Wednesday 11 November 2009
Monday 9 November 2009
I must write more neatly
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Thursday 18 June 2009
Sky TV
Of course I claim back SKY TV payments I only subscribe as I have to see what my subjects are watching , you can't possibly think I would watch it for any other reason ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/
Friday 22 May 2009
Oh Jacqui !! Jacqui PIG
So Jacqui your sister's home is your main home so you can claim £116K on the house where your husband and children live as a second home , BOLLOCKS resign now and give yourself some dignity !!!!
"But the home secretary has insisted that she "fully abided" by the rules in designating her sister's house as her main residence, allowing her to claim payments on her Redditch constituency home which she shares with her husband and children."
Tuesday 19 May 2009
Friday 15 May 2009
Oh Iris !! Iris Pig and Peter pig
Anti-gay MP Iris Robinson and husband tried to claim twice for same expenses bill
Iris Robinson and her husband both tried to claim for the same expense bill
Northern Ireland MPs Iris Robinson and her husband Peter both tried to claim for the same £1,223 expenses bill on the same day.
Mrs Robinson, who once described homosexuality as an "abomination", was exposed in the latest round of expense receipts published by the Daily Telegraph.
The Democratic Unionist Party MPs have come under scrutiny for their financial affairs before, with a tabloid newspaper reporting last month that they claim almost £600,000 a year in salaries and expenses.
The double claim was rejected by officials, as was a claim for a total of £10,860 in mortgage interest payments made by the couple – covering five months – because they did not provide mortgage interest statements as proof. It was not clear whether the money was paid to them or if they eventually submitted evidence of the interest.
Between 2004 and 2008, the couple claimed a total of £159,208 on their east London flat, most of which went on mortgage interest repayments.They bought the flat in 2001 for £450,000.
They also claimed £30,525 for food between 2004 and 2008, reaching the £400 limit most months.
In response, Mr Robinson described the double claim for the £1,223 bill as “an innocent mistake”.
He said: “The two claim forms were prepared for the signature of my wife and myself by the same person. They are signed separately and then sent together in the one envelope. Anyone in the fees office would have been dealing with the claims together and inevitably would have noticed the innocent mistake. It is clear that this one duplicate entry over many years was an innocent error and happily was spotted.”
He added that the £100 per week claims for food were "not unreasonable", although he said none of the couple's children had spent "more than half a dozen nights in the apartment over the years”.
Mrs Robinson earns £63,291 for her position as an MP, £24,296 as an Assembly member and as chairwoman of its health and social services committee and £9,550 as a councillor for the Castlereagh borough in Northern Ireland.
Oh No!!! Piggy Speaker Martin
Speaker faces no confidence call
 The Speaker's supporters say he has long been the victim of snobbery. |
A no confidence motion in House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin is to be tabled by a Conservative backbencher.
MP Douglas Carswell is to make the move following a furore over Mr Martin's handling of leaks of MPs' expenses.
Some MPs felt he was more concerned with attacking those who criticised him than responding to public anger.
Labour MP Gordon Prentice argued that the speaker was now "too compromised" by recent events and so should stand down immediately.
Thank god another Tory !! Hogg Pig
Tory MP Hogg to repay 'moat cost'
 Mr Hogg was one of several Tories whose claims were questioned |
Conservative MP Douglas Hogg has agreed to repay £2,200 - the cost of clearing his moat at his country estate - amid the continuing row over MPs' expenses.
Mr Hogg maintained he had not claimed the money but agreed it had not been "positively excluded" from paperwork submitted to the Commons fees office.
"I believe that my claims fell clearly within the scope of the rules."
He is the latest in a string of Labour, Tory and Lib Dem MPs to pay back money after claims came to light.
Mr Hogg was irritated by the Telegraph's coverage of his own claims - which was included in a series of articles about how wealthy Conservatives had claimed towards the cost of maintaining large constituency homes.
Malik £66K , whew , Mr Malik Pig
The Telegraph also reports Justice Minister Mr Malik - who claimed the most expenses of all 646 MPs in 2007 - claimed a maximum of £66,827 allowances over three years for his second home in London.
It reports he claimed £2,500 for a cinema system, later reduced by half by the fees office.
He claimed £65 for a court summons for council tax non-payment but he repaid this on Thursday.
Mr Malik said the report's suggestion he paid only £100 a week in rent on his "main home" in his Dewsbury constituency was a "fabrication".
He said the house was where he spent most of his time so it was legitimate to claim for the second home in London.
