Friday 8 May 2009

The Expenses Row Made Easy

1. 1992-97 John Major's government obtains a reputation for 'sleaze'. This largely rests on Aitken's perjury (proven), Hamilton's cash-for-questions (unproven) and David Mellor's sexual shenanigans.

2. May 1997 Blair: "We must be whiter than white"

3. October 1997: Blair meets Bernie Ecclestone. All pretence at honesty and integrity ends.

4. 2001: Blair is uneasy about having his MPs scrutinised. Sacks Elizabeth Filkin, Commons Satandards Commissioner.

5. 2001-2009: Most MPs abuse the system big time. Most MPs play the property market for personal gain with taxpayer assistance.

6. Today. Harriet Harman: “I know it looks bad, I know people are angry about it”.....

...... “ but in our system we do not have the level of corruption that remains in many other systems"

PHEW. That's alright then.

11 comments:

Mermaid of Moorgate said...

Well well, Idle returns to the blogosphere in fine political form. Are you suggesting that our cabinet, like the demon-infested swine of Biblical lore, are about to dive off a cliff?

If only

Philipa said...

But as they make their own rules then which one of them will change the system? Only to make their theft more socially acceptable.

And they looked from pig to man and man to pig..

grumpy granny said...

If they do not have "the same level of corruption as in other systems", does that only go to show they are not very good at that either, then?

Useless bunch n'est-ce pas?

idle said...

Dammit, Mermaid, THERE you are! Whaddya mean, "idle returns to the blogosphere", I never went away. You, on the other hand, disappeared to Haiti or somewhere equally unsavoury, and apart from posting a couple of your holiday snaps, have otherwise been shtoom for months.

idle said...

Pip, it'll happen this time. Cameron knows the public won't accept anything less than wholesale change. I don't rate him as a Conservative, but I do think he is honest.

Philipa said...

I think he's a marketing man and you'll be dissappointed. Sadly.

Electro-Kevin said...

I can't understand why no-one could see through Blair from the off.

I've always hated the man.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Kevin Mcguire said this morning that 'this is the best time in our history', for new candidates to be voted in as they will presumably be whiter than white, and won't be tarnished (or covered in filth), like the present tawdry bunch of corrupt, ineffective gits who sit somewhere near the seat of justice. (I added the last bit).

But I wonder why he said that? Maybe as everyone knows Zanulab will receive the biggest kicking they've ever had, they might as well clean out the pigsty at a time that suits them?

But there aren't very many prospective parliamentary candidates, who will be very clean either if Erith is anything to go by...

But every sitting MP will have to answer ad nauseam, as to why he charged for such and such items, and the press will have a field day, like when Private Eye once asked for the most ludicrous letter from their MP.

Sen. C.R.O'Blene said...

Sorry Iders, that last post was far too long and very badly written; I'll try and do better next time...

I hope you, and your readers will forgive me just this once.

idle said...

Nonsense, scrobs. Be as prolix or as succinct as you desire.

As the septics say: knock yourself out!

Bill Quango MP said...

This 1997 crop have ruined it for everyone.
They couldn't just feed the funds offshore. A few carefully considered trading positions, some mining, some engineering, some banking shares etc.
That's the trouble with socialists.
They have to flaunt the wealth with their vulgar super caravans and gold plated hot tubs, and endless extensions to their ugly homes, and extensions to their uglier spouses..

No one cared when I wrote "Bentley" on my expense forms.No one noticed.
But people like WoolArse, with "Subaru Impreza." Bound to stir up the masses.