good read. Edited February 23, 2015 by Danny Deflation Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goat Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I wish they would stop saying they live in 67k They have an extensive list of expenses including some of the biggest expenses of all... housing near work in London/transport. TBF to Rifkind, being a London MP he won't qualify for the housing allowances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goat Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I guess it depends on where his main home is. IIRC Balls's kids, for some bizarre reason, go to school near their second home rather than their main home. Didn't one MP for Southampton claim for her second (large) home in Southampton and lived somewhere else. The purpose of the second home allowance is to allow them to live both in London and in their constituency, unless I'm very much mistaken London MP's don't qualify for the allowance for obvious reasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 The purpose of the second home allowance is to allow them to live PROFIT MASSIVE FROM THE CORRUPT BANKING SYSTEM AND THE HOUSING BUBBLE THEY HAVE JURISDICTION OVER both in London and in their constituency, unless I'm very much mistaken London MP's don't qualify for the allowance for obvious reasons. I think that's more accurate. Again, this job is vocational, if they dont want to do it then they can get a real job, Not many other people get paid handsomely, a great pension, then tax p-ayers money to buy a house and profit from tax payers money. At the very least, they should be handing back ALL SALE PROCEEDS back to the tax payers when the 2nd home is sold and/or their time in parliament is over. Anything else is prone to corruption and abuse. Otherwise it is nothing more than a tax free bung. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Surely they should undertake a test of honesty and ethics before they stand as an MP....a few spoiling it for the rest, letting the team down isn't on.....if they don't want to be judged by their behaviour, both public and private best not become a politician....who can you trust if you can no longer trust them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheCountOfNowhere Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Surely they should undertake a test of dis-honesty and lack of ethics before they stand as an MP....a few spoiling it for the rest, letting the team down isn't on..... After the expenses scandal they had a chance to get their house in order. For me it's now evident that they will not change until they are forced to. I for one have no intention of being in this country after the s**t hits the fan. Of course all those home buyers with their "new £" denominated mortgages will be. Edited February 23, 2015 by TheCountOfNowhere Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipllman Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I don't suppose I am alone in thinking that the way both Rifkind and Straw handled this means it is quite a common thing I mean, neither of them seemed to hesitate to offer the services required and both gave examples of having done similar things before I suspect they aren't the only two MPs that take on such opportunities Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybong Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Mr Major has the reputation of having been a nice man when PM but he led a Conservative government that was (then) the by word in sleaze. Then they adopted policies harsh enough to give NuLabour a landslide victory - some might think it almost seemed intentional for the cosy Lab chums in the LibLabCon party - nobody could have done it entirely by mistake Edited February 23, 2015 by billybong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirGaz Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Mr Major has the reputation of having been a nice man when PM but he led a Conservative government that was (then) the by word in sleaze. Then they adopted policies harsh enough to give NuLabour a landslide victory - some might think it almost seemed intentional for the cosy Lab chums in the LibLabCon party - nobody could have done it entirely by mistake When I worked for an engineering company in Coventry in the nineties I remember The right honorable John Major being announced as a director of the company, He was at the time still the serving prime minister. The reason that rifkind and Straw both deny that they have been doing anything wrong is that it has been something Mp's have been doing for so long its deemed acceptable. As far as I am concerned any form of lobbying by private companies is simply legalised bribary. It needs to be stopped and perpetrators need to be convicted and imprisoned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Mr Major has the reputation of having been a nice man when PM but he led a Conservative government that was (then) the by word in sleaze. The fact that you can say that just shows how dominant the New Labour propaganga at the time was. All of the so-called sleaze involved nonentities and was either sexual in nature or very low-grade corruption such as cash for questions, which paled compared to Blair changing government policy in return for cash from Bernie Ecclestone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shindigger Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) I always thought John Major was under-rated. He comes across as a genuine guy; he's also a good, clear speaker. He bonked Edwina Currie, but, hey, we all make mistakes. Unusually for a political tome, Major's autobiography is supposed to be a very good read. Like's cricket, Let the "markets decide" to the point that, as an NHS employee in 1994, i