What is there new to say on the MPs' expenses scandal. I read the Telegraph this morning with an increasing sense of bewilderment. Barbara Follett's £25k security man takes some beating for its shamelessness, but I think she is just about beaten by Margaret Moran (pic), the MP for Luton South. The troughing disgrace of an MP switched her second home to a holiday home - yes, a holiday home - 100 miles from her constituency and nowhere near Westminster. Within days she was trousering £22k of your money to pay for a dry rot problem. What kind of sick mind thinks it is OK for the taxpayer to fund an MP's holiday home. And what kind of idiotic rules allowed her to do it?Nigel Huddleston is Moran's Tory opponent and has been quick to condemn her on his website. He'd better win. This woman has no place in our Parliament. I spoke on a panel with her last year and was hugely underwhelmed. The panel was supposed to discuss the use of technology in politics, yet she could speak about nothing else except violence towards women. I thought then that she was possibly the lowest grade MP I had met in years, but I didn't realise she was also among the sleaziest.
Her website has the caption: "Making Luton South a Better Place to Live". Ignoring the grammatical error in that, frankly, her only interest is making her holiday home a better place to live in.
86 comments:
Report an MP to Crimstoppers anonymously, online
Another reason to abolish the resettlement grant for MP's rejected by their electorate.
It's not "the rules" that is the real problem. It's the people interpreting them.
There's a great deal of research now available on personal probity and creditworthiness; therefore, annual background and credit checks is the answer - and the boot for those that fail to meet the required high standard.
Will Sir Paul Stevenson, say something sensible, like "I cannot find the resource to find the leaker as I have 645 miscreants to investigate first." I am sure these are words you will never hear him say.
“I thought then that she was possibly the lowest grade MP I had met in years.”
So you’ve never met Claire Ward (Watford), then?
MPs keep saying, "My claims were within the rules." But is that correct? It appears to me that many of their claims were not within the rules, as I understand them. Just because a claim is paid, that doesn't make it within the rules, and neither does it make it non-fraudulent.
Parliament as a whole is now totally discredited. I would like to see an election now so that MPs can be deselected by their constituncy parties, if necessary, and the public would have their say on a particular prospective MP, too. What do you think?
Iain -- simple question.
Will you be as equally critical of Tory MPs tomorrow, when their troughing adventures are exposed?
I would just say lets not jump on Labour yet, we the Tories might have a few bad eggs, lets jump on Labour if we are in the clear. The lesson from the past is dont throw stones from inside a glass house, Labour forgot that wise message. Thus the difference from 1997 and 2009. Lets hope the Party of Churchill and Thatcher is in the clear, lets hope.
I bet there are worse stories than this to come. Several have been making property profits by "flipping".
Wait a minute! Isn't this a clear case of fraud? Neither her hose in her constituency nor her London bolt-hole was classified as her "second" home.
Well no matter how bad we all suspected things were with MP`s, thanks to a brave (and OK richer) whistleblower we now KNOW exactly how bad things are. Moran however is worth investigating further as there is a prima facie case for deception to be looked at.Doubt it will happen though....
Think I`ll take Old Holborns advice nevertheless.
I have reported this incident to crimestoppers. I suggest that in a weeks time or so an FOI request gets requested maybe via Channel 4 about how many reports of criminal activity related to this has been reported.
"Making Luton South a Better Place to Live".
Is that why she is doing up her holiday home and leaving the area?
We must all demand that they pay back ALL expenses!
Second homes must become the property of the state and any profits from their sale go into the exchequer.
MP's must face criminal charges. It is fraud. quite simply fraud on a massive scale. From the immoral compass down!
Sadly, the only beneficiaries will be the BNP and ukip (god forbid).
How can people have any respect for MP's now?
Perhaps, as I read on Guido, It is time for the Military to take over for five years or more! It is that bad.
Anyone who has ever tried to get a pointy into Ms Moran's impenetrable brain will surely think that the real disgrace is that she was ever elected to parliament at all, not what she did with her allowances. People so thick and lacking in moral sense shouldn't be voting, never mind legislating.
