tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post7830368745272324674..comments2024-03-04T17:54:32.559+00:00Comments on Iain Dale's Diary: IPSA Has Become the Problem, Not the SolutionIain Dalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03270146219458384372noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-79100733904130958712010-08-10T14:57:22.787+01:002010-08-10T14:57:22.787+01:00darrellgoodliffe said... although they should perh...darrellgoodliffe said... <i>although they should perhaps remember that only a few were in the wrong,</i><br /><br />A few? <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/03/mps-expenses-thomas-legg-criticism" rel="nofollow">More than half</a> the house were asked to pay back falsely claimed expenses. <br /><br />Just because only a small minority of the abusers have gone to court does not mean the majority were not guilty of fiddling.PJHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331948749785269728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-6777408821544043112010-08-10T13:10:52.828+01:002010-08-10T13:10:52.828+01:00I would just like to say I think its good that thi...I would just like to say I think its good that this issue is a cross-party concern and thank Iain for raising it. People may have little sympathy for MP's, although they should perhaps remember that only a few were in the wrong, but MP's staff are the innocent victims of both the expenses scandal (which they had nothing to do with) and now IPSA and as has been pointed out these are the people who are invaluable in the MP representing their constituents in the way they do. <br /><br />Something has to be done and people speaking out can only mean there is greater awareness of what is going on and I trust the public who were right to be outraged about expenses can see that IPSA is indeed not the solution but is now a major problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-59227650490396163492010-08-10T04:26:20.301+01:002010-08-10T04:26:20.301+01:00Iain,
Boo hoo, my heart bleeds.
And if the inter...Iain,<br /><br />Boo hoo, my heart bleeds.<br /><br />And if the interns are being paid, perhaps they could go and get a proper, productive job, instead of starting as they mean to go on—by leeching off the productive work of others.<br /><br />Lady Finchley,<br /><br /><i>"In what world does an office worker pay first and then get reimbursed for the paper and pens they use?"</i><br /><br />Well, you wouldn't know this, of course, but in most small companies one has to buy the stuff first and then you get re-imbursed.<br /><br /><i>"Staff salaries and office supplies are not expenses - these are required for the MP to do his job."</i><br /><br />Expenses are <i>only</i> supposed to be those monies outlaid in the course of one's work. Anything else is a benefit in kind, and is taxed as such by HMRC.<br /><br />Unless, of course, you are an MP—because MPs exempted themselves from the legislation that governs everyone else. They are not taxed on benefits in kind—which is very convenient.<br /><br />I think that you should be careful in throwing around accusations of ignorance, especially when your comments reveal a rather distasteful but entirely typical sense of entitlement that we—the taxpayers, your paymasters—are fed to the back teeth of.<br /><br />DKDevil's Kitchenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13832949569501846730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-68182079416031372132010-08-09T09:50:29.454+01:002010-08-09T09:50:29.454+01:00Parliament now needs IPSA but it also needs an IPS...Parliament now needs IPSA but it also needs an IPSA that works. It seems a Regulator out of control that has set up such a labyrinthine system that even it cannot manage it. <br /><br />And why on earth, other than building an empire, is the transaction processing being done in house and not by a company that knows how to do it? <br /><br />In any case, the answer to the problem is simple.<br /><br />Why are the Chief Executive and Chairman still in post? <br /><br />They should be given 4 weeks to resolve it. If they haven't sorted it by that point they get a P45 - assuming IPSA is capable of issuing one.<br /><br />And before anyone asks I have no connection at all with the House or any MPs. I simply regard this as a classic Labour organisation set up by Labour luvvies<br /><br />PS why could they not put anyone up to speak about this? for goodness sake Iain - for £85000 they wont work weekends ...... what were you thinking!Cynichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04852867933348403214noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-7324835026910409002010-08-07T22:21:14.776+01:002010-08-07T22:21:14.776+01:00Dangermouse - instead of bitching and moaning like...Dangermouse - instead of bitching and moaning like a girl why don't you contact your horrible MP. I've gotten more rebates for constituents than you've had hot meals. Or would your rather bitch so you have something to moan about?Lady Finchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695379463537122656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-43912184991728724392010-08-07T17:54:43.809+01:002010-08-07T17:54:43.809+01:00And another thing...