Thursday 14 May 2009
Al last a Conservative Pig , but dammit MacKay pig resigned
Tory MP quits post over expenses
Andrew MacKay: 'I feel that it is important to apologise'
Conservative MP Andrew MacKay has quit as parliamentary aide to David Cameron over what the party said was an "unacceptable" expenses claim.
He claimed full second home allowance on his London address, while his wife, Tory MP Julie Kirkbride, claimed the full allowance for another home.
Mr Cameron has said all Tory MPs must be able to defend their expenses.
Elliot Morley is, "heartbroken" a terrible mistake says Eric Pig
MP admits mortgage expense error
 Elliot Morley was said to be "heartbroken" |
A former minister has admitted he claimed £16,000 on expenses for a mortgage that had been paid off.
Labour MP Elliot Morley told the BBC he had repaid some back and it had been a mistake which he felt terrible about.
The Daily Telegraph reported he claimed £800 a month for a Scunthorpe property for 18 months after the mortgage ended.
More than 20 MPs have said they will pay back claims totalling nearly £130,000, amid public anger after days of revelations from leaked receipts.
Wednesday 13 May 2009
He had kept to the rules , so why pay it back ? Hope pig
Health minister to repay £41,709
Phil Hope: "The public anger has been a massive blow to me"
Health minister Phil Hope is to repay £41,709 in second home allowances following media revelations.
The Labour MP said he had kept to the rules but stories about his expenses had caused a "massive blow" to his integrity and standing with voters.
It is the biggest amount an MP has paid back as all parties attempt to repair the damage to their reputation.
Hazel acted within the rules , so why pay it back ? Hazel pig
Blears will pay tax on flat sale
Hazel Blears says public outrage and the need to rebuild trust prompted her decision
Hazel Blears has said she will pay £13,332 in capital gains tax on the sale of her "second home" after criticism about her expenses claims.
The communities secretary told Commons staff her London flat was her "second home" on which she claimed expenses.
But when she sold it she did not pay CGT, due on homes the Inland Revenue does not consider a "main residence".
She said she had acted within the rules but knew people were "really angry" and paying it was "the right thing to do".
Friday 8 May 2009
Get the police to probe now !!!!!!!
Ministers have defended their expenses claims saying all were made within the rules, as police are asked to probe how the details were leaked to a newspaper.
Lord Mandelson, who claimed £2,850 for his home, before quitting as an MP and selling it for a large profit, said the claims were for essential repairs. 
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he had repaid £1,500 which he claimed to cover the full rate of council tax on his constituency home - when he was getting a 50% discount. He told the BBC he had acted "in complete good faith and within the rules" but regretted the "error" on council tax.
But asked how his colleague - Environment Secretary Hilary Benn - apparently managed to claim only £140 for the whole year under the allowance, Mr Straw added: "I will talk to Hilary about how he manages it."
Downing Street says there was "nothing wrong" with Gordon Brown's £6,500 claim to pay his brother for a cleaner.
His spokesman said any suggestion there was something wrong in the arrangement whereby Mr Brown paid his brother for a cleaner they both shared was "wholly unjustified".
The Telegraph revelations include Communities Secretary Hazel Blears claiming three different properties within a year were her "second home" - the first her Salford constituency, the second two in London. MPs can claim up to £24,000 a year towards the costs of their second home.
Ms Blears said the claims were "entirely in accordance with the rules" adding: "I have only ever had one small, one-bedroom flat at any time in London." But she did not answer questions about whether the claims were justified
Lord Mandelson, who claimed £2,850 for his home, before quitting as an MP and selling it for a large profit, said the claims were for essential repairs. 
Justice Secretary Jack Straw said he had repaid £1,500 which he claimed to cover the full rate of council tax on his constituency home - when he was getting a 50% discount. He told the BBC he had acted "in complete good faith and within the rules" but regretted the "error" on council tax.But asked how his colleague - Environment Secretary Hilary Benn - apparently managed to claim only £140 for the whole year under the allowance, Mr Straw added: "I will talk to Hilary about how he manages it."
Downing Street says there was "nothing wrong" with Gordon Brown's £6,500 claim to pay his brother for a cleaner.His spokesman said any suggestion there was something wrong in the arrangement whereby Mr Brown paid his brother for a cleaner they both shared was "wholly unjustified".
The Telegraph revelations include Communities Secretary Hazel Blears claiming three different properties within a year were her "second home" - the first her Salford constituency, the second two in London. MPs can claim up to £24,000 a year towards the costs of their second home.Ms Blears said the claims were "entirely in accordance with the rules" adding: "I have only ever had one small, one-bedroom flat at any time in London." But she did not answer questions about whether the claims were justified
Thursday 5 February 2009
No reward for failure , BUT they won't listen to me !! will they ?
