MPs today began to challenge openly the authority of the independent auditor charged with investigating expenses abuses at Westminster amid claims that the civil servant's inquiry had strayed beyond its remit.
John Mann, the MP who has led calls for a thorough overhaul of the allowances system, raised concern that Sir Thomas Legg's audit of expenses had become too broad, and warned that this might trigger lawsuits that could drag on through the "entirety of the next parliament".
The MP for Bassetlaw, who has been publishing his own expenses in full since 2004, warned that many MPs – faced with paying back sums of up to £200,000 – may "go to ground" rather than pay immediately, and then challenge the legality of the repayment demands.
In early July, Legg initially set out to examine cases where MPs used parliamentary expenses to improve their second homes in order to make a profit rather than just maintaining them, as rules allow. However, he has also looked at exploitation of loopholes which amounted to breaches in the spirit of the law, as well as the actual law.
They still don't get it do they? Even if they force the auditor to back down, even if they manage to get it rescinded as they didn't break the rules they are still going to be viewed as crooks, thieves, corrupted and unfit to govern us. This money is not theirs, it's ours, they even managed to throw out the The Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill preventing the public from bringing a class action case against them as recommended by the Civil Justice Council in short, they've managed to weasel out of being tried by the courts for their various misdeeds. But it still doesn't matter, they can kid themselves that they are honourable members, but to the public they are nothing more than troughing pigs and always will be. These men and women have tarnished both the reputation and the name of the Mother of Parliaments.
Cromwell put it so well
'You are no parliament! Some of you are drunkards '—bending a stern eye upon Mr. Chaloner; 'some of you are whoremasters ,' a word expressive of a worse immorality, and he looked here at Henry Marten and Sir Peter Wentworth —'living in open contempt of God's commandments. Some of you are corrupt, unjust persons—how can you be a parliament for God's people? Depart, I say, and let us have done with you. Go!'
They think they can carry on, they think we'll forget, some may even hope for forgiveness by being re-elected. But some of us will remember, we have the names and we have the internet. The record will stand of these thieves in public office and we will be a thorn in their sides naming, harassing and reminding any who will read our blogs just what a disgusting, corrupt and iniquitous Parliament we to our shame elected.
Will the next government be any better?
Edit, thanks to Anna Raccoon I've corrected the passage regarding the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill. Seems they didn't just remove a clause, they threw back the entire thing.
4 annotations:
The next parliament will only be better if sufficient LPUK, EngDem, Jury Team, UKIP and independents are elected to dilute the majority of the winning party.
I believe they should strategise to score on this issue and put their differences aside (few, though there are).
A good start is a reduction in the number of MPs. We should aim to reduce them further, each parliamentary term.
Getting out of the EU would be essential, because it is a wholly corrupting influence.
I blogged yesterday on just this subject - it wasn't just a 'clause' in the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill - it was the entire Civil Justice Reform Report that they chucked back at them!
http://www.annaraccoon/politics/one-eye-on-the-bacon-futures/
Thanks Anna, I remember posting on your blog about this, must be where the info stuck, I've corrected this now and given credit where it's due.
Next year, when it all explodes, these MPs are going to be prime targets.
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