Laughing All The Way To the Bank

What do 220 former MPs have in common other than life-long membership to the subsidised restaurants and bars in the Palace of Westminster?

Answer:  They applied for Resettlement Grants.

Thanks to Lobbydog the names and numbers are now public.  For some time he's chipped away at the unnecessary barriers erected in order to acquire the information and his persistence has paid off.

Those members who were not paid the Grant - although it is not stated if an application was made and refused - were:

• David Chaytor
• Jim Devine
• Elliot Morley
• Harry Cohen
• Rudi Vis

In the past there has been criticism of Alex Salmond for accepting the grant for his 23 years of service. He has stated he will be giving the bulk to the Trust he set up in 2007 in memory of his mother.

Isn't it strange the likes of Michael Ancram, John Reed, Mohammed Sarwar, John Prescott, Ann and Nicholas Winterton and other self-confessed millionaires have been silent about this ludicrous windfall?  Perhaps they're still hoarse from laughing all the way to the bank.

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The Exclusive Ex-MPs Club for just a £25 Joining Fee

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

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