I can't find how much it...And another thing...<br /><br />I can't find how much it is forecast to run per annum, but at £6.6M to set up that's £847 per claim.<br /><br />But the staggering statistic is that each employee (assuming an undemanding 35 hour week and a 40 week year) will have 2 days to process each claim!Pughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16303449357296114696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-69326353674738722102010-08-07T17:36:00.300+01:002010-08-07T17:36:00.300+01:00Only a saint could not revel in the irony of the p...Only a saint could not revel in the irony of the position MPs in which find themselves.<br /><br />After decades of the equivalent of "Do you know who I am?" MPs are being treated like the rest of us.<br /><br />We find it impossible to bully HMRC when they cock up our tax codes and take too much tax. Has any being in the known universe ever received an apology from an employee in public service?<br /><br />No, perhaps in 13 years time I might find it in myself to contain the side splitting belly laughs that erupt every time I hear them whinge ...Pughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16303449357296114696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-45282124634583848282010-08-07T16:54:01.657+01:002010-08-07T16:54:01.657+01:00Pogo (10.43am)... spot on. And pretty much what I ...Pogo (10.43am)... spot on. And pretty much what I said at the time on an earlier thread.<br /><br />This IPSA organisation (if that's the word) has Brown's finger marks all over it. Overmanned, over-complicated, woefully managed, insanely expensive and with <b>Press Officers</b> on the payroll for God's sake. I mean WTF? <br /><br />I've no sympathy for the MPs, (they did vote for this crap system after all) but my objection is on behalf of the poor bloody tax-payer again. A perfectly brilliant example government doing what it does best... pissing money away.Rush-is-Righthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12860467341217977185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-13278420473532710172010-08-07T10:10:39.424+01:002010-08-07T10:10:39.424+01:00Lady Finchley : Since PJH can't come up with a...Lady Finchley : <i>Since PJH can't come up with anything better because I blew all his stupid arguments out of the water</i><br /><br />1) No you didn't - you spectacularly failed to address any of my arguments<br />2) They most certainly were not stupid. Unless you consider the prole's problems with HMRC, Job center and local government stupid. Then again you probably do judging from your comments.<br /><br /><i> he now says the staff are <b>all</b> there because of nepotism so we should suffer</i> <br /><br />lern2read - that is not what I said.PJHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331948749785269728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-82667368509503400422010-08-07T09:17:58.128+01:002010-08-07T09:17:58.128+01:00@Lady Finchley
How refreshing to get an MP on her...@Lady Finchley<br /><br />How refreshing to get an MP on here that speaks their mind instead of playing to the local crowd (David Cameron please take note). Shame you have to use a pseudonym, but not too difficult to work out who you are.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16801051251247458947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-47758801822474469902010-08-07T09:00:34.391+01:002010-08-07T09:00:34.391+01:00Hahahahahahahaha. Suffer.
