No choice of an honest MP .

[modeller]

I would like to vote for an honest MP .
We have 646 MPs of which only 29 didn't claim expenses and my MP isn't one of them.
What should I do ?

[Oneeyedvic]

UKIP would never take advantage of expenses: http://www.guardian.c...ses-ukip-nigel-farage

[janbee]

"honest mp" is an oxymoron... like happily married, friendly fire, civil war, american intelligence, australian culture and so many more. One can either be an MP or be honest. I doubt if it's possible to be both.

[Oneeyedvic]

happily married an oxymoron? I feel sorry for you :(

[modeller]

docspock. It depends where you draw the line for cheating but as an example
only 29 MPs didn't submit expense claims. therefore as a proportion of their parties strength it is Labour 12/345 , Tory 9/193, Liberal 8/63.

So if we call them the good guys and expressing their honesty as a percentage of their parties they are : Labour 3.4% are honest . Tory 4.6% , and Liberal 12%

This may be an oversimplification but it's a bit of a guide.

[Oneeyedvic]

Modeller - you keep saying that most MPs submitted an expenses claim, but you don't seem to want to distinguish between a 'fair' one and an unfair one.

My MP (in Great Yarmouth) who I dislike, submitted (in my opinion) pretty fair claims - eg for postage to keep in touch with constituents, for travel, when travelling to and from Westminster etc.

Do you not think that he should have claimed for those expenses?

[jno]

Just submitting an expenses claim isn't cheating.

[modeller]

oneeye I did say Ukip is a compromise protest vote and we are debating UK expenses not what happens in the EU which is another subject.

[AB Editor]

http://www.theanswerb...cal-party-websites-2/

Maybe worth a look? If you can bring yourself to believe any of them.

Spare Ed

[Oneeyedvic]

modeller - they haven't got any UK seats - all they can be judged on is by their behaviour in similar scenarios.

You don't seem to address the issue about 'fair' expenses brought up by myself and jno

[Oneeyedvic]

Spare Ed - why don't you link to the SNP, Plaid Cymru, BNP, SDLP Respect and the various Irish ones in that article?

The Greens and UKIP have no seats in Westminister but SNP have 6 seats, Plaid Cymru 3 seats, and even Respect has one seat.

[razza]

Politics.A strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.The conduct of public affairs for private advantage. The Devils dictionary by Ambrose Pierce.

[Garmard]

Wouldn't it be great if all us honest,hard-working, law abiding citizens could claim expenses any time we pleased......especially if one owns a duck pond.
Best close your eyes and pick a party your finger randomly falls on because the UK's gone to the dogs already.

[jno]

I spent most of my working career claiming expenses, Garmard, as do many people who have to buy things for their work out of their own pockets and reclaim the cost later. If you're going to call me a cheat, I'll see you and your seconds in Hyde Park at dawn.

[Garmard]

lol jno.....good call......I'm just gonna fire up the Quattro!

[OrcadianOil]

"29 didn't claim expenses" : What??? Where did you get that alleged fact from? MPs are entitled to expenses, but it's those who have abused the system who should be taken to task.

The expenses system was a perfectly legitimate vehicle but one which it appears the vast majority of MPs saw fit to rip the proverbial bum out of - at taxpayers' expense.

However, I'm intrigued to know how 29 of them allegedly didn't claim anything? They must all be philanthropical billionaires?

[modeller]

Like you I can only report what is in the media. In the Telegraph they listed all MPs expenses. They bracketed them under various headings which included the 50 biggest cheats and 50 who claimed the least. I looked at the latter 50 and I saw 29 of them had not claimed anything. This appeared to be exceptionally honest and that is why I sent it to AB.

[OrcadianOil]

modeller,

How recent is this information in the Telegraph? Also, there's nothing "exceptionally honest" in people allegedly not claiming expenses to which they're entitled.

Without anything to back up your hearsay, I'm extremely sceptical that you've interpreted what you've seen or heard properly. Something does not add up.

[modeller]

Orcadian I don't know what your definition of ' hearsay ' is , but all the claims are the official figures as eventually publised by the government , obtained by the Telegraph and passed to the media.
I'm not interpretating the results , I'm repeating what is in the public domain.
All of which can be confirmed should you wish in Google .
The details in the Telegraph publication I am using have not been disputed by the government.
At no time have I used the word 'fair' because that is subjective. You might think when
Margaret Moran renovated 3 houses at taxpayers expense was fair because the rules allowed it. Most people would think otherwise.

[modeller]

If you want to start somewhere here's one to get you going.


ttp://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=phNtm3L
mDZEObQ2itmSqHIA

[jno]

OrcadianOil, I suspect those who claimed nothing were rich landowners or those who lived within central London and didn't bother claiming tube fares. I'm not fussed about people claiming for ball-point pens or even paying family modest amounts for secretarial work (the work does have to be done). And I don't see why basic London homes shouldn't be provided for out-of-towners, otherwise dukes will be the only people who can afford to become MPs.

But moats and duck refuges... I think not.