youngian
Monday 15th August 2011 9:43pm [Edited]
1,727 posts
Quote: sootyj @ August 13 2011, 10:16 PM BST
This particularly assinine argument has been doing the rounds for ages.
Ok
1 MPs have had legitimate areas of expenses denied for years, which has meant that an awful lot of them have not been able to do their jobs. The parliamentary expenses office signed off expenses in one area (eg housing), to cover other areas (eg spousal travel) don't like it? Then prepare for a parliament of the rich or the bribed.
2 The number of MPs actually commiting criminal fraud was small.
3 MPs generally work 70 hours a week doing useful stuff. Like voting on laws, representing their constituenices etc etc. Unlike some looting unemployed scrote.
4 If we want a grown up Parliament with real politicians we need to stop analysing small areas of expense and grow up. That one MP had to claim for his wife's tampons, because he couldn't claim for her plane ticket is ridiculous.
Good post sootyj
For the vast majority of people who have dealt with MPs, rather those who just read trite tabloid columnist about snouts in the trough, are highly satisfied. I have no personal or economic connection with MPs but I have met a few and egotistical windbag is the worst I could say about them. Senior executives in toytown councils are better paid than MPs.
Interesting also that the anti-politics rhetoric comes from people like Murdoch where no amount of money is enough and prefer to register in pliable banana republics like the Caymen Islands than countries with robust legislators with horizons beyond corporate power. There are some vile people that have power in our country and legislators come very low down that list.