Sky News is reporting that the next MP to be done over by the Telegraph is Armed Forces Minister, Bob Ainsworth. He apparently spent £6,000 doing up his second home. I wonder how many pairs of boots or rounds of ammunition that would buy.
In another twist, I gather they are also going to be examining the expenses of one of their own. Step forward Boris Johnson. Cripes!
33 comments:
On the daily politics after the bust up with Howard the telegraph man said that tomorrow might be the last
Only one if Chris Rock had his way.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDC-XQG1ifo
Was this second home really his main home? Thats the dividing line for me.
Otherwise the fancy claiming is when you look at it is plausible if as usual too high flying.
I am going to try to be consistent and if there was a witch hunt against Kirkbride then I am not joining one against Ainsworth.
Its enough to say that thus just tops off what must be the most incoherent day in the life of this New labour government.
Oxfam say - The average cost of an AK-47 bullet on the black market is US 30 cents. So ---- 12,000 bullets?
I really hope Boris's claims aren't too embarrassing. If he had to step down I'd be very disappointed. Like him or not, he's a very interesting politician that adds great colour to the political landscape.
I re-read his piece on Simon Heffer this morning and started laughing out loud again. Every other politician seems to take themselves so seriously. Boris is a breath of fresh air.
You are, as ever, 'bang on the money'. There seems something particularly unpalatable about an Armed Forces Minister being cavalier with expenses when those he is there to represent are demonstrably short of appropriate equipment.
Strangely, I have always regarded New Labour as being more 'Cavalier' than 'Roundhead', must be a thesis in there somewhere.
The trough runs deep.
If someone borrows 6 grand to improve their home, while saying they aren't borrowing to improve their home but to 'repair' it...
Actions speak louder than words. Wink.
The knitting is getting to be a daily exercise with all the beheadings in this very British revolution. I wonder if there will be any knitting for Ainsworth? He's certainly in the thick of it.
Depends on the bullets you are buying and for what weapon? At Walmart in the US? One whole heck of a lot of ammo that is for sure.
Ainsworth is/was part of a sleazy package that started an illegal war and then sent the bravest of the brave to fight it on a shoestring budget...He deserves all he gets
Any chance we might get some comment about what John Rewood says about the treasurt report on the FSA?
Lets see, 6000 GBP is worth $9953.53
Cabelas is selling 1000 rnds of fmj 5.56 for $449.99
So about 22,000
or if you prefer 7.62x39 a 1000 rnd lot of those can be had for $289.99 or almost 35,000 rnds
This, of course, doesn't include any additional bulk discount Her Majesty's government might qualify for. I suspect Cabela's would be willing to do business.
With the MO's procurement process ?
Maybe 10 .
It'll buy 646 at least - and that's all you need...
Iain please leave it out.
None of us in the military community have time for ANY of the shower of useless bastards in parliment who pathetically refer to what they do for a living as 'public service'.
Poor old 'tom' lives in accomodation that would cause a national scandal if it was used to house peadophiles or terrorists.
Has a starting wage not even a quarter of an MP's "basic" wage.
Has a second home he has dug himself under fire in Afghanistan.
And God help him if he is injured while serving his country.
Tom does not see his family for 6 months at a time....not a few days here and there.
Dont tell me that all the cash the Bullingdon mob have blown on chauffeurs and moat cleaning could not of found a more worthy use as well.
Based on the Oxfam price of US$0.3 per round and an exhange rate of GBP1.0 to USD1.6 the answer is 32,000.
I think the Daily Telegraph has made its point now. Can we get back to:
1) The fact the economy is burning to the fucking ground
2) Education
3) The NHS
4) The EU
5) The dire state of our armed forces and the total disrespect GB has for them
6) The ridiculous size and interfering nature of the public sector
7) Letting the parties do what they decide is appropriate with respect to expenses
8) A General Election
7.62x39mm calibre ammo (as used in an AK47) sells in the US for about $300/1000rounds; this is the steel cartridge Russian stuff.
