UK Politics

That’s simply not true. I know various people involved in politics and none of them are corrupt. And I’m not saying that all Tories are corrupt. But the privileged entitlement of many of them and the old school tie networks make them more likely to be.

 

'Make them more likely' ain't gonna stand up as evidence in court. Like i said i despise the Tories for everything they've done for this country. But please, lets not put the Labour party on a pedestal as some measure of political morality cos it don't wash with me. When push comes to shove they all dance to the tune of the pound note.

 

Like I said, we’ll have to agree to differ on that.

 

What they are doing isn't corrupt either. They are doing it as the rules were changed after they bought the property that he now rents out. He previously claimed the mortgage payment and lived in that property but the rules changed so they could only claim rent. They agree it is madness

 

Sure, it may not be ‘corrupt’. But for the ‘minister of common sense’ who is always banging on about wasted public money, it is hypocritical. The obvious solution is to give reasonable notice to the tenants of Davies’s house, move to live in there and stop claiming public money for a flat they don’t need. It might get cost them a bit more but it would save a lot of public money and they are both minted anyway so it’s hardly going to be a financial problem for them.

 

So are you suggesting that all MPs should fund their own living costs in London? If so that is a different discussion.

If you stop paying for accomodation for MPs in London then you would reduce those that could afford to become MPs

 

Yeah, fair point. They’re still a pair of arseholes though!

 

I don't see why to be fair, plenty of people all over the UK have longish commutes for work purposes.

 

there is longish and stupidly long. To drive from Shipley to House of Parliament is at least 4.5 hours on a good clear run. Plus there are MPs from further than that.

 

You suggested living costs in London. I'm suggesting that they don't have to have property actually in London, there are plenty of commutable places well outside of the City.

Birmingham is just over 90 minutes on the train for example yet every single MP within that radius will no doubt be claiming for other accommodation when clearly it's not in anyway a necessity.

 

There are rules on which MPs can claim, not sure which ones but even so I wouldn’t think going back to Birmingham on train would be an option after some of the late night votes and then back again the following day.

BTW Google says Birmingham is 2hr 40 from House of Parliament to drive

 

Surely most, if not all will use the train/tube combination. Driving in London is horrendous!

 

so that is 4 hours of each day at least travelling, that is if the live near Birmingham station, if the trains are running after any votes. And again all that travel would be claimed for. Couple of times when votes are after last train and they have to use taxi an savings would be gone.

Plus what cut off are you suggesting?

 

I get what you're saying but £10M a year, purely for rent is imo obscene and when you add in the £250,000 just to heat the properties then in the current climate it absolutely needs reviewing.

Let's not forget, these are all high earners, some running into earnings of hundreds of thousands of pounds and here we are, as the average Joe, paying for their comforts while being unable to afford our own.

 

im surprised it is only £10m to be honest. Over 600 MP renting in middle of London.

MP salary is about £90k unless the hold a post as well

 

You don't think 90k is a high earner? Especially in politics with the expenses claims?

 

Expenses are just that expenses, not their money. If you are suddenly making them pay for a second home, or hotels or such for 3 or 4 nights a week in London then it would eat probably a third of their income and that is before they pay for their family home. So again you would restrict the type of person that could become an MP.

 

I couldn't disagree more if I'm honest. I'll leave it there though, we clearly differ on opinions of affordability.

 

yep, all I know is if it cost me over a third of my take home pay to go to work I wouldn't be taking the job

 

Imagine this absolute clown running a country. Take a bow Scotland, you've excelled yourself putting this dangerous idiot in charge. He should be nowhere near the office of first minister. A sign of how low politics has fallen in this country.