During an interview with the Radio Times, the former MP, Jacqui Smith, remarked:
"I know that it was my expenses people looked at first because I was a woman and should have been at home looking after my husband and children," said the mother of two.
She said that she felt 'protective' towards her husband because of the contribution he made to their family - which she was unable to do due to her heavy work schedule.
"I couldn't have done the job without Richard to pick the boys up when they were sick, make them do their homework and piano practice,"
Ms Smith just doesn't get it does she? Her expenses were examined because she designated her family home as her 'second home' and her 'main home' as a London property she shared with her sister. It was nothing whatsoever to do with being a woman - it was to do with defrauding the taxpayer.
However, she is a woman who believes in her abilities (I'm being polite) and can be heard presenting a documentary about pornography for Radio 5 Live next Thursday, which she hopes may lead to further opportunities as a broadcaster. I'm sure she recognises the irony as she enjoys the financial benefits of her latest project with the BBC.
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Not only is it a 'non-story' SR, but it involves a 'non-person' of any importance who is now trying to earn a living in the 'real world'!
Under our present system of democracy, dont let anyone ever try and tell me that MPs do not lead a 'cosseted' existence!
I wonder how many "free samples" (purely for 'Research' you understand) she picked up for Mr Timney, during the making of the programme?
so me nephew goes down the road a bit leaving a young british soldier with two Afghanistan soldiers.
one ask him for his boots the young soldier says he can do that as they are part of his uniform(he asks several times)
he then asks aagin whilst flicking the safety catch on his gun finally
he takes gun out places against soldiers head and asks for his boots.
Nephew sees what is happening never moved so fast in his life(HE SAYS) reaching the soldiers intervenes calms situation down.
Informs afghan captain who thereby
has his soldier in front of him..
and then in front of everyone kicks him into a bloody pulp taking some time to do it.
Nephew watches and said it made him feel sick after the beating soldier(whats left of him) is dragged away....
Nephew tells afghan captain that is not how the British army treats its soldiers.....
As sis says what are we doing there??
You would think somebody would have told her to take her hands out of her pockets!
Is working for the BBC the real world WfW? I'd dispute that. :)
Joe, do I detect jealousy? Surely not. ;)
Is that a true story via your nephew Niko?
Oh Crinkly, I would have thought you would have said something far more macho such as 'has she been caught red-handed?'
She actually looks very furtive to me.
Unfortunately SR, outside the world of Parliament, the BBC is part of that 'real' world! No?
During the selection process for MPs, is there some sort of test for an ability to delude oneself totally? It would explain an awful lot, wouldn't it?
"She actually looks very furtive to me."
Ask Aitken as he seems to know about these things better than I do.
At least she had her hands in her oan pockets for a change.
She's maybe calling in a few BBC favours WFW.
It would junican. Pity they're not given an intelligence test too.
Aye CH. That made me smile. :)
The coat's possibly borrowed wisnaeme. On second thoughts, by the length of her skirt on This Week last Thursday, maybe she's had a wardrobe revamp. Every woman likes one in a while.
Do not even begin to try and understand their way of thinking.
They're like celebrities, they have been living outside of the real world for so long that it can be safely assumed they are no longer of the human species.
By the way, Subrosa. What is that photo all about?
Please tell me it's photoshopped. I shudder at the very though of the alternative explanations.
Aye Tom. they consider themselves the untouchables but hopefully the recent court cases have awakened a few.
The photo was taken by the BBC and is part of a video to promote Ms Smith's programme.
Nauseating that Ms Smith pays tribute to her spouse for looking after the children, for which he was paid £40k per annum out of the public purse as her 'personal assistant'.
It may sound perverse to say this, but I am kind of relieved that the expenses scandal shows no sign of going away.
Having rejected the defence "It was all within the rules", people now aren't buying the line of "Move on, nothing to see here" or "It's all been sorted". Far less, the sob story "The new IPSA system is causing real hardship to MPs".
It is only in the last few weeks that reality has started to set in. The first culprits are being sent to prison, and on the evidence of their published claims, at least another 50 should follow them.
In terms of the most ludicrous claims (duck house, moat cleaning, porn films), I think the venerable Tam Dalyell takes the biscuit.
He claimed £8000 for bookcases in his 'second' home (The Binns, ancestral home of the Dalyells for centuries).
8k for bookcases? Ah well it's a listed property, B&Q won't do.
Why do you need them? To house my extensive collection of Hansards.
Why can't you keep them in your office in Westminster? Ah well, I'm resigning from parliament in a couple of months.
So how are these needed for the exercise of your duties as an MP?
[Answer came there none.]
Correction.
Having relied on memory, I have now checked with the Telegraph site.
Mr Dalyell did not designate The Binns as his second home. Apologies.
But he did designate part of The Binns as his constitutency office, for which he claimed multiple costs. Also the amount claimed for bookcases was not £8000 as I suggested, but £18000, reduced by the fees office to £7800.
I think my point stands.
Also, I wonder who paid for all those Hansards and why he did not leave them behind for the benefit of his successor.
I think your points still stands too Hamish. Although the jailing of certain politicians may have affected the consciences of others, I don't think it's enough for the many not to chance their luck.
As for Dalyell. I said at the time his claim was offensive to many hard working people and I stand by it today.
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