could buy a 2 up 2 down in E17 with a £7k deposit. I'd need to be a lawyer now. Best PM of my lifetime. There is however, ZERO competition. Edited February 23, 2015 by shindigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stormymonday_2011 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Straw is apparently number 15 on the list that shows the 'outside' earnings of MPs ... or pecking order was the term he used. Surprised he has the time as he is a full-time MP. Rifkind is on the 'intelligence' committee but did not know the firm he was being asked to lobby for did not exist (could have been an ISIS subsidiary for all he knew). And these people are running the country. Straw is apparently number 15 on the list that shows the 'outside' earnings of MPs ... or pecking order was the term he used. Surprised he has the time as he is a full-time MP. Rifkind is on the 'intelligence' committee but did not know the firm he was being asked to lobby for did not exist (could have been an ISIS subsidiary for all he knew). And these people are running the country. Makes you wonder why the Islamic fundamentalists bother with that terrorism malarky when a few quid, a couple of cans of lager and a packet of Pringles would probably buy them control of the UK government. Edited February 23, 2015 by stormymonday_2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 The purpose of the second home allowance is to allow them to live both in London and in their constituency, unless I'm very much mistaken London MP's don't qualify for the allowance for obvious reasons. and if they are abusing that allowance it needs to be taken away. I've said before the swedes have a very good system that their parliamentarians are allowed 1 domicile(state owned) for the duration of their tenure in office. once they are out, they are out, and the habitation is transferred to their successor. no more milking the second home allowance..because it's not their home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Sitting talking about how he has lots of spare time for walking his dog, claims he doesn't get a salary , charging £5k per day for sorting out meetings. And then comes out the same day and says they haven't done anything wrong. Its actually ridiculous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oracle Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Straw is apparently number 15 on the list that shows the 'outside' earnings of MPs ... or pecking order was the term he used. Surprised he has the time as he is a full-time MP. Rifkind is on the 'intelligence' committee but did not know the firm he was being asked to lobby for did not exist (could have been an ISIS subsidiary for all he knew). And these people are running the country. actually given the situation with ISIS and radical mad mullahs, I'm extremely surprised he's still alive in blackburn,let alone the peoples MP. he and his ilk have to bear some share of responsibility for the clusterf**k government that is UK...however they are still in denial. and that's the problem with people in denial, they can't accept responsibility until they are absolutely FORCED to. he may be of the belief system that everyone should be nice and happy and clappy and equal, but he's up against a bunch of bigger,more violent toddlers in his play-pen that will not only not share THEIR toys, they want yours as well and will quite happily beat you up for it. to put it bluntly, they have swallowed the teacher's pep talk hook-line and sinker(not realising that when teacher is not around to go running to and tell your tales of victimisation and woe,you will not have anyone to defend you), now they need to get street-wise. Edited February 23, 2015 by oracle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R K Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Rifkind - Im self employed. Im not paid a salary. Blatant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccc Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Rifkind is done as an MP. Game over for him with those comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gf3 Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 Move the politicians and their civil servants out of Westminster and Whitehall in their entirety and relocate to Birmingham, the heart of the country. Living in London is expensive, and their proximity to the City is a corrupting influence and one that increases their over inflated view of their worth. I'm sure we could do with about 20% of the MP's we currently have. Most of their decision making has gone to Europe or devolved down to places like Scotland, Wales and NI. We need to see reduced headcount to reflect this. They "pair off" and don't attend most debates and votes anyway unless it is to do with their own incomes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
interestrateripoff Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 Want to kill cash for access? Raise MPs pay to £150,000 a year We have created a system of financing our democracy that has become an embarrassing, unsustainable farce, says Dan Hodges Apparently giving them more money will solve it!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pipllman Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 (edited) Sophy Ridge reminds us of Straw's comments about other MPs caught in something similar https://twitter.com/SophyRidgeSky/status/569955459056185344 Edited February 23, 2015 by pipllman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinker Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 gf3 The nuke them from orbit is what I was thinking. It really needs to be razed to the ground and started again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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