Brown warns banks on bosses pay
Gordon Brown: 'A new approach... is required'
The Prime Minister has insisted there should be "no reward for failure" at banks which have had to be bailed out by the taxpayer.
Gordon Brown was speaking after reports Royal Bank of Scotland is considering awarding large bonuses, despite expectations of huge annual losses.
However Mr Brown stopped short of saying the government would impose a salary cap on rescued banks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7871828.stm
It's my duty , !! British jobs for British workers !!!!
PM's jobs pledge 'a huge mistake'
 Construction and maintenance workers around the UK have protested |
Gordon Brown should apologise for his "British jobs for British workers" pledge in the wake of wildcat strikes across the UK, say the Tories.
Tory leader David Cameron said the PM's words, cited by protesters who walked out in a row over Italian workers at a refinery, had been a "huge mistake".
He said it was "pandering to people's fears" and an "error of judgement".
But Mr Brown said it was his "duty" to help Britons acquire skills needed to get jobs in a global market.
Oh No that religeous nut's out and about again !!!
Obama greets 'good friend' Blair
Barack Obama meets former Prime Minister Tony Blair
Tony Blair has become the first leading British politician to meet Barack Obama since he was sworn in as US President.
The former prime minister was welcomed as a "very good friend" by Mr Obama, as he gave a speech at the traditional National Prayer Breakfast.
He advised the new president: "You don't need cheerleaders but partners, not spectators but supporters."
Mr Obama praised Mr Blair as "somebody who did it first and perhaps did it better than I will do".
In his speech, Mr Blair had some words of advice for the new president, telling him: "The truest friends are those still around when the going gets toughest."
Mr Blair, who converted to Catholicism after leaving office, warned that the "public eye is not always the most congenial".
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7873000.stm
Tuesday 3 February 2009
Mandelson , WHAT are you playing at !!!
Flag mistake at UK-China ceremony
 The flag was the centrepiece of an agreement-signing ceremony |
The government has been criticised for displaying the Union flag upside down at the signing of a trade agreement.
A plastic flag was flown incorrectly for a ceremony involving Gordon Brown, Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and Trade Secretary Lord Mandelson.
The Flag Institute said it was "concerned" about the mistake and Tory MP Andrew Rosindell called it "an unbelievable flaw in protocol".
BBC News website readers got in touch to point out the error.
The Union flag - more commonly described as the Union Jack - has been in use since the Act of Union between Great Britain and Ireland came into force in 1801.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7866938.stm
I'm with you all the way !! British Jobs for British workers !!
Fresh talks in foreign worker row
Workers at the Lindsey refinery explain why they will stay out 'for as long as it takes'
Hundreds of workers are continuing unofficial strike action over the use of foreign contractors, as talks resumed to try to resolve the dispute.
Protesters gathered outside Lindsey Oil Refinery - where the wave of strikes originated last week - saying they were awaiting the outcome of the Acas talks.
Some 600 workers walked out of Langage power station near Plymouth on Tuesday.
Workers in Fife, Cheshire, North Yorkshire, Essex and Hampshire have continued their support protests.
Wednesday 28 January 2009
What do they know ?? I'm right !!
PM attacked on economic forecast
 Mr Brown said countries with large financial sectors would be hard hit |
A prediction that the UK economy will suffer more than its rivals this year shows the "true cost of Gordon Brown's failures", the Conservatives have said.
The International Monetary Fund projects it will shrink by 2.8% next year, the worst among advanced nations.
The Tories said it was a "bad day" for the prime minister and an "even worse day for the country". The Lib Dems said it showed problems were "home-grown".
Number 10 said the PM was "confident" his economic package was correct.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7856872.stm
Monday 26 January 2009
Don't be pessimistic , I'm not !! Oh God ! 15% behind
Brown warns against 'pessimism'
Gordon Brown has given a wide-ranging speech on the economy
The economic crisis should be treated as "the difficult birth-pangs of a new global order", with new rules introduced on trade, Gordon Brown says.
The prime minister set out a series of actions designed to "replace fear with confidence" and warned against just "muddling through as pessimists".
During a speech defending his handling of the crisis he also warned against the "deglobalisation threat".
His speech came as a poll suggested the Tory lead had grown to 15% over Labour.
The UK is now officially in recession for the first time since 1991, with many businesses blaming difficulties in obtaining loans for the crisis.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7850649.stm
Friday 23 January 2009
Don't bring that up again !!
