UK NEWS
BROWN IN SLEAZE ROW OVER LONDON FLAT CLAIM
UNDER FIRE: Gordon Brown
Wednesday February 6,2008
By Macer Hall Political Editor
GORDON Brown last night called for a “root and branch overhaul” of MPs’ perks and expenses as he was mired in the sleaze row himself.
He wrote to Commons Speaker Michael Martin to demand “the most robust system” for ending the abuse of Parliamentary rules.
But an angry row erupted after MPs already hit by allegations of sleaze or attempting to cover up details of allowances were given the task of overhauling the rules.
And Mr Brown himself was dragged into the sleaze row after complaints about his own expenses.
Tory MP Greg Hands wrote to standards watchdogs about Mr Brown’s claims of up to £20,000 a year for a Westminster flat while he also had use of a grace-and-favour Downing Street apartment.
The Tory backbencher also raised questions about Mr Brown’s apparently undeclared rental income of over £3,000 a year from his constituency Labour Party in Kirkcaldy for use of office space in his Parliamentary advice centre. Mr Hands said: “These facts raise a series of questions that I believe need to be urgently investigated and clarified.”
He wrote to Cabinet Secretary Sir Gus O’Donnell, the Electoral Commission and Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Sir John Lyons. A source close to the Prime Minister said: “The allegations are all rubbish.”
Critics were furious that the cross-party Commons Estimate Committee will take charge of the review of Westminster expenses.
The six-strong group of MPs includes Mr Martin – who has been criticised for claiming travel expenses for his wife – and Commons Leader Harriet Harman, embroiled in a row over undeclared donations to her Labour deputy leadership campaign.
Other committee members include Tory David Maclean, a leading opponent of Freedom of Information over Parliamentary expenses.
Mark Wallace, campaign director of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “This smacks of putting the foxes in charge of hen house security.”
Labour MP Alan Simpson welcomed the setting up of the committee but called for it to be composed of MPs who have “challenged the secrecy that is Parliament’s way of addressing its own affairs”.
In his letter to the Speaker last night, the Prime Minister wrote: “I believe that it is essential that we use this opportunity to achieve a root-and-branch overhaul of the current system.
“The public need to be reassured that all taxpayers’ money used to support Members in their work both in Parliament and in their constituencies has been properly spent and accounted for.
“I, like all Members, would not favour a quick fix which would fail to solve the problem in the long term.”
However, senior Tories last night dismissed Mr Brown’s letter as “lame.”
The latest Westminster sleaze row erupted after Tory backbencher Derek Conway was censured for employing his student son as a Commons researcher.
Since then, more than 180 MPs have confirmed that they have employed relatives.
Two of Mr Brown's closest Cabinet allies – ministerial “golden couple” Ed Balls and Yvette Cooper – also faced a complaint about their housing expenses yesterday.
Tory MP Malcolm Moss complained to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner, accusing them of “breaking the spirit or even the letter of Commons rules” by designating their £655,000 property in London a “second home” rather than their house in Castleford, West Yorkshire.
The switch means that they qualify for a housing allowance worth up to £44,000 a year, and are understood to have claimed around £27,000 annually.
A spokesman for the couple insisted that they had both acted “within the rules” and “always in full consultation with the House of Commons authorities”.
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CONCERNED BRIT
08.02.08, 6:56am
There already is a watchdog commitee who are meant to check up on MPs but they have no powers and it is not likely that the MPs who are the ones who make the laws will grant any authority to a new outfit as it will derail their gravy train.
• Posted by: muggins • Report Comment
CONCERNEDBRIT
07.02.08, 12:46pm
I am interested in the tune, tell me more
• Posted by: Mickle • Report Comment
BROWN IN SLEAZE ROW OVER LONDON FLAT CLAIM
07.02.08, 10:57am
All thse MPs who have brought their family's to feed at the trough under the guise of 'Parlimentory Researches', should be forced to publish the results of their work.
WHAT DO THESE RESEARCHES DO??? to justify payments by the long suffering, MUGGED members of the despised tribe of NOBODY's.
When up for election MPs will have you believe they are the masters of all knowledge, wise Owls who are keen as mustard to serve their fellow countrymen for little reward other than to reap the satisfaction and the 'Honour' of public service.
Well! we now know better...if theres one thing that appears to unite all parties its the relentless pursuit of their own self interest and the compulsive urge to suck on the tits of the taxpayers cash cow
• Posted by: Jasper • Report Comment
JUDICIAL REVIEW DUE NOW.
07.02.08, 10:16am
"Having said that, the ones whom we should rely on for justice are probably feeding from the same trough."
And the public believes this as none of these corrupt people have been charged or had a jail sentence passed on to them since 1970's.
The polic would not consider this unless someone lodges official complaint but they would interfere in domestic matters without being reported to them.
One law for these crooks and a different one for the public.
If these immoral politicians have any moral or shame left, then they should this -
Tanzania's prime minister has tendered his resignation after being implicated in an energy deal corruption scandal.
"Because I have been linked to this scandal, I have decided to write to the president asking to be relieved of my duties," Edward Lowassa told MPs.
• Posted by: Nalin • Report Comment
JUDAS JOCK IN ANOTHER SLEAZE ROW OVER LONDON FLAT SCAM.
07.02.08, 10:07am
Are you surprised? Judas Jock in another dishonest thieving scam, his integrity in question again. This is how Parliamentarians, the so called upper class perceive life, grab all they can and damn the rest but do not get caught. Have you noticed when one of the filthy scammers have been caught how they try to defend themselves and are dragged away from office kicking and screaming whilst making excuses which will not hold water.
This piece of filth should be put before OUR court for dishonestly stealing money from the public purse and TREASON.
GO GET HIM, if there is anyone out there will the balls.
Having said that, the ones whom we should rely on for justice are probably feeding from the same trough.
• Posted by: Robertz • Report Comment
HOW DO WE BEGIN TO FORMULATE A MOTION OF NO CONFIDENCE?
07.02.08, 9:32am
The last Labour leader to be defeated by one was in 1979 .
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JamesCallaghan was Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1964 to 1967 during a turbulent period in the British economy in which he had to wrestle with a balance of payments deficit and speculative attacks on the pound sterling. In November 1967, the Government was forced to devalue the pound sterling despite having denied he would do this publicly including to the House of Commons. Callaghan offered to resign, but was persuaded to swap his ministerial post with Roy Jenkins, becoming Home Secretary from 1967 to 1970. In that capacity, Callaghan took the decision to deploy the British Army in Northern Ireland, after a request from the Northern Ireland Government.
The Labour party lost the general election in 1970, but Callaghan returned to office as Foreign Secretary in March 1974, taking responsibility for renegotiating the terms of Britain's membership of the European Economic Community (the EEC, or "Common Market"), and supporting a 'Yes' vote in the 1975 referendum for the UK to remain in the EEC. When Harold Wilson resigned in 1976, Callaghan was elected the new Labour leader.
Labour had already lost its majority in the House of Commons when he became Prime Minister and lost further seats at by-elections and through defections, forcing Callaghan to deal with minor parties such as the Liberal Party especially in theLib-Lab pact from 1977 to 1978, the Ulster Unionists, Scottish National Party and even Independents. Industrial disputes, widespread strikes and high unemployment in the "Winter of Discontent" of 1978–79, made Callaghan's government unpopular and the defeat of the referendum on devolution for Scotland led to the
"Passage of a Motion of No Confidence"
on 28 March 1979. This was followed by a defeat by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party in the ensuing general election.
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Any ideas how it may be done?
• Posted by: tinhead • Report Comment
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