This is triple the price of three or four years ago...
I've been banging on about this in real life and more importantly given the results of a certain inquest: how many sets of body armour @ £150 would Hoons fiddling buy when he was at Defence and claimed they troops had everything they needed?
Hold on - I don't understand this. Iain Dale has discovered a troughing politician that he doesn't like.
What's the story, Iain? Did Ainsworth once snub you in public? Did he cut in front of you in the line for the tuck shop? He must have done something pretty severe to piss you off so badly. God knows it certainly can't be the financial impropriety that's got your blood up - you've had nothing but kind words for every other thieving politician.
Please add to my earlier post:
9) Law & Order
Thanks
Oh piss off. That's bollocks and you know it.
Well said, Mr D.
This one has made me angry. This guy in the ministry he serves has a duty of care to these soldiers. But instead of fulfilling his part of the covenant, he's been using ours - and their! - income tax to fill his own chest with treasure while our armed forces still have to put up with appalling married accommodation and sometimes inadequate medical provision.
He has to be sacked. If I had my way he'd be shot!
The Jaqui Smith reveiew.
In pictures and music.
Iain, your outrage is clearly justified at the sickening news that this junior minister's greed has prevented us killing another 12,000 foreigners.
How many bullets could it have bought, my arse!!!
Do you EVER stop to re-read what you've typed before posting? Boots yes but bullets???
Tell him, Iain. It truly is bollocks - the very idea that anyone could get past Dale Minor in the tuck shop queue.
Mr Dale does not know anything about Ainsworth - he bases his criticism on him needlessly spending public money on himself whilst being responsible for our armed forces.
Mr Dale does know Kirkbride (and Dorries) and so forms an opinion based on character rather than prejudice. Gibsons constituency chairman just did the same thing on BBC News. 'The other three deserved it but not my man. Its a fit up'
Me - I take a different view. Its a politicians job, especially a defence Minister to sometimes put our soldiers into harms way. He should still get paid - indeed thats WHY we pay him. He should still take his expenses and eat 3 square meals a day. Indeed he is entitled to make mistakes. Churchill Roosevelt etc all made mistakes in wartime.
What is important in our Defence Ministers is that they have a proper war aim and that they ensure that our expenditure in blood and treasure is in our interest.
I thinks its right we are in Afghanistan but I am not sure we can fulfil our war aim the way our forces are presently configured.
How much time have you got?
Sorry off topic but blood boiling...William Hague, the great Europhobe and party hope, just destroyed BY Paxo on Lisbon Referendum - Tories are in a mess and im looking at an allegiance change. Why do i have to vote UKIP to achieve what should be Thatchers social conviction Conservative legacy. Cameroon led, hypocritical Liberal rubbish. Voters will blood noses Iain...
What about Blair's expenses? I've read somewhere that he shredded them before he left office.
But that doesn't make sens. To claim expenses he must have submitted the receipts to the fees office, so why would they shred them. Was TB allowed to claim expenses without producing receipts? How else would his shredding affect the fees office?
Can someone please explain?
Bullets can be used to defend soldiers, as well as to attack soldiers.
If some soldiers found themselves short while defending themselves... I wonder if Ainsworth was spending the money on home improvements, sorry, repairs, at the time...
Maybe the British troops coming back from Iraq now the illegal war is in closure can ask him that on return.
R.I.P. David Kelly, those bastards.
Slightly fewer than the amount which taxpayers were billed for Charles Hendry's servants could?
Typical Dale ... right there when there if there is bit of political point-scoring he can make. But is he worried about the £100 million wasted on the Vector - to name but one project.
How many rounds of ammunition can you buy for £100 million?
7.62 calibre ammunition, useful as it is, isn't as much use nowadays as it was when we had the SLR.
The lads are now on the SA80 with 5.56 ammunition.
£6k would buy about 3500 -4000 rounds of high quality .308 ammunition
In 2005, the British Army paid £95 per pair for Combat Boots (High).
So, 63 pairs - enough for a couple of platoons.
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