We are in need of a modern day Cromwell (and not one who registers odd websites)
I am in despair about the whole thing, Iain. The actions of some MPs is doing immense damage to our whole democracy. I wish there was some higher power than Parliament that could force them all to quit and trigger by-elections.
He doesn´t have much chance of winning. I don´t think Luton with it´s "diverse" population have many conservatives amongst them.
22K is what the average UK worker makes in a year.
I dont want to see this citizen simply cast out of office.
I want to see prosecutions.
I will not be governed by criminals.
Just out of interest, what is the grammatical error?
The Conservative Party has to show itself to be quick to deal with anyone in their ranks who have done likewise. Following latest news in the Telegraph about Tory MP for Bexhill, Greg Barker's self enrichment at the tax payer’s expense, perhaps honourable members of Joe public on this forum would like to send him a personal message encouraging him to seek another job by emailing here: enquiries@gregorybarker.com
From her website, Margaret Moron claims: "Her interests span a wide range of concerns from housing..."; little did her consituents realise this dreadful woman meant her OWN housing.
"And what kind of idiotic rules allowed her to do it?"
But the rules didn't allow it since her holiday home had nothing to do with performance of her parliamentary duties.
The expense was allowed was down to inadequate checking or permissive acceptance of a reckless and allowable claim.
And what about Barbra Follet? Took extra money for "security" when her husband is
a) a millionaire;
b) gives her an extra 100k a year himself;
Her constituency needs to act. Come on Stevenage - here's why you need to chuck Barbara out.
Call for a by-election now. Get rid of the ultimate Champagne Socialist
Mark,
Barker's case is being widely misunderstood and misinterpreted.
All second home allowances are for mortgage interest only, not capital, or rent.
Therefore, he was only reimbursed for the costs and not for any investment in capital repayment.
In any event, in the current property climate there will be many MPs sitting on a capital loss on their second homes.
Are you willing for the system to pick up the tab for that loss?
No? I thought not.
Ignoramus...
The error was in missing out "in " at the end of her phrase.
I think so anyway.
Of course the Telegraph is only focusing on the Labour expenses - wait till the Tory ones emerge (and I know some are genuinely worried...)
Is this a 2-minute hate session or the full half hour?
stuart said...
I am in despair about the whole thing, Iain. The actions of some MPs is doing immense damage to our whole democracy. I wish there was some higher power than Parliament that could force them all to quit and trigger by-elections.
May 09, 2009 1:53 PM
====
Stuart, there is. The Law. No one, nobody, no institution is above the law.
Except in a country where the whole establishment has been politicised. Where there is not one placeman who has the dignity or the courage to take these charlatans on.
We are run by a shower of s***. From Parliament, to the civil service, to the police, to the judiciary.
We live in a banana monarchy.
Being slightly pedantic, her slogan should have read, "Making Luton South a better place in which to live".
Some MP's appear determined to remain in stubborn denial by hugging the "rules", "system" or the "fees office" rather than confront the possibility that they have misappropriated public funds.
Now attacking the leaking itself and the Telegraph for exposing it their position is only worsened by possible police involvement.
The current system, though poor, allows MP's to act with integrity and honesty or alternatively, to cheat.
The fact that some chose the latter is a sad justification for a new system, which because of its transparency, will in future persuade people to tell the truth.
Anonymous I know what you are trying to say re Barker but I don't see how you can differentiate the capital element from the interest element of a mortgage. You cannot have one without the other.
As for your second point re possible negative equity that only becomes a real issue if a property is sold now. My instinctive reaction to this is " welcome to the real world".
I don't have a problem with politicians having poor grammar. How else are we supposed to get more Scientists in government?
But of course you're right, and its important to go on and on and on about this until all backbenchers get behind their leaders on reforms.
Lets have a big block of luxury flats for MPs next to parliament. No security problem - theyre supposed to be in one place in the commons anyway. The 'student halls' analogy this is often given is unwelcome - in science we have scientist-only "hotels" near gov labs up and down the country. Very nice. You're paying for them. But they are necessary both for domestic use and attracting foreign science conferences etc.
