MP's expenses

graham enzk · 21st October 2004, 10:55 AM

Thursday 21 October 2004 09:33am

MPs' expenses in the spotlight

MPs will have to endure public scrutiny over the millions of pounds they claim in expenses and allowances as the details are published for the first time.

Senior parliamentarians have already appealed for public understanding over the payments but there is bound to be anger, with the total bill for the 659 MPs expected to be about £80 million.

Overall expenditure on MPs in 2002-03 was £78 million - and that did not even include their standard backbench salaries of £57,485 a year.

On top of their annual salaries and pensions, MPs who do not live near the House of Commons can claim up to £20,902 a year in expenses for a second home in the capital.

They can also claim for staff, stationery and travel at home and in Europe. MPs are allowed to claim for three trips to Europe a year - as long as their destination has a parliament.

With expenses of up to £19,325 a year to meet the cost of office accommodation and up to £77,534 for staff, MPs can claim about £120,000 a year each on top of their salaries.

Details of claims have been kept secret up until now. But House of Commons officials will publish the full expenses for the past three years.

MPs wanted to act before clauses under the Freedom of Information Act come into effect in January.

There have been reports of MPs contacting officials to pay back dubious expenses before Friday's publication. Officials declined to confirm that.

i can't possibly believe that our own MPs would ever cheat or in anyway embelish their expenses for their own personal gain. cough.

AlanG · 21st October 2004, 11:35 AM

The independant has a great article on this today.

What I want to know is what that lazy layabout all round scumbag Ernie Ross has claimed. In expenses that is, I know the random things that he claims such as students all being incredibaly lazy even the ones who work 20+hours a week as well as studying and that people who come from Glasgow to go to Dundees unis are stealing places from Dundee kids.

AlanG · 22nd October 2004, 10:05 AM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp...wances0304.pdf
name total expenses
ross £124,968
luke £120,008

this is on top of wages!

All_in_black · 22nd October 2004, 10:40 AM

To be fair, MPs have worked very very hard to get where they are. So let them skim a little off the top, fuck all to do wi me.

spam_javelin · 22nd October 2004, 01:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by All_in_black

To be fair, MPs have worked very very hard to get where they are. So let them skim a little off the top, fuck all to do wi me.

That's sarcasm, right?

As alan said this is on top of £57,485 salary. It seems that almost half of these mps are claiming around three times their salary in expenses. I cant see how this can be possibe- Claire Curtis-Thomas ran up £19,038 on postage. What the fuck was she posting? Asylum seekers?

All_in_black · 22nd October 2004, 01:32 PM

Well, come on. £57,485 isnt that much, especially in london. If those guys went into private sectors theyd earn much much more than that.

graham enzk · 22nd October 2004, 01:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by All_in_black

Well, come on. £57,485 isnt that much, especially in london. If those guys went into private sectors theyd earn much much more than that.

really? doing what? i didn't realise you got MPs in the private sector. anyway they're meant to be doing it to do some good for the people not to line their own pockets. £57k is a good wage wherever you live as most do not live in london. remember the average wage in the uk is £22k

grigorip · 23rd October 2004, 10:07 AM

back to topic folks...

i heard a proper discussion about this on Radio 4 became clear that the MP's spent their money on train fairs to get from Westminster to their Constituency and for the postage and maintanence of their office in their consituency and sometimes in Westminster too.. this includes the wages of all their staff and for equipment...like computers and printers and things.. which all add up

these expenses are definetely not for taking people out for drinks and for fancy restaraunts.... the MP's have to produce train tickets and office costs to prove what the money went on..... this seems a fair system to keep democracy running.

Rebelius · 23rd October 2004, 10:15 AM

the only thing that really made me think was the 3 paid trips to any european country each year, so long as that country has a parliament.

I recon the rest are probably not much over their real expenses.

grigorip · 23rd October 2004, 10:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rebelius

the only thing that really made me think was the 3 paid trips to any european country each year, so long as that country has a parliament.

I recon the rest are probably not much over their real expenses.

perhaps its good to have MP's who know about a wide range of countries in Europe and have a chance to build briges with their European counterparts...

these guys work bloody hard and bear a lot of responsibilty.

even when on these trips they bear responsiblity and work hard

Rebelius · 23rd October 2004, 11:04 AM

i wont argue with that.

AlanG · 23rd October 2004, 06:28 PM

Much as I despise the SUn, they had an article today detailing how some MPS have been taking BA flights at 200 quid while easyjet ones were available at 50quid etc, how one MP spent 18grand on first class stamps while second class would have been 21p eahc rather than 27p etc, so its not like none of it can be saved.

