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Ordure, ordure! and other bad puns
Topic Started: May 17 2009, 04:50 PM (561 Views)
eco
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So, who's been following the Great British Expenses Scandal? Dunno about anyone else but I've never felt so inspired and excited by politics. I see ways in...
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The Evil Smurfs
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Can't say that I have been. Synopsis?
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qumkent
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It's fascinating how the whole saga seems to have really motivated people's pent up frustration and turned apathy in to anger.

Some one ( I can't remember who ) made a rather interesting and perhaps a rather worrying comparison between Britain now and the late Weimar Republic....

Like I said, worrying. :blink:
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eco
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In short(ish)...

British politicians of all stripes have been merrily claiming expenses and all sorts off the taxpayer for many years. Only now, however, have the amounts and details been revealed in all their gory glory thanks to the Daily Telegraph paying an whistleblower for the details on a disc (I may have this slightly wrong, I haven't paid much attention to how the info came to light).

The Telegraph has made much hay, revealing the details in daily instalments (doing their sales no harm at all). So, we have the unedifying spectacle of bogus claims (mortgage interest months after the mortgage was paid off), property profiteering (exploiting first vs second home definitions and evading capital gains tax), ludicrous expensing (draining the moat!) and general pissantry of th highest order.

It's wonderful. The public anger is palpable. Putting on my sober face, it's very worrying to see British democracy tarnished so, and with the European elections imminent, there's a big opportunity for the BNP to make gains.

However... fuck it: what with the recession, general blundering at every level of British economic and political life, and general bastardising of our culture (celebrity worship, etc), I'm rejoicing in the witch hunt. And what's so delicious is that this may only be the tip of the iceberg...

From all this we may - just possibly, you never know - get some good political reforms. And can't help but feel energised at the potential for getting involved. We shall see, I guess.
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Cobdenia
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What is brilliant is the way the political parties have used there expenses to further stereotypes.

New Labour: Mock Tudor Beams, Patio Heaters

Conservatives: Moat repairs, tennis courts, topiary and a chandelier

Liberal Democrats: Hob Nobs, Corby Trouser Presses
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The Evil Smurfs
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eco,May 18 2009
03:06 PM
exploiting first vs second home definitions

Can't say I'm familiar with these.

At any rate, yeah, that sounds like one helluva scandal. Let's hope there's cries of "Throw the bums out!" (or whatever passes for that in the Queen's English), as opposed to the Chicago standard, which is to shrug and say, "...and?"

No, seriously, Illinois is insanely apathetic about corruption at all levels. We can talk about "the corruption tax" without winking or snickering. Or getting terribly worked up about it (at least not worked up enough to vote out life long politicians).
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eco
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Cob: :lol:

Smurfs: Here's the Beeb's brief definition of 'flipping' (link):

Quote:
 
...there has been widespread abuse of the second homes allowance - which reimburses MPs with constituencies outside London. Some MPs have been maximising their financial gain by regularly "flipping" their designated second home, the newspaper alleges. This has allowed them to claim back the cost of renovating properties, which they have then sold off at a profit. Some MPs have also been accused of avoiding capital gains tax on home sales and of over-claiming for mortgage payments and other expenses.


Oh, and: ahahahahaHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAahahahahahah!
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artichokeville
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But ... but ... you must have known that pollies would be pollies. Why in the name of all that's wonderful didn't you have yearly compulsory financial declarations for each MP?

Or is it that you did, but they rorted those? Or is the committee that's supposed to keep an eye on them corrupt?
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qumkent
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artichokeville,May 19 2009
03:29 AM
But ... but ... you must have known that pollies would be pollies. Why in the name of all that's wonderful didn't you have yearly compulsory financial declarations for each MP?

Or is it that you did, but they rorted those? Or is the committee that's supposed to keep an eye on them corrupt?

It's more like the committee in charge of dealing with expenses claims simply didn't care what politicians were claiming for, or instead was so unable to effectively operate the standards that it just gave up.

The things people could claim for were ridiculous and the loopholes which provided lucrative sidelines for the unscrupulous, especially second home flipping were over looked or uninvestigated due to incompetence.

The Speaker of the House has resigned today after being hounded by politicians desperate to scapegoat someone for their own crimes, yeah he was an ass but it was their corruption he failed to sort out and make public.
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eco
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artichokeville,May 19 2009
03:29 AM
But ... but ... you must have known that pollies would be pollies. Why in the name of all that's wonderful didn't you have yearly compulsory financial declarations for each MP?

Or is it that you did, but they rorted those? Or is the committee that's supposed to keep an eye on them corrupt?

This is the British Parliament, my dear woman. Gentlemen's agreements and such, don'tcha know.

Re: Michael Martin - hahaha, about bloody time. Cunt. Now let's get the rest of them.
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Zarquon Froods
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These things are going on everywhere now. The former governor of NC is facing jail time for using private jets loaned to him by contributors but not claiming it as a contribution. He got in trouble for letting his wife use a state funded flight to go on vacation a couple years ago so it really doesn't surprise me.

What I wonder is how far reaching does this stuff go? How many politicians are going to get wrapped up in these money audits around the world?
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Flibbleites
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Zarquon Froods,May 19 2009
11:29 AM
What I wonder is how far reaching does this stuff go? How many politicians are going to get wrapped up in these money audits around the world?

If we're lucky, all of them.
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Gruenberg
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If a politician vowed to defend the NHS, improve public housing, scrap Trident, and reform the Common Agricultural Policy, and also claimed on their expenses for a new jacuzzi and a pair of gold-plated salad tongs, I think I'd still vote for them.
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Allech-Atreus
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Trident missiles, Operation Trident in London, or Trident gum?
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The Evil Smurfs
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Gruenberg,May 19 2009
03:55 PM
If a politician vowed to defend the NHS, improve public housing, scrap Trident, and reform the Common Agricultural Policy, and also claimed on their expenses for a new jacuzzi and a pair of gold-plated salad tongs, I think I'd still vote for them.

Promises for positive outweighs actions of corruption?

Seems to me that for the corruption to be worthy of overlooking, they should actually do something positive, as opposed to say they will (and then blame Those People when they don't accomplish a damn thing).
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