So what are you hiding Gorbals Mick?

[Snoopy]

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23464269-details/Cameron+attacks+Speaker's+%C2%A3100,000+court+bid+to+keep+MPs'+expenses+secret/article.do

Shameful that the Speaker has intervened to try to overturn a decision made by the Data Commissioner and supported by all party leaders (who are the ones whose security is at risk). He claims that he is concerned that their addresses might be published .... well we all know where they live. They have to declare that on their election nominations which are in the public domain if you care to look so that shoots holes in his argument. More loot for M'Learned friends methinks and "Gorbals" plainly hopes not to have his expenses looked at any closer.

[Barman]

Hopefully the whole lot is about to come tumbling down... 

[Grumpmeister]

I saw the other day that Brown is dead set against Scottish independance. Could it be something to do with him having a scottish constituency perhaps. I suspect it would be hard to be Prime Minister if you are no longer an MP.

[Snoopy]

Ah! The West Lothian Question ~ again.

[Grumpmeister]

Actually this could put Gordo in an interesting position come the next election. If he gets kicked out of his constituency for opposing independance but by some act of mass lunacy this bunch of self obsessed arses manage to keep power what happens then?

While common sense says that he would have to leave Number 10 something tells me that he wont let power slip from his grasping fingers that easily.

[Nick]

Ahem

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7319972.stm

[Snoopy]

Ahem

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7319972.stm

And that is just for the official residence in which they live rent free, no council tax etc. What I think he is hiding is what he is claiming for his home in Scotland ~ and any others he may have.

[Grumpmeister]

Up to a point I can see an argument for some of he costs he has claimed for. After all the speaker's residence is used to entertain heads of state so the refurbishment costs do sound about right for a property of its age. The air conditioning was obviously taking the mick at the expense of the taxpayer though. But, like the former head of Northern Rock's golden handshake its just another example of how we now reward abject failure. 

[Snoopy]

'Cactly

[Nick]

One assumes his only experience of air conditioning in Glasgow was brown paper on the broken windows.

[Snoopy]

Is this the beginning of the end of Gorbals Mick?

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has agreed that there may be a case to answer and is "investigating".
Can the Scottish Thief escape much longer? You will notice that apart form the defendable expenses on his "official residence, which is after all part of a Royal Palace and is used for "official" and "state" business he has also claimed in excess of £75k for expenses at his Scottish home ..... in six years!!!! ~ You could buy a whole street in Glasgow for that!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/04/01/nspeaker201.xml

[Nick]

That Scottish harridan appears to have got away with it.Wossername? Wendy Alexander?

[Snoopy]

Only because they don't want to hand Scotland over to the Nats on a plate. She could get away with just about anything and Broon would still fly to her aid.

[Grumpmeister]

Gordo, Bliar's and Prezza's expenses? Looks like blood is going to be in the water soon....

A detailed breakdown of expenses claimed by Gordon Brown and six other MPs are expected to be published later.

Breakdowns of travel, staffing, IT, stationery and the total second homes expenses claimed by them in 2003-4 were requested by the BBC in 2005.

Commons authorities have been ordered to release them, and those relating to another Freedom of Information request.

They have begun a High Court bid to block another FOI request for details of 14 MPs' second home claims.

On Thursday the House of Commons Commission said it would not appeal against the information commissioner's ruling - made in January - that it should publish details requested by the BBC and others in 2005.

'Security risk'

The BBC request covered details of spending by then prime minister Tony Blair, his deputy John Prescott, Mr Brown, former Tory leader Michael Howard, former Lib Dem leader Charles Kennedy and former Tory MP Jonathan Sayeed between April 2003 and March 2004.

The Commons had argued that it was personal and could identify regular routes travelled by MPs - exposing them to a security risk.

But the information commissioner ruled that the Commons should publish some of the details - such as individual amounts claimed for travel under three headings: MPs' travel, family travel and staff travel.

The Commons will also release the total amount claimed by each MP under the additional costs allowance for second homes, a breakdown of IT equipment bought, total monthly staffing costs, a breakdown of stationery costs and "incidental allowance" claims.

The Commons recently lost an information tribunal hearing and was ordered to release a more detailed breakdown of claims by 14 MPs under their second homes allowance - including receipts where they exist.

It has not published the breakdown, arguing that revealing MPs' addresses could be a security risk and has appealed to the High Court.

The Members' Estimate Committee, chaired by Speaker Michael Martin, is carrying out its own inquiry into MPs' expenses, after it emerged Tory MP Derek Conway had employed his son as a researcher while he was student in Newcastle, and made payments to him worth £40,000.

It is due to report back by the summer with its suggestions to overhaul the expenses system used by MPs.

[Barman]

I bet the bloody shredders are working overtime in MPs homes all around the country at the moment…