Hat tip to Guido
Excellent advice over at Guido Fawkes click here
In a nutshell, if you choose not to vote for the mainstream parties at the upcoming euro elections, for the left vote Green, for the right vote UKIP and for the centre vote Libertas.
Interesting post over at conservativehome
The five things that David Cameron must do next
We have confirmation this morning from a poll for PoliticsHome.com that voters have recognised that Cameron is outperforming Brown in the saga over expenses. 57% of voters think David Cameron handled the scandal best, compared with 11% saying Brown had. But there is also warning in the poll: "More than eight in 10 voters wanted MPs caught abusing expenses deselected." If the Conservatives do not clean house there is a serious risk that insurgent candidates will do so.
Here are five things that David Cameron should do next: click here
Another phantom mortgage claim and Nadine Dorries part 2
Unthinkable isn’t it? Another Labour MP has been caught claiming for a non existent mortgage click here. David Chaytor says it is an unforgivable error. I say criminal too.
The Nadine Dorries affair has been on my mind since last night and I just felt I had to write it out so to speak. I stand by what I sad yesterday, I think she showed a lot of class being so public with her response to The Telegraph. More MPs should do the same, explain to the public and let us decide how we feel.
In hindsight though, I feel Ms Dorries has pushed the rule regarding her second home. As a husband and father, if I had two homes, I would count my main residence as where my kids go to school. That is because my kids are settled there, they have friends there. Yet Nadine says that is not the case, her main residence is where she spends occasional weekends and the summer recess. Surely though, your main home is where you live for most of the time?
The other side of the coin says to me that if MPs do need a second home, for parliamentary business, that second home should be in London. Shouldn’t it? Outer London MPs should have their main home, and one in London to stay whilst at parliament. That to me is even more straightforward and transparent then saying well my kids go school there, but my doctors there so….
Nadine Dorries seems honest enough. No extravagant claims, no flipping but the homes business needs looking at and clarifying. It will be very interesting to see what David Cameron makes of this.
I also read this morning that lawyers say MPs can be put in front of a jury click here. Certainly Elliot Morley and David Chaytor need their non existent mortgage claims looked at by the police. What worries me though is that MPs are all guilty in the publics eye, surely then a defence could be built around a fair trial being impossible?
Nadine Dorries MP showing some class
Fantastic response from Nadine Dorries MP, in response to a possible story on her The Telegraph were due to publish tomorrow, click here .
For me so far, this is the biggest difference between (the majority of) Labour MPs and Conservative MPs . Labour constantly repeat, “in the rules, no probs guvnor”. Well, along that line!
Nadine Dorries publishes a full and frank response, David Davies uses ‘right to reply’, well, to reply click here . Margaret Beckett on Question TIme was shameless, Shahid Malik today was an utter joke.
David Cameron is showing Gordon Brown just how this situation should be managed. As promised, Conservative expenses from the shadow cabinet are now being published live, online, click here . Labour meanwhile, are waiting for an investigation.
Also today, David Cameron scrapped the party political broadcast to apologise. Mean while, Labour yet again smear Conservatives in their party political broadcast.
This whole situation has turned me from anti Labour, unsure who to vote for, into someone who plans to vote Conservative. Gordon Brown must go and I feel David Cameron deserves a chance. We need an election NOW. Not next year, not in six months time, NOW. I and many others have lost all trust in parliament and deserve to say how we feel and who we trust. Please Gordon, do the right thing. Yet you wont will you?
More politics
Vote bid to sack the speak click here
This is reported widely, Speaker Michael Martin has become as big a joke as Gordon Brown. Speaker Martin has been controversial for a number of years. Not only that, he is as bad if not worse than other MPs for morally questionable expense claims. Speaker Martin seems to bumble from one problem to another. Even if he should not go for those reasons, remember, it is tradition for The Speaker to resign one year before an election! Taxi for Martin.
Elliot Morley claimed £16,000 for mortgage that did not exist: MPs’ expenses click here
Is this the worse, so far? A Labour MP claiming for a mortgage that does not exist. It’s ok though, don’t worry, he has apologised! More than that he has repaid some of the money – but will not disclose how much! Seriously, is this a joke? You do not accidentally claim, that’s crap. This is the clearest incidence of a criminal act. Surely this is fraud?
MP expenses, part 3
Rather than commentating and linking, I refer you to Guido Fawkes who has a marvellous post over at his blog. Click here
A bit of football
Well it looks like Hull will lose today. No surprise. West Brom are winning again, surprisingly. ‘Boro and Newcastle play tomorrow and although neither team can win at the moment, you would expect one of them to take all the points. That means Hull will drop into the bottom three. I predicted Hull to be relegated a few weeks ago, I stand by that. It’s a shame though, I like Hull and would prefer either Newcastle or ‘Boro to go down. Here’s hoping, somehow, that Hull can get a win at Bolton and somehow survive. I doubt it though.
MP expenses, part 2
Yet more revelations by the Telegraph. What I found most amazing yesterday was the response from MPs. They all pretty much said “in the rules, it’s ok”.
However the MPs make the rules and the MPs police the rules. The expenses system is not decided independently of MPs, nor is it policed independently.
Most amazing for me, were the explanations from the MPs. Not one seemed to accept genuinely why people were annoyed. Not one. Hazel Blears for example said “I live in Salford and have a small flat in London”. Fair enough perhaps. When questioned about changing main residence a number of times per year she refused to answer.
Let us imagine that we say the current expense system is fine. Surely the constituency home should always be the main home. Without exception. Surely the residence in London is the second home, to allow MPs to attend Parliament. No switching to increase claims, just straightforward transparency. That makes sense, doesn’t it?
A short list of some of the main stories today…
MPs’ expenses: Four ministers who milked the system
MPs’ expenses: ‘lack of moral leadership’ revealed by politicians
Minister ‘Claimed £25k For Security Patrols’
Ministers defend expenses claims
MP expenses now public
This story is all over the media. The Telegraph has obtained a list of unedited MP expenses. You may remember expenses were to be released in July, however with many details blacked out. However The Telegraphs list is not blacked out in any way. Some of the released expenses are simply shocking.
I’m not stupid, I understand for the job that they do MPs are comparatively low paid, compared to the private sector in particular. However that is a different issue. Imagine not being happy with your salary, so you claim for all sorts of extras to bump up your pay.
Below are some key links. It will be a very interesting day seeing how this pans out.
What The Taxpayer Footed The Bill For
MPs’ expenses: Gordon Brown’s house swap that let him claim thousands
Cabinet expense claims – key details
MPs’ expenses: Hazel Blears claims for three different properties in a year
So, how will she get out of this then?
Courtesy of Mail Online
Jacqui Smith was facing new sleaze claims last night over her constituency home.
The property on which she has claimed thousands of pounds in second homes allowance is actually her primary residence for tax purposes, it was revealed.
Full story here
