Expenses: Bored Now
Anyone else bored of the Telegrpah’s drip-drip of MP expenses stories? We all know how much MPs have ripped us off already – we don’t need constant reminding and even more stories of fraud every day!
Whilst I understand precisely why the media is perpetuating these stories – they’re great sellers and an almost endless array of material appears to be available – but it seems to me that they are doing it for no good reason any more.
I’m bored of these new stories – all MPs appear nigh on as corrupt as each other. Why do the media feel the need to drag it on in such a fashion? I mean, parcelling the stories out day by day, party by party from the front bench to the backbenches.
But even though I’m bored of the news topic, that doesn’t mean I’m not going to write about any specific expenses stories that may arise (after all, the Lib Dems are next…).
Categories: All WW, Political Blogging
Bored now it’s the Tory’s turn?
Bored? Yes and no.
Yes, if the daily drip-drip continues for weeks.
On the other hand, the only way that thorough reform has even made it onto the agenda has been by a massive, massive, scandal and the wrecking of Parliament’s reputation for probity.
If that means that we have to have a continued drip-drip from dirty laundry to make sure that reform is completed, then that is a price I am prepared to accept.
I have a bigger issue with the way the Telegraph is doing it and the political agenda underlying that.
I also want to hear if they have anything on my MP – Dennis Skinner. I suspect and expect that he is quite upright.
There’s a fascinating comparison to be made between Skinner and Hoon in next door constituencies who both started from a two thirds share of the vote in 1997.
I’d urge more people to do the heavy work of working out what system we need in the place of the current one, and to make submissions to the review.
I’m not bored at all! I can’t understand the criticism of the Telegraph at all – and anyway, much of it is contradictory.
For instance, over the weekend some people criticised it for being partisan by focusing only on Labour – the answer to that was to go on to expose Tories, as it has done. If the Telegraph now called a halt, it could fairly be criticised for focusing only on Tory and Labour, even though it’s already trailed that at least one LibDem is in the frame.
Others have already complained that somehow the Telegraph has manged to suggest “all MPs are at it”, a criticism I don’t understand, myself. Again, though, if the Telegraph stopped now, it could be fairly criticised for leaving large shadows of doubt over many MPs because many of us, like Matt, want to know whether our own MP has been at it. That would be to diminish all MPs without justification. The fairest thing to do is keep at it remorselessly, day by day, until we know who all the scroungers are and it’s reasonable to conclude those not exposed are in the clear, or at least only very minor offenders. I’d like the Telegraph to say that when it’s reached that point.
But the main reason they should keep at it is the other one Matt gave. The Telegraph story is the only reason this is now being taken seriously, and the only way we’d ever have got at the truth. If the pressure is eased now, MPs will immediately start delaying and covering up again. If this has to go on for weeks, so be it.
Agree with on your first point Carl – had the Telegraph only reported on the cabinet, for example, that would have been grossly unfair. This is a parliamentary issue, not a government or partisan issue.
I also think that it was important to get all this out as it did seem to be the only way to provide a catalyst for any change. It really should not have come to all this.
However, the reporting of the story has not been very good I don’t think. Whisper this quietly, but MPs do legitimately need to claim for expenses and it is only the taxpayer who can pick up the bill. Whisper it even more quietly, but a lot of the so called outrageous claims such as claiming £24k for a second home and even some cases of flipping were probably the most sensible thing to do within the rules. Most importantly, every single claim so far has been within the rules. Yet the press in particular, not just the Telegraph, have been far too quick to pass judgment and insinuate actual wrong doing.
Whisper this one most quietly of all, because I am sure this will make me seem crazy, but perhaps the electorate and media are not the best judges of all this. Yes it is clear that claiming for dog food is not right, but there are loads of grey areas where most of us just hear big numbers and assume it must be wrong.
I’d much rather have had an independent authority set up, with actual knowledge of the subject and no financial interest in the story (as the Telegraph and others have) to pass the judgement and inform the rest of us what is going on.
Perhaps the fact that parliament seemed unwilling to do this though serves them right?
Yes this is a very legitimate story, but it is not nearly as big as some are making out nor is it being entirely fairly reported.
I’m loving it, schadenfreude-max. I hope the Telegraph can keep it going for weeks, right up to the EU and local elections preferrably.
I am not bored – I am plain incandescent with rage!!
I don’t care whether you think the Telegraph is reporting it fairly or not; it was the only main media who was prepared to report it at all. Without this daily chinese water torture of revelation I bet that this disgraceful manipulation of the regulations for personal benefit would have continued.
The members have shown themselves to be without principle or conscience. They have refused to make their claims public, (which if they were are as necessary as you suggest would have been no problem for them) even when ordered to do so. Rules have been bent, massaged, ignored and simply changed to maintain the secrecy,to cloud the issue and allow the practice to continue.
So here’s health to the Telegraph! I don’t care which side of politics they are on – but I do care that they are the only ones who have picked up on the sheer rage and disgust which is welling up from the constituencies.