TWO FACES OF BRITAIN
I try to avoid blogging about politics, it is too depressing, but today I am going to break that rule.
The scandalous abuse of the MPs expenses system which has been published today in the Daily Telegraph would be disgraceful at any time, but when most people are facing the results of Brown's laissez faire regulatory system it is outrageous.
These cabinet ministers spend time manipulating the system and then claim accountancy is not their strong suit; in plain language they claim they can not add up. Are they are too busy to be honest?
If the unemployed or those on low incomes make a mistake with the complicated benefit claim forms the possibility of fraud is raised, but for these people on large salaries, it is an oversight, an error, an inconsistency, a gaffe, a miscalculation.
They should be ashamed of themselves and are clearly not fit to govern the country.
From the zeros in the Cabinet to a young hero Harvey Philips, aged 4, who lost three limbs to meningitis as a baby and has taken up ballet and by all accounts smiles all the time.
Harvey deserves a better government.
You have been sat too long here for any good you have been doing. Depart I say and let us have done with you, in the name of God, go!
Oliver Cromwell, April 1653, repeated in the Norway debate by Leo Amery 7 May 1940
[Photo of Harvey Phillips from The Sun website]
posted by Uriah Robinson at 4:25 AM
1 Comments:
I can understand your need to vent.
I also find it sad that there is so much focus on this right now, just as we are in dire straits with the economy, with banks bailed out by government still making exceptional losses and we are told of no actions taken to curtail them.
Think of all the time spent recently by MPs on reviewing their expenses before they were set to come into the public domain in a restricted format. The DT upped the ante with its purchase of the raw data prior to D day, hence more time spent on this by MPs. Then, there will have been emergency meetings to work out their responses to limit the damage. And I'm sure this is continuing now as the DT has more to divulge.
Yes, we have a problem that appears to be endemic in our system of democracy and it needs to be routed out and corrected, but we also have a lack of bigger fish to fry, because of our dire economy. We are sprats in terms of economic success and whales in terms of debt, and continued and unrestrained public spending.
Balancing the books is what needs to be concentrated on. But the expenses issue also displays a symptom of why we are in such a mess.
For what it's worth, I have a little sympathy with some of the MPs as I also think the DT has spun in its reporting of the process and the claims, in order to do damage.
What has come to light in all this is that whereas previously the MP's second home was determined by fact, they now have a choice and the activity of "flipping" has come about, where an MP can decide for him/herself and change during their term, leading to more claims. If that's not the activity of a snout in the public sector trough, I don't know what is.
"Harvey deserves a better government."
I couldn't have put it better myself.
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