Wish I could steal £16k, get away with it and call it a mistake.

[stez]

Imagine the situation. You work for a company. It has a quite frankly ridiculous expenses policy. You've been putting stuff on expenses which are being passed through even though they probably shouldn't, and the company is okay-ing it all. The shareholders of the company find out about the stupid expenses rules and the CEO suddenly realises he has to make an example to appease them and fires some of the employees who have been using it a lot,. Would you expect the police to suddenly wade in and arrest anyone and everyone?

That's all a hypothetical situation, mind.

as has already been said, it's still fraud, but this is fraud involving money that they take out of my wages. if some office monkey sticks a meal or two on expenses, i'm unlikely to be too bothered, unless i owned the company and it was my money they were rinsing, but if an MP, who constantly preach to me about my life, thinks it's ok to make, quite frankly, unreasonable expenses claims, i think i'm quite within my rights, as a tax payer, to be a bit peeved and to see justice done, where necessary.

[stez]

Granted but like in any job the more you pay, the higher quality of employee you attract. Surely the fact that the most talented people could breeze into a job with a salary that is 5 times higher is one of the reasons the so many fooking awful people manage to become an MP.

yeah, i can't wait til the MPs are paid enough to attract all the city workers and bankers, they're great they are.

being an MP is a vocation, as they constantly tell nurses, teacher etc, as an excuse not to put their wages up. a person should want to become an MP to make a real difference to their local community first, and, maybe, the country, then perhaps, the world, as a vocation.

[Shrenchel]

I don't disagree that in an ideal world they should want to do it due the desire to make a difference but in reality Id rather have someone that is excellent at a job they're only doing for the money than someone who is shit at it but doing it for the love.

[davieG]

I don't disagree that in an ideal world they should want to do it due the desire to make a difference but in reality Id rather have someone that is excellent at a job they're only doing for the money than someone who is shit at it but doing it for the love.

What exactly is their job though?

They don't particularly need to be experts on any particular subject, you can tell that by how the jobs are handed out as they have advisers on every subject under the sun who are paid the 'big money'. All they need to do is find out the facts and either vote according to their conscious, if they have one or find out what their political sponsors, party that is has decided. They don't even have to find out what their constituents might prefer, except when it's near a polling day.

Somewhat simplistic and cynical but that's about it for the majority of them.

Let's not forget I believe they also recieve a lucrative non-contributary pension for life no matter how long they've been an MP

[skinnydipper]

Too many of the bastards are on the take. Makes a mockery of many of these unscrupulous money grabbers sitting on Select Committees where they question and scrutinise the morals and ethics of others.

[Matt]

The only over expense I have charged to my past company and it was an honest mistake and I gained nothing from it anyway (Apart from maybe taking time of my journey) was going on the M6 Toll once.

I was honest enough to tell my boss I had been overpaid 20 quid once too. How honest and trustworthy am I?!

...Still got no extra thanks, no pay-rise and then got made redundant though.

[Jon the Hat]

Except some have been claiming for things that are clearly against the rules like mortgage interest payments that's been completed or husband/wife MPs both claim for the same thing shared expenses.

Hypothetically if you worked for a company that provided you with a regular sum to buy a car and you carried on claiming it after the car was paid for you'd be in court before you could get in reverse gear.

Actually I don't even have to have a car to get my car allowance. The difference being that mine is taxable.

[Ultra]

I don't disagree that it's a very liveable wage, should be enough for anyone, but to get paid less than a GP, a headteacher, a decent salesperson etc when the decisions you make affect millions of people does seem a bit odd. I think all this expenses shit is disgusting but can probably understand the mindset of wanting to make a bit more out of your job when all of them could walk into a profession that pays twice as much with half the amount of stress.

Many of them, next year, will have to do exactly that when they're kicked out of office.

As reprehensible as these stories may appear, they're fairly minor-league compared to the actions of the previous parliament, which approved the indiscriminate mass slaughter of Afghan and Iraqi people.

The MPs can't give those folk their lives back.

[Thracian]

Many of them, next year, will have to do exactly that when they're kicked out of office.