We do not buy a second home next to the lab even tho we must frequently commute to represent our institution.
Moron does seem bang to rights. I've found a picture of her red-handed with some accomplices on a shopping spree. Perhaps there will be a reasonable explanation? Loot On Saint Margaret. But I must say that I think it is highly unlikely that MM is the only one to have claimed money for a home that is neither in constituency nor near Westminster.
We could also do well to remember that MM would get access to the same total slush fund which ever home she nominated. Actually that makes what she is alleged to have done even more stupid. She could have had the same amount of cash doing things differently.
We all remember the so-called constituency secretary based in a third place, looking after Caroline Spelman's sprogs. And there will be more of this. Can we count on the same level of condemnation for non-Labour MPs when the Torygraph eventually gets down to it?
There will be others. I've no doubt of that.
One obscure Tory offered up by the Torygraph today isn't really fair play from this once great organ.
Smallprint: Expenses ramps are available from more political parties than one.
Even smaller print: Political fortunes can rise and fall in value.
Thanks Holborn, I've just reported Margeratt Moron to Crimestoppers.
It says a lot about their shameless characters because none of them have resigned. They really dont think much of us do they?
If any Tory MP expenses are a disgrace, then the Tory party should lead the way and set the right examples.
Apologise and Resign - propose a reform. This is a good opportunity for Tories to take the lead. It could work in their favour with the electorate.
So long as tories dont say "it was within the rules" and take action that will satisfy the public - they could well make labour look damn stupid!
As this woman clams for her dry rot and renovations to other houses, Major Phil Packer a seriously injured soldier from the Iraq war has just completed the London Marathon.
Let me contrast the both, Major Phil Packer is a hero. He is helping his fellow Armed Service Personnel and this swine of an MP is a self-serving pig.
I will now apologise to Major Packer for mentioning this swine MP in the same posting as him.
Major Phil Packer a real hero and London Marathon finisher.
Pig swine, send her a message via her site and let her know what you think of her. I sent her.
Madam, If the allegations in the Daily Telegraph are correct and I have no question to doubt them, that you designated a holiday home some 100 miles away form your constituency to clam £22k of Taxpayers money to repair dry rot.
Then madam you are the epitome of everything that is wrong in the UK today. As you spend our money I hope you can sleep soundly at night in your Taxpayer refurbished holiday home. Safe in the knowledge that the elderly have to make serious choices wither to heat their homes or eat, the recently unemployed have the worry of how to pay their mortgage, utility bills and feed and clothe their children and our Armed Service Personnel are fighting in a forgotten war sent there by you and your party. But what do you care as long the Taxpayer is funding your dry rot.
Madam, its politicians like you and your ilk that nauseate me. I hope you stand at the next election so the electorate can send you resoundly packing to your holiday home with a one way ticket never to be seen again.
Peter Thomas said: "MPs keep saying, "My claims were within the rules." But is that correct? It appears to me that many of their claims were not within the rules, as I understand them. Just because a claim is paid, that doesn't make it within the rules, and neither does it make it non-fraudulent."
It's an important point you make - that any payments by the Fees Office are in no way proof that the claims were legitimate. All that it says is they have, as yet, gone unchallenged.
The closest comparison I can think of from outside the Westminster bubble is VAT repayments. By the yardstick of MPs, those committing carousel fraud haven't broken the rules as HMRC paid them the money they had claimed. This overlooks the fact they were never entitled to it in the first place and should not have claimed for it.
Or, for another example, the Tax Credits system mistakenly over paying. They will usually get around to insisting you pay it back or get less in the future.
For those MPs who have clearly abused the system they should be made to pay it all back.
@Forge Linden
How about the olympic village?
State of the art,ideally placed and totally secure.
I know of many a soldier who would bite their own arms off to move out of their rotten hovel like barracks into somthing like that.
If politico's dont like it then dont stand...do somthing else.
