Do we really treat them like s**t?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-120597 3/We-live-rations-Tory-MP-Alan-Duncan-caught-c amera-bleating-expenses.html

Shadow leader of the Commons Alan Duncan claimed,
MPs are now forced to live on 'rations' and are treated 'like s**t', and that that no capable person would want to enter Parliament after the crackdown on allowances in the wake of the expenses scandal.

Well that's it then, no good voting at the next election, the only people to stand for parliament, will be the present shower we now have.

[lilsecret]

I also enjoy my garden. But do I get �40 a week on it from the taxpayer?

If Duncan does not think he is being treated fairly as a high-profile Shadow Cabinet Minister, perhaps he could do what others do - change his job.

Equally if homophobic comments 'hurt' him and his domestic partner, so what!!!!!

[andy-hughes]

I have always believed that MP's become seriously out of touch with the real world - especially that of their constituants - on the day they become an MP, for the simple reason that they are given first class rail travel from their constituancies to London free of charge. I have travelled first class twice in my whole life - once when I got a promotional deal in advance, and once when travelling on an assignment for a magazine. Because my travelling companion and I - a photographer - were casually dressed, the first class buffet car attendent (the buffet was 'first class', not the attendent!) demanded that we vaccate the buffet car, until we produced out tickets to prove our right to be there.

MP's simply take their perk-laden lifestyle for granted, and to this day fail to grasp the reason why the electorate is angry and ashmed of them for their wilful trough-snouting.

I previously thought Mr Duncan to be one of the more reasonable Conservatives - a potentially tortological statement I know - but this incident proves that he has little idea of what 'ordinary people' trhink, feel and experience.

If this is his idea of joking, he needs to get his sense of humlur checked - it appears to be malfunctioning

[LazyGun]

Stupid comments by him, and he has had a few issues with his own expenses as reported in the Telegraph.This was the guy who had claimed several thousands for gardening!!!! - including at least one claim for a couple of thousand turned down by the expenses office "because it might look bad"

The comment about "living on rations" is so monumentally stupid that it beggars belief an allegedly astute politician could make such a statement - even worse when you consider that this guy is a millionaire in his own right.

As to the way the are being treated - They can have no one to blame but themselves. They have all been complicit over the years in allowing such a lax expenses system to operate, and some have been, frankly, criminal in their abuse of the system. No surprise the public view them with such disdain.

I am generally against regressive punishments, but I could be persuaded that the public stocks might be no bad thing for many these so-called "Right Honorables" ( pah that title should be removed straight away)

[LazyGun]

ok, who switched the italics on ,then forgot to switch em off again? :)

[ummmm]

It keeps doing this....italics then bold..strange.

[BertiWooster]

While we are on the subject .
How do you switch on - italics / underline / bold

Also , how do you attach a link where a word is the link . For example , if I wrote the following -

Have a look at this - ( where the word ' this' is the link , that you click to open )

[jno]

looks like the italics are part of the question. BertiWooster, click on Tutorial below to see how they're done. You used to be able to do them in different colours, which was very pretty, but alas no more.

To answer the question: no, they're well treated and well paid. But it is quite possibly true that ordinary people would not want the job if the amount of money is balanced by the amount of public contempt (and they all get it, even those with blameless expense accounts). So that's how you get careerists in the job: nobody with experience of other jobs - people who've lived and worked in the real world - would want to be an MP.

[Haggisdj]

BertiWooster - you place an tag round the text that you want to highlight,
<n>text</n>
where n is the effect that you want the tag to display.

b - bold
i - Italic
u - underscore

For a link you place an anchor either side of the text ,
<n>text</x>
where
n = a target='_blank' href="link here"
x = a
For more info try here

[BertiWooster]

thank
you
both

[ludwig]

The use of the word rations is interesting because it shows the mentality at work here. They basically resent any form of interference in what they consider to be their business and having any limits imposed on them from the outside. They think they should be allowed to continue helping themselves to whatever they deem to be appropriate within their own little club.

andy-hughes is right, they've lost touch with reality. They're like spoilt children who've had their own way and been able to make up their own rules as long as they can remember and are throwing a tantrum because they're being told that way of doing things has got to come to an end.