 |
By *iew OP Man
over a year ago
Forum Mod Angus & Findhorn |
Former Labour MP David Chaytor has been jailed for 18 months for making false Parliamentary expenses claims.
Chaytor, 61, became the first politician to be convicted and sentenced over the expenses scandal which has rocked Westminster.
He submitted bogus invoices to support claims totalling £22,650 for IT services and renting homes in London and his Bury North constituency.
But the properties were owned by him and his mother, and he did not pay out any of his own money, Southwark Crown Court in London heard.
|
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *iew OP Man
over a year ago
Forum Mod Angus & Findhorn |
"18 months seems an incredibly light sentence.
Especially as he tried to claim 'parliamentary privelige' to avoid the charge.
"
18 months is light... but the rogerings won't be  |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"how ironic, that being jailed will mean he gets his accomodation at the taxpayers expense.
Yes, but I don't think many tax payers will mind this particular expense "
Oooohh.... great curve ball!!!l |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *drianukMan
over a year ago
Spain, Lancs |
He is a basically straight and honest man who was tempted into wrong ways.
None of ths excuses him - but which of us, faced with an expenses form that no-one ever checked, would not be tempted to put an extra nought on the end?
Still wrong and deserving of punishment, but I know him - from years ago - to be a man of integrity. Hard to believe now, I know, but many people are tempted onto the wrong path. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
He is just the tip of the iceberg, MP's have got away with far more over the last couple of decades....they are rightly making an example of this MP, but let's not think for a minute this is a one off case. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"He is just the tip of the iceberg, MP's have got away with far more over the last couple of decades....they are rightly making an example of this MP, but let's not think for a minute this is a one off case."
There was an acceptance in the past that salary's were made up by expenses, never a real justification but corruption spreads and if one did many others did too. I have no doubt they will have some other fiddle going or they would have all opted to join the European parliament gravy train. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
Never a truer word spoken, it is well documented that MP's pay is approx 40% less than it should be....they are placed in a position where for many that don't enjoy the safety net of being directors of various companies (for reference see Tory MP's) that over inflating their expense submissions is the only way they can run their office to any degree of efficiency.
MP's currently earn less than half the pay of an average GP, doing away with expenses and increasing their wages to around the £100k mark is the only way forward.
|
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
They earn less than Head Teachers of Primary schools, yet they are expected to maintain a constituency office, pay a secretary and aide out of their pay.
MP's in Germany for example earn around £140,000 Euros per annum. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *drianukMan
over a year ago
Spain, Lancs |
Jane, they aren't expected to maintain constituency offices, aides, scretaries etc from their pay. They come from separate office allowances - which many abuse by funding local, full-time political campaigners in their constituencies. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
"Jane, they aren't expected to maintain constituency offices, aides, scretaries etc from their pay. They come from separate office allowances - which many abuse by funding local, full-time political campaigners in their constituencies."
You are thinking of government Ministers, who have allowances for Secs and Two aides. Backbenchers do not receive such allowances.
If their constituency office has front of house reception staff, which most do, the expences of these individuals are paid for by the sitting MP when holding surgery. (In Labour offices anyway, not sure about Libs or Tories) |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By *drianukMan
over a year ago
Spain, Lancs |
Jane, they are paid for by the sitting MP - from allowances he or she claims from the taxpayer. They also claim 'communications alowances' which are a way to tap the taxpayer for party political propaganda. Some even 'sell' advertising space in their 'communications' to their local parties at taxpayer-subsidised rates. It's wide open for another Daily Telegraph investigation |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
I can't help thinking that Chaytor has been cast out as the sacrificial lamb to the slaughter to appease a blood-thirsty public who want to see justice done.
With Chaytor jailed the rest of them will be quick to draw a line under the expenses scandal and thank whoever that they were spared - and then go straight back to their fiddling ways.
Justice has been seen to have been done in Chaytor's case, but many many more of them have wriggled off the hook and walked away scot-free. That's not justice in my book. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
|
By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago
|
"He'll probably serve his term in a cushy open prison, only serve 6 months, then get out and have a book deal....funny life ain't it....  "
I don't have a problem with how he earns his money when he gets out so long as he can't take any from the public purse any longer. If people are interested in his 'story' and buy his book then more fool them. Everyone has to earn a crust at the end of the day.
What rankles me is all those MPs who flipped their second homes knowing full well that although what they were doing was within the rules it was morally questionnable and most have simply taken a slap on the wrists and carried on business as usual. |
Reply privately, Reply in forum +quote
or View forums list | |
» Add a new message to this topic