The would-be PM who cost us £100bn
By Liam Halligan, Economics Editor
Last Updated: 11:45pm BST 14/10/2006
The chances are that you have never heard of "advance corporation tax relief". And you probably didn't notice when Gordon Brown abolished it, without warning, in his first Budget back in July 1997.
You may, on the other hand, have heard of "Labour's £5bn pension stealth tax". That is because it has since become clear that the Chancellor's policy shift – removing tax relief on income from share dividends – was very harmful to British pension funds.
Gordon Brown and Tony Blair
Blair warned the Chancellor not to tax private pension funds so brutally, but Brown wanted to hit the ‘fat cats’
Announcing the move, Brown told the Commons that this was a "long-needed reform". But most actuaries now agree, if only sotto voce, that it has contributed mightily to the closure, since Labour took office, of thousands of final salary schemes.
The resulting loss of income and dignity – to say nothing of the stress – endured by members who have seen part or all of their "guaranteed" pensions disappear is among the biggest injustices of our time.
See This link
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/10/15/ccliam15.xml
By Liam Halligan, Economics Editor
Last Updated: 11:45pm BST 14/10/2006
The chances are that you have never heard of "advance corporation tax relief". And you probably didn't notice when Gordon Brown abolished it, without warning, in his first Budget back in July 1997.
You may, on the other hand, have heard of "Labour's £5bn pension stealth tax". That is because it has since become clear that the Chancellor's policy shift – removing tax relief on income from share dividends – was very harmful to British pension funds.
Gordon Brown and Tony Blair
Blair warned the Chancellor not to tax private pension funds so brutally, but Brown wanted to hit the ‘fat cats’
Announcing the move, Brown told the Commons that this was a "long-needed reform". But most actuaries now agree, if only sotto voce, that it has contributed mightily to the closure, since Labour took office, of thousands of final salary schemes.
The resulting loss of income and dignity – to say nothing of the stress – endured by members who have seen part or all of their "guaranteed" pensions disappear is among the biggest injustices of our time.
See This link
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2006/10/15/ccliam15.xml
Oh dear !! Final salary schemes 'face axe'
OK I know it's all my fault taking £4 billion a year out of the pensioners pensions and effectively the stock market all those years ago was in retrospect stupid , but it seemed like a good idea at the time , ( like selling the Gold ) and probably the£200 billion defecit is exactly the same amount given compound interest that is their shortfall , but Hey you win some and lose some , that's life , so take it like men , so I trashed the UK pension industry , OK it was the best in the world , it's not now TOUGH !!!!
Final salary schemes 'face axe'
 The past decade has seen a huge wave of pension closures |
A quarter of major private sector firms expect to close their final salary pension schemes to existing members in the next few years, a survey suggests.
Many companies have already closed their schemes to new members, saying they are too expensive to finance.
But barring current contributors will become more common, says the National Association of Pension Funds, which is pressing for more government help.
It found 25 of the 100 firms which replied to its study expected to do so.
'Death knell'
Final salary schemes, which offer guaranteed benefits to members, are facing pressure from plunging stock markets, falling interest rates and growing life expectancy.
The latest estimate of total company pension deficits is nearly £200bn.
Thursday 22 January 2009
OK we'llcontinue to consult on the matter
Brown backs down in expenses row
 Mr Brown said ministers would 'continue to consult on the matter' |
Ministers have shelved plans to exempt MPs' expenses details from the Freedom of Information Act, after the Tories and Lib Dems said they would fight it.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the government had thought it had cross-party agreement but would now "continue to consult on the matter".
Campaigners said it was a victory for "people power" after a web protest.
Oh Jack not you as well !! A clear breach of rules
Straw in 'clear breach' of rules
 Jack Straw: Committee "surprised" that he "of all people" had broken the rules |
Jack Straw was guilty of a "clear, albeit inadvertent, breach" of the rules in not registering a donation for a dinner to mark 25 years as an MP.
But the Committee on Standards and Privileges said that because Mr Straw had apologised and registered the money no further action was recommended.
They decided on a public rebuke because Mr Straw did not register the donation until 2008 despite reminders.
Oh Peter how could you serious and substantial failure !!!
Hain guilty of 'serious' failures
 Peter Hain was Welsh secretary and work and pensions secretary |
Peter Hain was guilty of "serious and substantial" failures in not registering donations, the Commons standards watchdog has said.
The former cabinet minister was cleared last month by police over the late declaration of £103,000 of donations to his Labour deputy leadership bid.
But he has been rapped by the Commons Standards and Privileges Committee.
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