Job jobbed
Anonymous 1:19 writes, with an air of sly revelation: "Iain -- simple question.
"Will you be as equally critical of Tory MPs tomorrow, when their troughing adventures are exposed?"
New around here, darling?
Ignoramus - She should have capitalised the A, which is a conjunction, not a preposition.
Alex 2:35 - Ha ha ha! V good!
Alex,
I can't argue with you unless you pay.
The Royal Hong Kong Police solution
If they are living above their police salary they have to justify where the money came frm.
Guilty until proved innocent.
Sauce for the goose and sauce for the gander.
“I thought then that she was possibly the lowest grade MP I had met in years.”
Have you met the Scottish Labour contingent?
No I can't remember the names of any of them, apart from the usual subjects:
Murphy
Reid
Brown
Gorbals Mick
Darling
Cannon fodder the rest and shit the former
Margret Moran should resign her seat straight away!
The Rot seems to have spread further than her seaside home by all accounts!!!
More like Margret the Moron!!!!
We all know that the Tories are going to be caught up in this too and no doubt one ot two LibDems and others.
It is an absolute and total disgrace, we have an unelected government,who have destroyed the economy, ruled by an undemocratic and unelected super quango in Brussels. Our politicians have been passing one tax law for us and a different one for themselves AND then milking it on top of that.
We must in all fairness ( I'm mostly of the Tory persuasion) await the revelations about the Tories too and then either the government resigns and we go to the country and if they fail to do that then I will be one of many organising a Demand for Decent Democracy Demonstration.
By the way for those that say we should have a higher authority that can sack the government. We do Her Maj ( Brenda) is perfectly entitled to call her first minister to the palace and to tell him he no longer has her confidence.
She would never do it, but by Christ if she did, it would be the the thing that made the reign of QE11 live fondly in people memories for years to come. Go on Brenda you know you want to.
99.9% of MPs are scum. Just accept it and vote ALL sitting MPs out at the next election.
As for Woolas bleating about his expenses. The man is a ****** ****
Another Gurkha died in Afhanistan. Has Woolas got no shame?
I am by coincidence standing in Odiham Castle. It was from here King John rode to sign the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta was written to stop the King abusing his powers and put trust in parliament on behalf of the people. Now New Labour have abused their power we need a new Magna Carta and need to force the unelected Brown to sign it.
Gordon Brown is brazen in his contempt for the electorate it is unreal!
The bloke is not only the most usless PM this country has ever had but also the most arrogant and tainted i can think!
It has to be remebered that Brown transfered his Westminister flat to his wife who then took equity out of it when he became PM! That Flat was paid for by the Taxpayer all the way through!
Brown = Sleaze
Labour = Very Sleazy
Incredibly the Times attempts to play down these expense abuses. See my blog for more!
I've reported the fraudster Moran to Crimestoppers.
I hope her local Constituency deselect her immediately.
I just cannot see how any MP has the Brass neck to pass Legislation that means Financial Advisers have to tip off relevant Organisations about Tax Evasion and Money Laundering and then Labour MP's actually get caught in Tax Evasion by redesignating Ownership not for the expense claim but for Capital Gains Tax!
Labour = Rotten Bunch of Crooks.
If Margaret Moran spent all her additional costs allowance on repairs to her holiday home, how on earth did she fund the costs of running her ordinary second home (assuming she still has one)?
Just a thought---does anyone,Iain perhaps, have a copy of these 'rules' so we could all have a look at what they actually say!
As for the police being called in to find the leak-----it would seem that anyone doing that would be more concerned that the information has got out , rather than the facts about what these cheating sh--s are up to !
LoL, Just read Old Holborn's first comment!!!!
This woman is little more than a petty thief.
I trust that her constituents will dump her at the next opportunity
@ Chris Paul
"One obscure Tory offered up by the Torygraph today isn't really fair play from this once great organ."
How many would be then?
And you seriously expect 'fair play' from any newspaper?
Clown.
