UPDATE: The Taxpayers' Alliance has taken up my suggestion and sent an FOI request to the Speaker's office...
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION REQUEST FOR DETAILS OF PAYMENTS MADE TO
PETER CARTER RUCK BY OR WITH THE AUTHORISATION OF SIR MICHAEL MARTIN, SPEAKER OF
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
Dear Mr Castle,
I am writing to
request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. In order to assist you with this request, I am outlining my query as specifically as possible. I would like to know who pays for the media services provided by Peter Carter Ruck in relation to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin
*If these costs are not paid wholly by Sir Michael Martin, I would like to know where the funding for these services comes from?
*If it is from a public source I would like to know the name of that source and the amount paid to them for services in the last three years (or since they first began working for the Speaker).
Regards,
Blair Gibbs
29 comments:
Off topic, Iain, but what do you think of Tim Montgomerie's attempt to smear Sayeeda Warsi on ConHome?
It hasn't worked. most comments support the good lady.
The next thing you know, they'll be supporting Cameron!
Oh dear Iain, getting to the bottom of the proverbial barrel are you? "It's just this sort of information which Michael Martin wants to keep quiet, hence his covert support for the David Maclean Bill" - tosh! There was no suggestion in the bill that MPs expenses would be removed from FOI in fact the opposite was emphasised. But never let the facts spoil a juicy bit of innuendo eh? Perhaps you need more sleep...
All my (non-political) friends reckon this stinks.
The Eye must be delighted. They're well known fans of Carter-Ruck.
Another example of dirty Labour sleaze.
Why bother covering it up when Mr Martin allows blatant lies to pass as parliamentary answers anyway. He has presided over the collapse of parliamentary accountability and is one of the most untrustworthy individuals in parliament.
Can't Michael Martin take a hint ? They wanted to pension him off the last time he was ill, but clearly 'Gorbals Mick' has his snout too deeply in the trough to walk away..
Probably Iain, we are funding evrything else!
Politics for.... You have freinds?
As originally drafted the Freedom of Information Amendment Bill 2007 could and would have been used to keep the lid on the detail of MPs expenses. Both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker were exceptionally indulgent towards the supporters of this Bill, especially at 3rd reading. Given that the alleged excuse for this bill was exceptionally thin (keeping MPs correspondence with and on behalf of constituents confidential) to the point of being bogus, the concealment of expenses is the obvious next candidate for motive.
This clearly demonstrates the urgent need for an Online Register of MPs expenses such as MSPs have to maintain. see http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/
mpexpensesonline/ & http://www.freewebs.com/
mpsexpensesregisterbill/
index.htm
This will make dubious payments for iffy expenses largely a thing of the past.
"Politics for.... You have freinds?"
No.
I've got plenty of friends though :-)
There is something very peculiar about a Speaker of the Hosue of Commons who opposes the Freedom of Information Act being applicable to MPs
Breaking news....
If Boris is the answer, what is the question?
Thanks the huntsman for that information on the Downing Street petition, But when I tried it I could not get through. I had more luck with:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MPs-and-FOI/
He's a very poor Speaker - over-indulgent to the executive & lacking any kind of authority. The sooner he goes the better.
The recent obituaries to Bernard Weatherall - the outstanding Speaker or recent decades - all emphasised his willingness to protect the interests of back benchers and the Commons as a whole against an over-powerful executive. He also operated with wit, charm and authority - the opposite of Michael Martin in every respect.
Oooh.. Michael Martin getting aereated when Cameron lands a punch on Gorgon, and the PM goes 'I've only been in the job 5 days !'
So 'impartial'...
brown is struggling at pmqs !!!!
and Gorbals Mick trying to bring in a 'friendly' question from Jim 'fellow scot' Sheridan instead of a follow up question by Dave Cameron...
Brown will get carried away in a straitjacket if today's PMQ's are anything to go by.
"I have only been in the job five days"
What a terrible debut.
PMQs
Compared to the great Showman - he's not very good is he?
Good grief
I'm feeling sorry for him now.
the scottish mafia are in operation!
Politics for: Got me - well done
:-)
Today, PMQs should be called Prime Minister's Cuddles!
Lots of Scots in evidence today!
David Cameron missed a trick when he didn't walk out in the speaker and encourage others to do so last year when Martin prevented "Dave" from asking a legitmate question about how Blair and Brown were hold the country to hostage for the sake of the Labour party.
Cameron is a week and incompetant leader and I encourage all true blue Tories to force him into retirement.
Why not just ask my fellow councillor, Jonathan McShane, who is a senior partner in Luther Pendragon and I'm sure would be able to help you.
So far as I can see there is no reason why this FoI request could not be answered in seven days.
Bet it takes three months.
The important thing is, will the next Speaker wear the wig?
Sambo:
More importantly, where will the next speaker wear his/her wig? Mr Speaker Martin being a complete merkin.
A lot of Scot in evidence today maybe... but as a Scot I don't see that they are doing anything other than playing the usual Unionist (i.e. English dominated) game. This game seems to comprise mostly of most MPs riding the (our) gravy train - so can we keep our eye on the ball here; it's about Mps excluding themsleves with the support of the Speaker from the FoI (and have you signed the Downing Street petition against it yet?
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/MPs-and-FOI/
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