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UK NEWSMPS HIT BY ANGRY BACKLASH
RESIGNED: Andrew MacKay was forced to quit Friday May 15,2009 By Macer Hall and Paul JeevesSHAMED MPs were last night feeling the full force of the tidal wave of public anger over their sleazy expenses claims.
Many have been swamped with abusive letters and emails condemning the misuse of taxpayers’ money and yesterday public anger spilled over into displays of open hostility. In one incident a window was smashed at the constituency office of Conservative MP Julie Kirkbride after her MP husband Andrew MacKay was forced to quit over his questionable allowance claims. At the same time a police guard was mounted at the home of disgraced former Labour minister Elliot Morley as protesters gathered to demand he return taxpayers’ cash. And in another incident an MP’s daughter was reduced to tears at school by jibes about her father being a “thief”. Some MPs are reported to have been confronted by party activists and members of the public in their constituencies. Health Minister Phil Hope is understood to have agreed to pay back more than £41,000 after an angry tirade from one of his closest friends. Local newspapers across the country are filled with One MP said yesterday: “It is getting really bad in our constituencies. One MP’s daughter came back crying from school because other children had been saying her dad was a thief. He was not even someone whose expenses have been criticised.” Some members have even referred to their downcast colleagues being “on suicide watch”. Others were said to be coming under pressure from their families to quit the Commons. Another MP said: “This is becoming really grim. Many members are totally depressed. I just hope it doesn’t take some sort of tragedy for this to stop.”
At the Conservative Association office in Bromsgrove, where a brick was thrown at the window, one passer-by said: “People are sick of all the MPs and their fiddling of the system. I don’t condone this type of behaviour but you can understand how frustrating it is for the average man and woman in the street who are struggling to pay the bills.” Two uniformed police officers wearing stab vests stood guard outside electric gates at Mr Morley’s £280,000 constituency home in Winterton, Scunthorpe, yesterday. The officers confirmed they were not there to interview Mr Morley but to keep order with public feelings running high. Beryl Lound, 74, delivered a three-page, hand-written letter demanding Mr Morley repay the money and resign. “I want to see him pay every single penny of that money back,” she said. “By rights it belongs to us. I have been a Labour voter all my life but I don’t think I can vote for them now.” Neighbour Graham Vials, 55, who lost his job as an engineer earlier this year, said: “He should not be allowed to get away with it. If he does not resign he should be made to. “He should be able to manage on his salary without claiming expenses. How do you forget that you have paid your mortgage off? I wish I had paid mine off. Half the people in this village are now out of work yet here he is pocketing expenses.” Retired engineer David Haigh, 59, said: “If I had done what he had done I would have been sacked at work and they would have called in the police. If they have proof of corruption then they ought to get him into court. “Morally it is completely wrong. These MPs don’t realise what everyone else is living on. The problem is they set the rules.” An opinion poll yesterday found 80 per cent of adults questioned were angered by the scandal and 46 per cent were considering changing their vote at the next election. * Survey conducted by Toluna.
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TO 'EMPEROR MING'
16.05.09, 9:04am
I trust you and your cohorts will deal with this plague on the universe 'Flash Gordon' once and for all, and in doing so live up to your name of
MERCILESS !
• Posted by: moonlighter • Report Comment
COMMONS SCANDAL MP CAUGHT LIVING OFF HIS OWN SALARY
15.05.09, 10:56pm
An MP whose name will not be released has been caught living from his own salary and paying normal taxes.
Gordon Brown and David Cameron agreed that the name and party of this member will not be disclosed.
This has sent shockwaves through the house and many MPs are considering a multi party censure motion against the MP involved.
As one MP said "We cannot permot honesty in the Parliament. The action of this one MP threatens the Westminster system.
Romours that this rogue MP has threatened to answer questions that he is asked instead of answering his own questions have been denied. A spokesman said I can confirm he has threatened to act on behalf of his electorates best interests.
The MP involved has recognised that he isn't a well man and is undergoing a reorientation course starting with basic items such as how to claim for a second home while living at your main residence. I can't tell you too much about it but and example is Sink plugs and light bulbs a useful source of income and moat clearing for dummies a guide for the rest of us.
We have every confidence he will recover in time for the election.
• Posted by: Mikex • Report Comment
TREVOR YOU MISSED
15.05.09, 8:22pm
We have learnt lessons we here what you say and its time to draw a line under this.Well they can dream on.I have just had a MEP knock at my door he tried to tell me that they are not the same.I told him his future and he was stunned
• Posted by: retiredmale • Report Comment
SOME SORT OF TRAGEDY ?
15.05.09, 7:32pm
"Another MP said: “This is becoming really grim. Many members are totally depressed. I just hope it doesn’t take some sort of tragedy for this to stop.”
-----------------------------------------------
It ain't EVER gonna stop, Sunshine. And any "tragedy" will be of the perpetrator's making. It is a absolute cheek trying to blame those who found him out !
We the long-suffering taxpayers have got the measure of your fraudulent colleagues, and we are metaphorically sharpening the guillotine.
If you even dream that this inquisition into dishonest behaviour by those who had the temerity to put themselves forward as our leaders, and then steal from us, will stop and a line will be drawn beneath it so your thieving colleagues can breath a sigh of relief - just forget it because it is simply not going to happen.
Our REAL protectors - the media staff who are highlighting these abuses - will ensure that it doesn't "go away" or get quietly forgotten.
I'm just waiting for that last desperate plea "Time to Move On" to be put forward. (And no, that won't work either!)
• Posted by: TrevorD • Report Comment
WELFARE CUTS OR M.P.S EXPENSES
15.05.09, 7:13pm
Well I think it's quite obvious why the welfare reform act was brought in last year now, with MPs from both sides saying that single mums and other social undesirables were draining the coffers, and that stringent action was required, to curb the public finances, and we all nodded in approval, like fools. Just so the money could go back through the system, to be claimed as MP's expenses!
Ideally there needs to be a criminal einquiry, problem is, so many M.P.'s are involved. It would cost too much money, and take too long to be in the Public's interest to bother with.
• Posted by: catharguy • Report Comment
THEY MUST HAVE KNOWN
15.05.09, 5:20pm
Many MP's are lawyers they knew, or know, they are trying to defend the indefensible.
There is no excuse for misusing public money, even if the rules are such that they are open to
manipulation and abuse.
Many of the items for which they have claimed
cannot be classed as necessities by any stretch of the imagination,the public have every tight to be very angry
• Posted by: Maggie • Report Comment
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