As reprehensible as these stories may appear, they're fairly minor-league compared to the actions of the previous parliament, which approved the indiscriminate mass slaughter of Afghan and Iraqi people.

The MPs can't give those folk their lives back.

You're entirely right about the previous administration but the sooner this Prime Minister finally shows some honour and calls an election the better. Politicians, the government and this country have become a laughing stock during his watch - and for so many reasons.

I think I read that support for the government was 22% and as low as it has been since the Second World War. And seeing as he doubtless retains some Scottisdh, Welsh and immigrant suipport, I'd struggle to imagine how low his support is with the indigenous English.

But it matters not. We all know Gordon Brown has no honour and will continue to inflict himself and his kind on the rest of us even if his own was the only vote in favour.

[morris1234]

i dont know much about politics (im young and i have a very short attention span ) but to me it seems that all mp's dont actually do anything or make any decisions. they just get paid easily £40,000+ to sit around and go errrrrrrrrrrmmmmmmmmm.

anybody agree? its just whenever anybody is on the news and they get asked a question they say everything under the sun, except the answer to the question.

and now they are claiming all this money when others are struggling to make ends meet!? shocking!

[Guest]

the sooner this Prime Minister finally shows some honour and calls an election the better.

I think I read that support for the government was 22% and as low as it has been since the Second World War.

I think you've found the solution to the puzzle there.

[Webbo]

Tbf to MPs, they don't just sit around and vote as they are told. They hold constituency surgeries most weeks, usually in the evenings when most of us are sat at home watching TV.

Good MPs campaign on issues, defend their constituents and try to support the communities that they represent. It's too easy to say that they're all money grabbers or crooks, most enter parliament with the intention of doing good. Maybe some have become corrupted by power and lack accounting but somebody has to represent us, somebody has to run the country.

Really hope that people don't use this as an excuse not to vote. If people are really disgusted with their MP they should use their vote to remove them. I know you'll say that they're all the same but this system of expenses won't last much longer. Sack the bad ones and bring in some fresh faces, it's in our hands.

[Matt]

Tbf to MPs, they don't just sit around and vote as they are told. They hold constituency surgeries most weeks, usually in the evenings when most of us are sat at home watching TV.

Good MPs campaign on issues, defend their constituents and try to support the communities that they represent. It's too easy to say that they're all money grabbers or crooks, most enter parliament with the intention of doing good. Maybe some have become corrupted by power and lack accounting but somebody has to represent us, somebody has to run the country.

Really hope that people don't use this as an excuse not to vote. If people are really disgusted with their MP they should use their vote to remove them. I know you'll say that they're all the same but this system of expenses won't last much longer. Sack the bad ones and bring in some fresh faces, it's in our hands.

But as far as I can see they are all as bad as each other, As for using your vote to get rid of the bad, how? Where they are all as bad as each other?

I want my money, job back, and companies or job opportunities in my field of work, i've worked since I left school, i've trained for 3 years whilst working, I don't want to retrain. I know I can't blame it all on the MP's, there are many other factors and people to blame for this recession, but these MP's certainly ain't helped the issues.

[Webbo]

I want my money, job back, and companies or job opportunities in my field of work, i've worked since I left school, i've trained for 3 years whilst working, I don't want to retrain. I know I can't blame it all on the MP's, there are many other factors and people to blame for this recession, but these MP's certainly ain't helped the issues.

That's a separate issue. That's not dishonesty that's incompetence. You can call this govt all you want and you won't get an arguement from me.

[lou]

Tbf to MPs, they don't just sit around and vote as they are told. They hold constituency surgeries most weeks, usually in the evenings when most of us are sat at home watching TV.

Good MPs campaign on issues, defend their constituents and try to support the communities that they represent. It's too easy to say that they're all money grabbers or crooks, most enter parliament with the intention of doing good. Maybe some have become corrupted by power and lack accounting but somebody has to represent us, somebody has to run the country.

Really hope that people don't use this as an excuse not to vote. If people are really disgusted with their MP they should use their vote to remove them. I know you'll say that they're all the same but this system of expenses won't last much longer. Sack the bad ones and bring in some fresh faces, it's in our hands.