Not to mention MPs living 9miles from Westminster having us buy them flats in the area...

grigorip · 23rd October 2004, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan G

http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp...wances0304.pdf
name total expenses
ross £124,968
luke £120,008

this is on top of wages!

well what do you propose.... that they pay for the wages of their office staff and the postage costs from their own wages?

youve portrayed these details is a very slanted way... and you have created a completely wrong impression of what these expenses are for.

oh .. and... you think the sun is a creditable source?

even if it is... I think the constituents who write letters to their MP's deserve 1st class stamps, dont you?

also these people use their flights and things for buisness purposes... they will be going abroad to work or traveling to and from work. When youre preparing to launch Bill X in the houses of parliament and youve just met with a group of angry angry pensioners the last thing you want is screaming children and cramped seating...

the person involved is accountable to their costs and would have to justify this.

AlanG · 23rd October 2004, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grigorip

well what do you propose.... that they pay for the wages of their office staff and the postage costs from their own wages?

well generally theres pooled resources in an area, so Iain Luke and Ernie Ross could share a secretary for example, given their pathetic record for actually speaking in parliament etc they cant really do *that* much.

Quote:

youve portrayed these details is a very slanted way... and you have created a completely wrong impression of what these expenses are for.

so someon

21st October 2004, 10:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
graham enzk Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: back in the day Posts: 2,778 Band: condition21, ultramegaholocausticwhi rlwindzombiedeathsquad , utter fucking hate, distorted noise, tin pot hippies, spiteful	MP's expenses Thursday 21 October 2004 09:33am MPs' expenses in the spotlight MPs will have to endure public scrutiny over the millions of pounds they claim in expenses and allowances as the details are published for the first time. Senior parliamentarians have already appealed for public understanding over the payments but there is bound to be anger, with the total bill for the 659 MPs expected to be about £80 million. Overall expenditure on MPs in 2002-03 was £78 million - and that did not even include their standard backbench salaries of £57,485 a year. On top of their annual salaries and pensions, MPs who do not live near the House of Commons can claim up to £20,902 a year in expenses for a second home in the capital. They can also claim for staff, stationery and travel at home and in Europe. MPs are allowed to claim for three trips to Europe a year - as long as their destination has a parliament. With expenses of up to £19,325 a year to meet the cost of office accommodation and up to £77,534 for staff, MPs can claim about £120,000 a year each on top of their salaries. Details of claims have been kept secret up until now. But House of Commons officials will publish the full expenses for the past three years. MPs wanted to act before clauses under the Freedom of Information Act come into effect in January. There have been reports of MPs contacting officials to pay back dubious expenses before Friday's publication. Officials declined to confirm that. i can't possibly believe that our own MPs would ever cheat or in anyway embelish their expenses for their own personal gain. cough.

21st October 2004, 11:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
AlanG ModSword +5 of Editing Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,429	The independant has a great article on this today. What I want to know is what that lazy layabout all round scumbag Ernie Ross has claimed. In expenses that is, I know the random things that he claims such as students all being incredibaly lazy even the ones who work 20+hours a week as well as studying and that people who come from Glasgow to go to Dundees unis are stealing places from Dundee kids.

22nd October 2004, 10:05 AM	#3 (permalink)
AlanG ModSword +5 of Editing Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,429	http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp...wances0304.pdf name total expenses ross £124,968 luke £120,008 this is on top of wages!

22nd October 2004, 10:40 AM	#4 (permalink)
All_in_black Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kirriemuir Posts: 1,873	To be fair, MPs have worked very very hard to get where they are. So let them skim a little off the top, fuck all to do wi me.

22nd October 2004, 01:32 PM	#6 (permalink)
All_in_black Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Kirriemuir Posts: 1,873	Well, come on. £57,485 isnt that much, especially in london. If those guys went into private sectors theyd earn much much more than that.

23rd October 2004, 10:07 AM	#8 (permalink)
grigorip kipper family Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: cuparfife,but,tis-notmyfavoriteplacetobe.hm Posts: 2,154	back to topic folks... i heard a proper discussion about this on Radio 4 became clear that the MP's spent their money on train fairs to get from Westminster to their Constituency and for the postage and maintanence of their office in their consituency and sometimes in Westminster too.. this includes the wages of all their staff and for equipment...like computers and printers and things.. which all add up these expenses are definetely not for taking people out for drinks and for fancy restaraunts.... the MP's have to produce train tickets and office costs to prove what the money went on..... this seems a fair system to keep democracy running.

23rd October 2004, 10:15 AM	#9 (permalink)
Rebelius Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 7,220	the only thing that really made me think was the 3 paid trips to any european country each year, so long as that country has a parliament. I recon the rest are probably not much over their real expenses.

23rd October 2004, 11:04 AM	#11 (permalink)
Rebelius Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 7,220	i wont argue with that.

23rd October 2004, 06:28 PM	#12 (permalink)
AlanG ModSword +5 of Editing Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Dundee Posts: 3,429	Much as I despise the SUn, they had an article today detailing how some MPS have been taking BA flights at 200 quid while easyjet ones were available at 50quid etc, how one MP spent 18grand on first class stamps while second class would have been 21p eahc rather than 27p etc, so its not like none of it can be saved. Not to mention MPs living 9miles from Westminster having us buy them flats in the area...