Sorry but not an ounce ...Hahahahahahahaha. Suffer.<br /><br />Sorry but not an ounce of sympathy.<br /><br />To those "civil" servants that have appeared on this thread you're hardly civil are you? Is it any wonder we hold you with the same contempt as the MPs when you go around insulting us?<br /><br />IPSA is a clusterf**k of major proportions agreed, but you reap what you sow. When you started working for your MP did yu ont know about the expenses scandal? <br /><br />Non payment of wages is not the taxpayers problem sweetheart, take the legal route! It sure looks like you have a case for it. Or are you too thick?<br /><br />Idiots.Sir Ollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18298298997611866172noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-30976588003950598872010-08-07T08:40:56.903+01:002010-08-07T08:40:56.903+01:00Trevorsden - well said - I applaud you. Since PJH...Trevorsden - well said - I applaud you. Since PJH can't come up with anything better because I blew all his stupid arguments out of the water he now says the staff are all there because of nepotism so we should suffer. There are over 600 MPs with an average of 2000 staff - I can assure everyone that only a small percentage are related to their MPs and I actually agree that family shouldn't be employed.Lady Finchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695379463537122656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-85982772358089132182010-08-06T22:19:28.135+01:002010-08-06T22:19:28.135+01:00@"Lady Finchley"
I sorry but you are wh...@"Lady Finchley"<br /><br />I sorry but you are whinging in the first order. I'm sorry you are having to wait, but as others have said - welcome to the real world. I am still waiting for a rebate from HMRC - £19,000. For 10 months and counting.<br /><br />As for staff and office costs - again this highlights the sheer incompitence of Government. You had the chance to set up a proper system - central costs for staff, rent and office costs. Of course this differs in various areas of the country however if you are a "real" MP then are you not using your Constiuency Office? The costs you knew before you were elected? The costs that could of been submitted to a "new" Government Department to take over after election? <br /><br />Likewise staff costs? <br /><br />Stationary? <br /><br />These things should not be going anywhere near Expenses claims and IF the system had of been properly planned then things could of been so much better. <br /><br />But...no.<br /><br />Rush out crap legislation, do half a job and then moan about the consequences. The sort of thing us proles have suffered for YEARS.<br /><br />Of course, now it's you who is DIRECTLY suffering. And, of course, your staff. And now, of course, you will sqweem and sqweem and sqweem.<br /><br />Sympathy?<br /><br />I've heard of it...<br /><br />About £19,000's x 10 months worth of it.<br /><br />Postscript - word verification...SPURN<br /><br />How very apt.Dangermousehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258349206728931594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1442355657238397042010-08-06T21:39:38.853+01:002010-08-06T21:39:38.853+01:00Its clear IPSA is a shambles and are too concerned...Its clear IPSA is a shambles and are too concerned I suspect to cover their own backs to actually do a competent job.<br /><br />None of this is rocket science and the whole bureaucratic shambles is typical of the useless way Brown ran anything.<br /><br />The fact that MPs are facing life like the rest of us is bollocks. MPs deserve to have staff and the staff deserve to be paid.<br /><br />A crap system has been replaced by another crap system. Which is bonkers.<br /><br />I grow tired of the faux outrage at MPs. Expenses get paid properly in the real world; what we are talking about here are wages, the wages of simple secretaries and researchers.<br /><br />These issues should be managed properly and I, poor miserable individual that I am, am not going to pour my sense of inadequacy onto a hapless third party - even if it is an MP.<br /><br />The usual nasty sneering crowd should get a life.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-54890058100463571982010-08-06T20:27:32.792+01:002010-08-06T20:27:32.792+01:00PJH, I leave you to stew in your own juices - I re...PJH, I leave you to stew in your own juices - I refuse to argue with with thickos.<br /><br />And Brenda C, they are purposely missing the point - to them staff are collateral damage in their nasty little vendettas against MPs. They would rather that IPSA cost millions more to the taxpayer just so they can give MPs a hrad time.Lady Finchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695379463537122656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-8631475884857769192010-08-06T20:12:01.970+01:002010-08-06T20:12:01.970+01:00BrendaC said...