According to her bio she is a member of the Hansard Society Commission on the Scrutiny of Parliament.
I cant wait for the report
One MP that I suspect will definitely come out of all this squeaky clean-----Norman Baker----anyone got any other suggestions---I don't suppose there will be many!
Slightly O/T but I think you'll like this Iain and perhaps can help with the translation.
My YouTube hit of Crabb questioning Brown on workplace bullying has been picked up by Der Standard.
Read the (poor) translation and laugh: Gordon Brown Flippt Aus
@javelin:
"The Magna Carta was written to stop the King abusing his powers and put trust in parliament on behalf of the people."
Read much 13th-century history, have you?
Javelin, I like your analogy, but forcing the unelected Brown to sign it may not be a good idea. The fact that he wasn't elected could be a prompt a challenge in future.
I would rather get a legitimately elected government in - even socialist rubbish - and force the legitimately elected PM to sign it.
(He could sign it on the same day he signed the derogation from the EHRA and announced our departure from the EUSSR gravy train and the dumping of all its apparchiks.)
And yet according to Newsnight's Michael Crick nothing revealed so far is enough to warrant a resignation nor is anything as serious as Derek Conway's false claims.
Verity, 3.34pm
'A' is the indefinite article, not a conjunction.
So you, too, were educated under a Labour government?
I was well into my twenties before I found out that people actually live in Luton.
Before that, I thought it was some sort of joke Home Counties town, like Biggleswade or Rickmansworth.
Imagine my surprise when I found out that people live there too.
And have MPs!
Yours, a dirty Northern bastard...
This is fraud.
We need some prosecutions and we need some people banged up for this. A total disgrace.
There is systemic corruption within our system of government and these weasels all need to be made an example of.
Swiss Bob's awful Google translation is very funny -- though the Google translator can be guaranteed to chew anything up pretty thoroughly.
More seriously, is there any blog or regularly updated web page that gives links to original articles in the foreign media about Britain?
Doesn't matter what language they are in, since Google can be relied on for a version that can be more or less understood.
Shinsei:Spot on. Did you see Pichael Pricks tongue actually hanging out of his mouth last night when he was on about Conway? I'm surprised he didn't get Spelman in there as well.
The BBC seem more upset that they don't have ANY real bad tory stuff to get stuck into.
What's the difference between Fred Goodwin's pension and many of these expense claims? Both were within the rules, it was the rules and the decisions to take advantage of them that were at fault. Oh, and we haven't heard Harman wittering about 'the court of public opinion' when talking about her colleagues.
Iain
If any of your readers know of a friendly pig farmer, I am planning something for next week
Another property millionaire MP!
- We should be thanking god that she did not charge us for work on her holiday home in Spain.
I suppose it's too much to expect a slew of by-elections after numerous honourable resignations?
No? Thought not.
Ah yes - isn't that the bright orange, somewhat husky woman who used a question in PMQs a couple of weeks ago to ask Gordon whether he agreed with her in offering the very best wishes to Luton Town FC?
All this said, I can see why she'd want a holiday home reliably free from dry rot. Luton's horrible.
Wv = boryis. It's a message from the gods, I tell you.
Chris Paul beat me to it with this "Moron"...
She has to resign. Immediately. So she can then face the music with the cops!
Bath plugs for the many, not the few: Well caught! I meant to write 'preposition' but was too lazy to check my own post before clicking Send. Serves me right.
Forge Linden - Grammar is all we have for conveying our thoughts with precision and it is thus critical for a debating chamber.
Chris Paul:
I'm listening to the band "Suicide" at present, if you get my drift!
BREAKING NEWS --------BREAKING NEWS
PHIL WOOLAS IN BIG GIRL’S BLOUSE CONTROVERSY
Immigration Minister Phil Woolas today appeared on national television to ensure that anyone who has not heard of the infamous Big Girl’s Blouse incident, now has. Mr Woolas stated “ I don’t want to be seen as a figure of ridicule in Britain”; he is currently in discussions with his lawyers to ensure his predicament will also reach an international audience . Speaking on the expenses controversy, a clearly enraged Mr Woolas added “ the allegations on tampons just make me seem like some bloody twat”.