Id be happy to do that for salary they get PLUS expenses!

[davieG]

A Merc Report with a bit of Bite

We seek him here, we seek him there, we’ve even sought him in the cushions department at the John Lewis store in Highcross.

But there’s been no sign of Keith Anthony Standish Vaz this week, writes Lee Marlow

Normally, if you’re looking to doorstep a politician you ride out to their home and knock on their door.

With Keith “three homes” Vaz, however, it’s hard to know which doorstep you should chose.

Should it be the Leicester one, the modest semi-detached on Uppingham Road where he told the BBC this week that he lives?

Or the more extravagant residence in Stanmore, north west London, the £1.5 million home about 15 miles away from his place of work?

Or the Westminster pad which he needs, he says, for those early morning meetings?

We’ve called Mr Vaz four times this week. We had some fairly obvious questions to ask him about what he’s been doing with taxpayers’ money.

For such a media-savvy member of parliament, the Right Honourable Member for Leicester East was uncharacteristically quiet this week.

We wanted to know about his homes and why taxpayers had seemingly paid £69,000 to furnish and keep them?

But the devil was in the detail here. We wanted to know why he had spent nearly £500 of taxpayers cash on silk cushions, £2,614 on leather armchairs, £1,000 on a dining table, £150 on a lamp – and £600, exactly, every month, for “repairs”, “cleaning” and “maintenance.”

Mr Vaz, unfortunately, wasn’t taking our calls.

Then, a breakthrough. His office invited us to Catherine Junior School, in Brandon Street, Belgrave, where the school wants a new crossing patrol.

We thought we’d meet up and say hello. “Keith,” we imagined we would say, “long time no see... how have you been, etc... now then, about those cushions....?”

He arrived at 1.30pm, in a Toyota Prius, wearing a smart blue suit and a big grin.

Our initial exchange wasn’t as cheery as we might have hoped.

Leicester Mercury: “Mr Vaz, can we speak to you, please?”

Mr Vaz. “No. You can wait here.”

His grin disappeared and his stride quickened. The look on his face suggested: ‘I’m a harassed MP, get me out of here.’

He said: “I’m here to talk about ... a lollipop lady, so that’s what I will talk about. You can wait here.”

We moved inside the school. We could talk about lollipop ladies too, if we could also ask about interior furnishings and why we’re having to picking up the tab for things that, many argue, he should be paying for himself.

That didn’t last long. Keith didn’t want us around.

“All the press out,” Mr Vaz ordered.

“But you invited us here,” we said and Radio Leicester said and the man from the telly said, as we were lead out to the foyer.

But the man was not for turning.

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” he said. “I think I know what I am doing.”

His assistant ushered us out. No more questions, she said. Instead, she handed out a press release. It was the same press release she gave us six days ago.

“Why won’t he take our calls?,” we asked.

“We have taken your calls,” she said, by which she meant someone had answered the phone when we called but wouldn’t answer our questions.

Then he came out. “I will be making a very important statement,” said Mr Vaz.

A very important one?

“A very important one.”

Then he went to the road, looked at the crossing and politely at first, and then more firmly after a short while, declined to answer any question if it did not relate to the school crossing campaign.

If any member of the media had the audacity to butt in, ask a question about his cushions rather than lollipop ladies, Mr Vaz’s face seemed to turn to thunder.

What about the campaign to get MPs to pay back some of these expenses, Mr Vaz, we asked. Mr Vaz, a barrister, made another expert swerve. “I have issued a statement and I will issue another statement when all the expenses of all the MPs are published.”

He would do that, he said, because the information in the Daily Telegraph was given in breach of contract and was grubby chequebook journalism.

Is that really the point here, Mr Vaz?

“I and members of our staff have had to change our banking details,” he said. “Would you like that?”

But we don’t want to print your bank details, Mr Vaz. We just want to know whether you feel it necessary to apologise? Or to pay that money back?

Silence. Long, tumbleweed blowing, ominous silence.

