Tucked away in today's Independent is a story which should cause fury throughout the country.
Disgraced MPs forced to step down at the next election as a result of their abuse of expenses, will still be offered the chance to hold on to some of their parliamentary perks after they leave Westminster.
All MPs leaving parliament at the next election will be given the option of keeping hold of a Commons pass, allowing them to mix freely with MPs and use Westminster's publicly subsidised facilities. The perks are being offered by the Association of Former MPs, a group set up to help MPs cope with life after leaving the Commons. Any MP who has served a term can pay £25 to join the group and receive a Commons pass. More than 340 MPs have joined the association, which was set up in 2001 in an attempt to keep "old soldiers of the regiment together".
If that is their aim then shame on them to associate themselves with old soldiers. The military have a code of ethics and most MPs certainly do not.
The former Speaker Michael Martin, seen above at the state opening of Parliament in December, was instrumental in securing the exclusive passes for former MPs. Taxpayers are also paying another £6,000 a year for the part-time use of a secretary.
One MP told the organisation that "being given a black bin liner to empty my desk then being escorted out of the building with my pass taken away, is the sort of treatment usually reserved for those ex-employees caught with their hand in the till." Not necessarily so you anonymous MP, this is happening to more and more people who are losing their jobs because of the mess of our economy.
This club should be disbanded right now and if ex-MPs want a place where they can wheel and deal in comfort, let them buy or rent their own premises and pay the costs the same as any other private club has to do. Please oh please, we have to stop this abuse of public money.
Thanks to BillyGoat for bringing this to my attention
Posts
4 comments:
A closy little club for Mr, Mrs, Mus and Miss 'fix it' eh?
Mingling with the movers and shakers as lobbyists in pursuit of a meal ticket and reward for a consideration.
We had the same problem in Scotland a few years ago and still do to a lesser exent.
When the right kind of graduate, with the right kind of credentials could for a consideration open doors and smooth the path of any obstacles which lesser folk would find insurmountable.
Take lawyers, senior judges, senior swivel serpents and the chosen few, beezness elite for example.
I am thinking of the Speculative debating Society of auld Embra toon but I'm sure others could come up with some other cosy little cabals.
Ah weel, they say once a spook always a spook so ah suppose the same would apply;
once a parasite always a parasite.
Aye, right enough.
.
It just gets dafter.
Brown said he'd get rid of the gentlemen's club, so I guess this will have to go.
Tom I'm not against private clubs. I'm totally against private clubs which are heavily subsidised by us taxpayers.
He'll not get rid of this tris, not unless the public shout loud enough. I'm furious about it. Think of the expense far less the food and drink subsidies.
Time we the public had access to Westminster instead of being treated like second class citizens there.
Post a Comment