Major Biffo “big-kukri” Ponsonby , was asked how this furore could impact on the Minister’s delicate relations with the Gurkhas . Ponsonby said “ he can wear what he likes but he won’t get a pin-up slot in our calendar ; the lads like Joanna Lumley and that’s that” . Sources within the Immigration Department have leaked that the troubled minister will unveil a new move to regain the initiative. Seeking to ease voter fears on immigration he will make his department more inclusive and re-brand it the “Ministry Of Overseas Beneficiaries and Stakeholders”; or MOOBS for short. The source said “ Phil believes that if his MOOBS gets bigger he’ll be able to front off to Joanna Lumley or indeed Katie Price for that matter”. A spokesman for Marks and Spencer told your correspondent to “ piss off and leave me alone it’s been a tough week” ,
Nonetheless political commentators remained puzzled at the actions of Mr Woolas . One said;
“ In recent weeks Phil has become well-known in TV circles and he’s enjoyed it “.
However punters at the TV and Transgender Club in Soho said they did not recognise him. “ Ducky, when you’re up on stage in full make-up you could be anyone” said Jacky (sic) “Meat” Smith. Jacky, who also runs Soho Security ( SS) claims “ we could well have many MPs in here but it’s in the rules you keep quiet ”. The discussion was interrupted when Jacky had a call reminding her to stroll round the corner where a rich resident who resides at the property she doesn’t actually reside at wanted to make sure the surveillance cameras were working. “ It’s work “ laughed Jacky “ but not as you know it; my friend bought a house in Soho and just wants to be sure there aren’t any weirdoes about, like Gurkhas or honest people. Still it pays the mortgages eh!”
Another commentator noted “ with a reshuffle coming Phil believes he needs to raise his profile , some see him as a small, humourless, nit-picking bureaucrat but that’s not right, he’s actually taller than you’d think”. Voters ,whose views are increasingly irrelevant, wait to see how events unfold next week
I say this as semi-serious. How about inviting the royals back to form a constitutional monarchy, rather than the costly-tutional one we have now. They don't need the money.
Listen, if you lived in Luton, you'd need a holiday home too!
Have you looked at Margaret's website? If you click on the link "Meet Margaret in Person" [why would you want to?], you get an error message saying that there is no such option.
To be fair, it should be noted that the Southampton property is not really a holiday home as suggested. Her partner has owned it for something like 20 years because he works in the area; allegedly Miss Moran was only added to the mortage when expensive repairs were needed and someone had to pay.
What the press say, continued. Brown in trouble?Well, it looks bad for Labour. Bad for some Conservatives, too, but the real sleaze problem seems to be afflicting Labour Mps. Any road up, as we Brummies say, here is what the press has to say about the continuing saga of Expensegate:-You couldn't make it up, could you?
Why are all Labour MPs and advisers fat?
It's like a particularly expensive game of Top Trumps - sleaze output - 22 grand. Number of EDM's - 3 etc etc.
The holiday home of Ms Moran is in Spain. Southampton is a weekend home.
I'm fed up with MPs blaming the system. They ARE the system.
We should have a general election this year as soon as possible and rid ourselves of the worst culprits at least.
A general election with a press-led 'witch hunt of the worst'.
An 'anybody, but Tories, Labour and Lib Dems' campaign.
Some say we should not have an election because it distracts from getting the country back on its feet. The country is on its knees due to the shower of crap stinking out Westminster.
In fact, I doubt there will be a general election. It is more likely that a coalition government is formed as an emergency measure to sort out the effects of the recession. This lot will do anything to keep their jobs and it is especially likely if other parties do well at the expense of the 'big' three in the imminent EU elections.
Where is the problem? She claimed expenses for repairs to her partner's home. She honestly thought that, because this house is at the *seaside*, she did not have to account for the expenses to the *Inland* Revenue. Boom Boom!
Post a Comment