Then Mr Vaz turned to the woman from Radio Leicester.

“Do you have a question?” he asked.

Across the road, people going about their everyday normal business had stopped to stare at the unfolding pantomime being performed outside Catherine Junior School.

“I read about his cushions,” said one woman bystander. “I think I spent a fiver on my cushions. £480 is too much to spend on cushions – especially when we’re footing the bill.”

Should he pay that back?

“Of course he should,” she said. “I’ve voted for him before. But I don’t think I will again.”

[lou]

Top article (about bloody time they did one!) Cant stand Vaz hes a slimy creep IMO and Ive never trusted him.

This is so feckin depressing - I cant even afford £5 cushions for our sofa at the moment much as we need some!

[Guest]

Mr Vaz, a barrister, made another expert swerve.

Not all barristers are greedy bastards.

[Guest]

Good article that.

Seriously though, a house in Stanmore and a flat in Westminster for early morning meetings? Hardly a massive commute now is it

[Matt]

Good article that.

Seriously though, a house in Stanmore and a flat in Westminster for early morning meetings? Hardly a massive commute now is it

That's the thing I don't get, now I don't know a whole lot about politics, and stuff like that - So within reason forgive me if i'm talking shit (Probably am ), and i'm sure there is more than meets the eye, but do these politicians really need second homes in London? How many people with normal jobs in London commute regularly? I know a few people myself. I read something about them "sitting in meetings late at night when we are all at home watching TV" so I suppose if the meetings finish late then maybe the can't/wouldn't want to commute, and I can understand them not wanting to commute if they live far up north but as far as the midlands and certainly closer to London do they really need second homes?

[l444ry]

Speaker Smacks Tory

House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin, under mounting pressure to quit his post, lived up to his "Gorbals Mick" nickname by headbutting a Tory backbencher during a furious debate on the expenses scandal.

Rupert Farquahar, MP for Upper Rimming in the Cotswolds, was left bruised and bleeding following the unprovoked attack by the demented Martin.

"The Speaker lost the plot completely," observed a shocked Usher. "Mr. Farquahar has a rather plummy way of talking, and this clearly enraged Michael. He thinks all Tories are stuck-up snobs who need a good slap anyway. When Mr. Faquahar made some passing reference to Rangers beating Celtic at the weekend, it was the last straw."

His face purple with rage, and flecks of spittle flying around the Chamber, Martin launched himself at the bemused MP, screeching "See you, pal! Diz ya mother sew? Then get her tae stitch this, ya great Sassenach numpty!"

Delivering the headbutt, he then turned on his own clerks, offering a "Glasgow kiss" to anyone who intervened. Chief Whip Nick Brown tried to calm Mr. Martin but was instead invited out to the car park. "I'll fecking sort you oot, too, ya big bum-bandit!" shrieked the Speaker.

Mr. Martin was eventually subdued with the aid of elephant tranquillisers and led away to a padded cell under the Terrace.

A spokesman for the Speaker's Office denied any wrong-doing on Mr. Martin's part.

"The Speaker slipped while leaning towards the Member to deliver a point of order. His head inadvertently struck Mr. Farquahar right between the eyes, leaving him concussed. I hope the matter is now closed but if any Tory ponce wants to make something of it, there's more where that came from!"

David Cameron, who was found hiding beneath Theresa May during the fracas, commented: "The last thing Parliament needs at the moment is fisticuffs in the Chamber, but if he acts like that again we're going to set Ann Widdecombe on him, and that won't be pleasant."

[AoWW]

Speaker Smacks Tory

House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin, under mounting pressure to quit his post, lived up to his "Gorbals Mick" nickname by headbutting a Tory backbencher during a furious debate on the expenses scandal.

Rupert Farquahar, MP for Upper Rimming in the Cotswolds, was left bruised and bleeding following the unprovoked attack by the demented Martin.

"The Speaker lost the plot completely," observed a shocked Usher. "Mr. Farquahar has a rather plummy way of talking, and this clearly enraged Michael. He thinks all Tories are stuck-up snobs who need a good slap anyway. When Mr. Faquahar made some passing reference to Rangers beating Celtic at the weekend, it was the last straw."