Why are people on this thread just...<i>BrendaC said...<br />Why are people on this thread just ignorning the fact that its MP's STAFF on approx 18k most of them who are suffering and not gettin their salries paid at all half the time.</i><br /><br />Because some of the jobs are nepotistic?<br /><br />Or because, having joined up they are ignorant/optimistic of the expenses row?<br /><br />Or, more likely, once again - how can MPs come up with a scheme that fails to recognise stuff that shouldn't be in the scheme?<br /><br />I refer the honorable poster to the posts given some time before. <br /><br />They can't come up with a coherent scheme for anyone - only when it affects them personally does it become an issue.<br /><br />And they bleat about *that one* scheme.PJHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331948749785269728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-34705912005512048502010-08-06T19:27:56.537+01:002010-08-06T19:27:56.537+01:00well you reap what you sow
if the MP's had no...well you reap what you sow<br /><br />if the MP's had not been so greedy in the first place, none of this would happened. <br /><br />so now MP's know what its like and i hope their lives are made an utter misery by IPSA - just like they make our lives an utter misery with all the bright ideas they force on us.Danny Lawhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08789209821773052718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-77210936657503887822010-08-06T19:25:13.000+01:002010-08-06T19:25:13.000+01:00Why are people on this thread just ignorning the f...Why are people on this thread just ignorning the fact that its MP's STAFF on approx 18k most of them who are suffering and not gettin their salries paid at all half the time.<br /><br />Even if you have no sympaththy for MP's, stop missing the point for more mp baitingBrendaChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710288545981163419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-79159815819848709302010-08-06T19:24:31.306+01:002010-08-06T19:24:31.306+01:00Lady Finchley:
PJH - you are dumber than I thought...Lady Finchley:<br /><i>PJH - you are dumber than I thought as are some of the other people on this thread.</i><br /><br />I *really* do hope you're just <b>pretending</b> to be an MP on here rather than actually being/representing one. The fact you're resorting to ad-homenem attacks is beneath any MP... oh, hang on - it isn't.<br /><br />Regardless, you apear to refute my arguments by calling me thick. Nice role play. How about addressing the points I raise?<br /><br /><i>Okay get this. Staff salaries and office supplies are not expenses - these are required for the MP to do his job.</i><br /><br />Um, so MP's create an expenses system for themselves that somehow fails to include/take account of stuff that /really/ shouldn't be put on expenses.<br /><br />Colour me surprised. Colour me even more surprised when yet another of their systems fails to perform. Colour me sky-blue-pink when the users have problems with it.<br /><br />Stop complaining. You've had to put up with this for a couple of months - the rest of us have had to put up with it for years.<br /><br />Incoming MP's knew something had to give with expenses. Long serving MP's should have been prepared.<br /><br />Complaining about it makes you look whiney. Because that's exactly what you're doing. Whining.<br /><br />As pointed out numerous times before: welcome to our world. Either get used to it, or sort it out for all. Complaining because it's <i>affecting you now</i> is not acceptable.PJHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331948749785269728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-18664383313294592902010-08-06T19:16:38.133+01:002010-08-06T19:16:38.133+01:00So tell me James, are you just an employee or a di...So tell me James, are you just an employee or a director? And did you perform a public service in your job? I thought not.<br /><br />You obviously think you have all the answers but didn't you think I thought of an e-mail - it was the first thing I did and three went unanswered for three days. It was only when I threatened to take it to the press that I got an answer. This is happening all across Parliament and contrary to your very narrow view - buying stationery to answer cosntituents hardly constitutes a fraud. By all means big expenses should be treated carefully but not the basics that it takes to run an office to give a service to the public. And wouldn't you just scream the loudest if your MP didn't reply to you or take up your case.<br /><br />No, Gallimaufry they didn't not take staff from the Fees Office - they are still there for all the other employees of the House. They hired inexperienced people - when my colleague said her boss was a minister he thought she meant a minister of the church!Lady Finchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695379463537122656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-1763973921989361642010-08-06T18:42:36.795+01:002010-08-06T18:42:36.795+01:00re Lady Finchley's comment: Am I correct in as...re Lady Finchley's comment: Am I correct in assuming that the junior staff from the Fees Office, ie the ones who learnt the rules through constant use, did not transfer over to IPSA? What a waste of knowledge and experience if that is the case.Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06358349301959327747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-50931413308220697872010-08-06T17:56:40.439+01:002010-08-06T17:56:40.439+01:00"In what world does an office worker pay firs..."In what world does an office worker pay first and then get reimbursed for the paper and pens they use?"<br /><br />The one I work in, for one: since the company itself doesn't have a credit card, we buy office supplies then re-claim the money through expenses, and have done for five years now. Same with our office computers and furniture for that matter, and the paint for the office walls, although the company did pay the painter for his time directly by cheque. I very much doubt we're alone in that.<br /><br />As for the fifteen minutes wait to talk to someone, obviously they need to disconnect the phone lines entirely, with all enquiries handled by email instead. No, it won't be as fast, lax or pliable as the previous instant rubber-stamping of every piece of fraud to cross their desks - nor should it be. What it might be, unlike that disaster, is honest: they only need to reject or defer a few thousand pounds in bad claims per claimant to cover their running costs!<br /><br />If agreed *salaries* aren't being paid properly, then I agree there is a problem which needs to be fixed - but sorry, the spectacle of those who impose the HMRC which will take over a year to pay refunds whining about having to wait a couple of months evokes something between amusement and disgust, not sympathy.jas88https://www.blogger.com/profile/05563592458314214904noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-29481702681695328052010-08-06T17:03:10.623+01:002010-08-06T17:03:10.623+01:00PJH - you are dumber than I thought as are some of...PJH - you are dumber than I thought as are some of the other people on this thread. Okay get this. Staff salaries and office supplies are not expenses - these are required for the MP to do his job. If you want your MP to sort out any of the myriad probelms you as constituents bring to them then they have to pay staff and buy paper, computer ink etc. If you want them to be legislating then they cannot be spending time trying to get thru to IPSA - nor can their staff. It took me three e-mails over three days and two phone calls to get an answer to a simple question - the Fees office would have answered it straight away. As I was waiting to talk to IPSA over (by the way I finally had to hang up in frustration after 15 minutes on two occasions)three different constituents were trying to get through.<br /><br />Oh and btw - all the problems you mentioned are things that constituents bring to us every day and we dreadful awful people in MPs' offices get your rebates for you, sort out your benefits, get your special needs child a statement and intervene so that you are not treated unfairly. We will not be able to do this if we are not paid or spend our days trying to deal with IPSA.<br /><br />Geddit?Lady Finchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03695379463537122656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-78701177233961114222010-08-06T16:40:34.490+01:002010-08-06T16:40:34.490+01:00[part 3/3]
These are but thee simple examples of h...[part 3/3]<br />These are but thee simple examples of how government departments are obstructive to the general public.<br /><br />Are you seeing any similarities with IPSA yet? The only differences are:<br />1) The government have been running these departments like this for years.<br />2) A darn sight more people that 650 are affected.<br /><br />Do you even emphathise with the treatment the proles get from government departments, or are you still feeling sorry for yourselves because IPSA is treating you badly, but still a lot better than we get treated, and have been for years?PJHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331948749785269728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6214838.post-89836628418285745862010-08-06T16:40:18.794+01:002010-08-06T16:40:18.794+01:00[part 2/3]
Or, if you have a problem with how IPSA...[part 2/3]<br />Or, if you have a problem with how IPSA works (which at first blush seems to working better than other departments,) then perhaps you'd like to work on the prole-facing departments and get them to speed up their processes and get money to us.<br /><br />Example: HMRC. We're late with stuff/get stuff wrong? We get fined and/or taken to court.HMRC late with stuff/get stuff wrong? No culpability at ALL.<br /><br />Example: Local Housing Benefit. We're owed money/get stuff wrong? Pay up now. Government late with payments? Good luck with that. Fill this form out in triplicate and wait 10 weeks. In the mean time your landlord will evict you for late/non-payment of rent.<br /><br />Example: JSA. 1001 questions on why you don't have a job any more. Looking for the slightest discrepancy so they don't have to pay you JSA. Forget the fact that I had to move, but you'll decide to dock my JSA for 3 weeks because I was 1 week late in going to Job Seekers (due to the move.) Then decide to stop it altogether because I left "voluntarily" while ignoring the extenuating circumstances (like an ill mother, having to move 250 miles, etc.)PJHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11331948749785269728noreply@blogger.com