Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Indy on Sunday Jumps on Telegraph's Coat-tails

Now this is funny. Rather late in the day, The Independent on Sunday is emailing MPs trying to outdo the Telegraph on MP expenses. They have emailed the following to various MPs. I'll be interested to see if they got a single response.

PRESS INQUIRY: MPS’ EXPENSES

PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

The Independent on Sunday is preparing continued extensive coverage of the MPs' allowances and expenses issue, for publication this week. You will be aware that some details of expenses details claimed over the past four years have been revealed by the Daily Telegraph in recent weeks.

However, rather than rely on that newspaper for information on MPs' claims, we are compiling our own details of expenses and allowances claimed over the past four years. In the interests of balance, we would be grateful if you could provide full details of your claims during this period, or indicate where the information is already available – for example, in a local newspaper. Do you believe the expenditure detailed within them is reasonable, and that you represent good value for money for taxpayers? Are you satisfied that you can justify every item included in your claims? Please specify, in the light of current concerns, any items you now consider to be questionable.

If you have any queries about the above, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

Brian Brady, Whitehall Editor, Independent on Sunday.
I imagine there will be some hollow laughs at Telegraph Towers this afternoon!

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Huh? They didn't buy the discs, so they're asking MPs to tell them of any of their own questionable claims themselves? I know confession is good for the soul, but I doubt it's very effective as a journalistic source.

Btw, my word verification is 'pride', instead of the usual annagramatical loblocks. Is this a gay thing?

Anonymous said...

"In the interests of allowing us to boost our circulation, please provide for us all the ammunition we need to run a disparaging front page headline about you. Do you believe the Independent Group of newspapers deserves a government backed loan to get it out of its current financial mess?"

Wrinkled Weasel said...

And it has been revealed that Chris Mullin has a 30 year-old black and white TV, has moved once in three decades, and charged it to the tax-payer. The Bastard! After his outing on Newsnight as a possible runner for Speaker I must insist that he stands!

And in other news.."It's beecoz I is gay" says Ben Bradshaw, in response to the allegations of sleeze in the DT.

http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-12367.html

No Ben, it is beecoz you is a preening tit with your snout in the trough.

Stepney said...

Would seem that someone at the Indy on Sunday found a shilling behind a sofa cushion and bought a paper with it. Now they all know what's going on.

"Quick, grab your notebooks - to the phone boxes!"

cassandra said...

The independent, it isnt are you?

The indy and the gruaniad are failing and may well go tits up soon, ooooh dear never mind!

I have an idea for the incoming Tory regime, ban ALL government jobs adverts from the highest to the lowest from being advertised in the grauniad and indy and place all future job adverts in the job centre only.
This will force the elitist latte swigging chattering classes to visit a local job centre, not only will it be an education in what ordinary people have to endure but it will also save money.
From NHS chief executives to quango heads to the cleaners if everyone had to queue at the job centre with us they might just modify their elitist and haughty nature.

Of course the added bonus would be that the free subsidies these two leftist rags need would be taken away, now that would be justice and very very funny!

Plato said...

That is the funniest attempt at story generation I have read in YEARS.

Perhaps it's called the Christmas Turkey Strategy?

Disco Biscuit said...

Why don't they pay for it the same as the Telegraph?

Mirtha Tidville said...

Its a good reminder to ensure I continue, never, to buy this rag.

I Squiggle said...

I love the “You will be aware that some details of expenses details claimed over the past four years have been revealed by the Daily Telegraph in recent weeks.” If they weren’t, what planet have they been on!!!

Dave H said...

Why restrict it to fiddling with expenses? There are lots of other juicy scandals we like to read about, as Max Mosely can tell you.

Is this the journalistic equivalent of air passengers being given forms which ask 'are you travelling to America with the intention of committing terrorist acts?'

David L Rattigan said...

So The Independent are running a story on expenses, and as part of that they're doing their own research and emailing MPs for their views. Even if they don't get the info they're asking for (which I admit is unlikely), maybe they just figured it was worth a shot. They can at least report that MPs were unwilling to disclose the information.

Call me thick, but isn't that just journalism? Or are we to assume (dangerously) that The Telegraph has said all that needs to be said?

Anonymous said...

It's a Press Enquiry, not an Inquiry. Standards at the Indy have clearly been jettisoned.

Life said...

This site is getting very staid.

iain inject some life into it.

You just regurgitate news from BBC.

Have some opinions man.

Anonymous said...

Life - Iain has now got his irons in a lot [too many?] of other fires...

Even Guido seems to be re-inventing himself as a new media consultant and pundit..

Bird said...

They won't get a single (printable) reply.

RW said...

Poor old Indy. Always the bridesmaid...

Anonymous said...

John Bright coined the phrase ‘England is the mother of all parliaments’ on 18 January 1865 … it has nothing to do with Westminster, house of commons etc. I do wish people would get this quotation correct.

Anonymous said...

I agree Life, how dare this Dale man run a free blog that we all forced to read even though he does not put in hours and hours finding new and exciting stuff for us every single day. Does he really think he can have a life outside of the blogosphere?

Anonymous said...

Mr Dale, You are slipping, we haven't had an anti BNP rant today or a link to one, What's the problem?

bewick said...

I WANT to see heads on poles and I care not which newspaper gets them but top marks to the Telegraph who have PROVED the importance of the press.
Heads on poles? well I may be being metaphorical but maybe not. I CAN see a very serious business opportunity in re-erecting Tyburn Gallows (but perhaps in O2 or Wembley) and selling tickets.
PROBLEM is exactly HOW can I do the dirty deed but still present the spectacle again and again as I think would be needed to satisfy ALL.
After all 100 a night would only last 6 to 7 days and THAT would only satisfy 5% of the population at 65000 a night ( yep I DO have a rudimentary business plan) anybody have a holographic bent and solution?
Retribution is all. The time for mercy has passed.

Victor, NW Kent said...

All this moat cleaning is a cause of global warming. The Indie will find the link.

Anonymous said...

In his diaries Mullin admits thinking that George Young was the best candidate last time, but voting for Martin on class grounds.

Prat.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...
It's a Press Enquiry, not an Inquiry. Standards at the Indy have clearly been jettisoned.

May 20, 2009 4:47 PM

Or not...

http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/inquiry?view=uk

http://dictionary.cambridge.org/define.asp?key=25801&dict=CALD

Fausty said...

Perhaps the Indy will pick up the Balls/Cooper case again and take it across the finish line.

They're surely doing this because they know there's much more mileage in it than the Telegraph are letting on.

Elliot Kane said...

This is rope-a-dope basically, isn't it? Anyone dumb enough to fall for this is FAR too stupid to be an MP.

Martin S said...

Unless the Independent did something The Telegrapgh didn't do? Check all facts before publishing?

Wrinkled Weasel said...

Bewick: I WANT to see heads on poles

then try this:

http://wrinkledweasel.blogspot.com/2009/05/kyfo-newsbreak-from-usa-interviews-hm.html

Her Majesty favours this option.

Ilja Nieuwland said...

http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=228027

See 2nd section.

Anonymous said...

Idiots - but it IS a rubbish paper.