His face purple with rage, and flecks of spittle flying around the Chamber, Martin launched himself at the bemused MP, screeching "See you, pal! Diz ya mother sew? Then get her tae stitch this, ya great Sassenach numpty!"

Delivering the headbutt, he then turned on his own clerks, offering a "Glasgow kiss" to anyone who intervened. Chief Whip Nick Brown tried to calm Mr. Martin but was instead invited out to the car park. "I'll fecking sort you oot, too, ya big bum-bandit!" shrieked the Speaker.

Mr. Martin was eventually subdued with the aid of elephant tranquillisers and led away to a padded cell under the Terrace.

A spokesman for the Speaker's Office denied any wrong-doing on Mr. Martin's part.

"The Speaker slipped while leaning towards the Member to deliver a point of order. His head inadvertently struck Mr. Farquahar right between the eyes, leaving him concussed. I hope the matter is now closed but if any Tory ponce wants to make something of it, there's more where that came from!"

David Cameron, who was found hiding beneath Theresa May during the fracas, commented: "The last thing Parliament needs at the moment is fisticuffs in the Chamber, but if he acts like that again we're going to set Ann Widdecombe on him, and that won't be pleasant."

:laugh: Fantastic.

[Thracian]

A Merc Report with a bit of Bite

We seek him here, we seek him there, we’ve even sought him in the cushions department at the John Lewis store in Highcross.

But there’s been no sign of Keith Anthony Standish Vaz this week, writes Lee Marlow

Normally, if you’re looking to doorstep a politician you ride out to their home and knock on their door.

With Keith “three homes” Vaz, however, it’s hard to know which doorstep you should chose.

Should it be the Leicester one, the modest semi-detached on Uppingham Road where he told the BBC this week that he lives?

Or the more extravagant residence in Stanmore, north west London, the £1.5 million home about 15 miles away from his place of work?

Or the Westminster pad which he needs, he says, for those early morning meetings?

We’ve called Mr Vaz four times this week. We had some fairly obvious questions to ask him about what he’s been doing with taxpayers’ money.

For such a media-savvy member of parliament, the Right Honourable Member for Leicester East was uncharacteristically quiet this week.

We wanted to know about his homes and why taxpayers had seemingly paid £69,000 to furnish and keep them?

But the devil was in the detail here. We wanted to know why he had spent nearly £500 of taxpayers cash on silk cushions, £2,614 on leather armchairs, £1,000 on a dining table, £150 on a lamp – and £600, exactly, every month, for “repairs”, “cleaning” and “maintenance.”

Mr Vaz, unfortunately, wasn’t taking our calls.

Then, a breakthrough. His office invited us to Catherine Junior School, in Brandon Street, Belgrave, where the school wants a new crossing patrol.

We thought we’d meet up and say hello. “Keith,” we imagined we would say, “long time no see... how have you been, etc... now then, about those cushions....?”

He arrived at 1.30pm, in a Toyota Prius, wearing a smart blue suit and a big grin.

Our initial exchange wasn’t as cheery as we might have hoped.

Leicester Mercury: “Mr Vaz, can we speak to you, please?”

Mr Vaz. “No. You can wait here.”

His grin disappeared and his stride quickened. The look on his face suggested: ‘I’m a harassed MP, get me out of here.’

He said: “I’m here to talk about ... a lollipop lady, so that’s what I will talk about. You can wait here.”

We moved inside the school. We could talk about lollipop ladies too, if we could also ask about interior furnishings and why we’re having to picking up the tab for things that, many argue, he should be paying for himself.

That didn’t last long. Keith didn’t want us around.

“All the press out,” Mr Vaz ordered.

“But you invited us here,” we said and Radio Leicester said and the man from the telly said, as we were lead out to the foyer.

But the man was not for turning.

“I’ve been doing this for 22 years,” he said. “I think I know what I am doing.”

His assistant ushered us out. No more questions, she said. Instead, she handed out a press release. It was the same press release she gave us six days ago.

“Why won’t he take our calls?,” we asked.

