Gerri Peev: How MPs will get around expenses rules
First, MPs came up with the idea of the great "wife swap" to get around having to sack their spouses as their secretaries: pass them on to another member and employ their partner instead.
And for their next trick of getting around the ban on claiming for mortgages, I predict we will have the great house swap. For MPs - who will be banned from claiming for a mortgage for their second home - will simply rent out their flats to each other. One MP told me last week that he would be laughing if he was banned from claiming his mortgage interest, which is currently just £250 a month thanks to the all-time low tracker deals. His swanky postcode would allow him to rent his pad out for £1500 a month, and he could pocket the difference while still finding somewhere to rent for £1250 or less a month, the new proposed cap.
Other points raised by the Kelly report: a ban on dual mandates from 2011. This will allow Alex Salmond to stand down at the next election, but how about other certain MSPs planning to run for Westminster? Will they have to resign their Holyrood seats and trigger a by election?
Lastly, expect after the election, for MPs to suddenly get a payrise for their sacrifices. They have outsourced the setting of their pay to an independent body and it will no longer be subjected to approval by MPs. Luckily for most, the pay overhaul probably won't come into force until long after polling days. Far from Kelly drawing a line under expenses, it will keep the howls of indignation reverberating around these Pugin walls for some time to come.
And for their next trick of getting around the ban on claiming for mortgages, I predict we will have the great house swap. For MPs - who will be banned from claiming for a mortgage for their second home - will simply rent out their flats to each other. One MP told me last week that he would be laughing if he was banned from claiming his mortgage interest, which is currently just £250 a month thanks to the all-time low tracker deals. His swanky postcode would allow him to rent his pad out for £1500 a month, and he could pocket the difference while still finding somewhere to rent for £1250 or less a month, the new proposed cap.
Other points raised by the Kelly report: a ban on dual mandates from 2011. This will allow Alex Salmond to stand down at the next election, but how about other certain MSPs planning to run for Westminster? Will they have to resign their Holyrood seats and trigger a by election?
Lastly, expect after the election, for MPs to suddenly get a payrise for their sacrifices. They have outsourced the setting of their pay to an independent body and it will no longer be subjected to approval by MPs. Luckily for most, the pay overhaul probably won't come into force until long after polling days. Far from Kelly drawing a line under expenses, it will keep the howls of indignation reverberating around these Pugin walls for some time to come.
Labels: Gerri Peev, Kelly, MPs expenses scandal
posted by Administrator at
11:15
1 Comments:
There ain't no flies on these MPs!
They know how to body swerve.
The only hope for the public is that the constituencies will remember the behaviour of individual MPs and vote them out of office and Scotland should severe any connection with the indulgencies of the Westminster parliament by voting for independence. Many other former British colonies have done it and are the better for it.
Colonialism was basically about exploiting, enslaving and impoverishing the indigenous peoples, stealing their land and their natural resources and selfishly taking their wealth for the aggrandisment of Britain. Does that ring bells for anyone?
Scotland - Britain's last colony!
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