“We have taken your calls,” she said, by which she meant someone had answered the phone when we called but wouldn’t answer our questions.

Then he came out. “I will be making a very important statement,” said Mr Vaz.

A very important one?

“A very important one.”

Then he went to the road, looked at the crossing and politely at first, and then more firmly after a short while, declined to answer any question if it did not relate to the school crossing campaign.

If any member of the media had the audacity to butt in, ask a question about his cushions rather than lollipop ladies, Mr Vaz’s face seemed to turn to thunder.

What about the campaign to get MPs to pay back some of these expenses, Mr Vaz, we asked. Mr Vaz, a barrister, made another expert swerve. “I have issued a statement and I will issue another statement when all the expenses of all the MPs are published.”

He would do that, he said, because the information in the Daily Telegraph was given in breach of contract and was grubby chequebook journalism.

Is that really the point here, Mr Vaz?

“I and members of our staff have had to change our banking details,” he said. “Would you like that?”

But we don’t want to print your bank details, Mr Vaz. We just want to know whether you feel it necessary to apologise? Or to pay that money back?

Silence. Long, tumbleweed blowing, ominous silence.

Then Mr Vaz turned to the woman from Radio Leicester.

“Do you have a question?” he asked.

Across the road, people going about their everyday normal business had stopped to stare at the unfolding pantomime being performed outside Catherine Junior School.

“I read about his cushions,” said one woman bystander. “I think I spent a fiver on my cushions. £480 is too much to spend on cushions – especially when we’re footing the bill.”

Should he pay that back?

“Of course he should,” she said. “I’ve voted for him before. But I don’t think I will again.”

I'd sooner lick shit than shake the hand of Keith Vaz.

To me he goes a long way to being representative of so much that is wrong in our country. Yet some people will still vote for him.

Why Leicester City continue to have their name mentioned in the same breath as Vaz I've no idea.

Honourable member? I don't know what he looks like in the shower but surely that title can't have anything to do with his status as a politician.

PS: As you say, the report makes a welcome change.

[Thracian]

Not all barristers are greedy bastards.

No doubt. And I wonder that some of them might ask a question or two about him bringing the name of barristers into disrepute.

[Smudge]

Speaker Smacks Tory

House of Commons Speaker Michael Martin, under mounting pressure to quit his post, lived up to his "Gorbals Mick" nickname by headbutting a Tory backbencher during a furious debate on the expenses scandal.

Rupert Farquahar, MP for Upper Rimming in the Cotswolds, was left bruised and bleeding following the unprovoked attack by the demented Martin.

"The Speaker lost the plot completely," observed a shocked Usher. "Mr. Farquahar has a rather plummy way of talking, and this clearly enraged Michael. He thinks all Tories are stuck-up snobs who need a good slap anyway. When Mr. Faquahar made some passing reference to Rangers beating Celtic at the weekend, it was the last straw."

His face purple with rage, and flecks of spittle flying around the Chamber, Martin launched himself at the bemused MP, screeching "See you, pal! Diz ya mother sew? Then get her tae stitch this, ya great Sassenach numpty!"

Delivering the headbutt, he then turned on his own clerks, offering a "Glasgow kiss" to anyone who intervened. Chief Whip Nick Brown tried to calm Mr. Martin but was instead invited out to the car park. "I'll fecking sort you oot, too, ya big bum-bandit!" shrieked the Speaker.

Mr. Martin was eventually subdued with the aid of elephant tranquillisers and led away to a padded cell under the Terrace.

A spokesman for the Speaker's Office denied any wrong-doing on Mr. Martin's part.

"The Speaker slipped while leaning towards the Member to deliver a point of order. His head inadvertently struck Mr. Farquahar right between the eyes, leaving him concussed. I hope the matter is now closed but if any Tory ponce wants to make something of it, there's more where that came from!"

David Cameron, who was found hiding beneath Theresa May during the fracas, commented: "The last thing Parliament needs at the moment is fisticuffs in the Chamber, but if he acts like that again we're going to set Ann Widdecombe on him, and that won't be pleasant."

Brilliant!