MPs salary & expenses

[garinda]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

No, and perhaps as well. It wouldn't cover 9 days for the Leader of this Council:

Council makes a meal of rises - Accrington Observer

Graham must be roughing it by Britcliffe standards.

Peter has his free copy of my book.

How to live like a king, or queen in London, on a shoestring.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by garinda

Peter has his free copy of my book.

How to live like a king, or queen in London, on a shoestring.

Does Trevor Eve know?

What is the least you can eat out on, Rindy-style, in the magical realm of Oswaldtwistle?

[andrewb]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

No, and perhaps as well. It wouldn't cover 9 days for the Leader of this Council:

Council makes a meal of rises - Accrington Observer

Graham must be roughing it by Britcliffe standards.

Luckily Graham has a pass into Parliament and can get soup and a bun for £1.15.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by andrewb

Luckily Graham has a pass into Parliament and can get soup and a bun for £1.15.

Although some MPs prefer to pop out, and come to their own arrangements re: purchasing buns.

[JCB]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

People are asking, rightly or wrongly, about how their own money is being spent by a politician in a political thread.

Avoid it if it offends you.

It doesn't offend me . Offend is too strong a word .

It annoys me that the people of Hyndburn are continually being subjected to a form of politics based on personalities rather than policies .

We need politics to be conducted in the spirit of the late Michael Foot , a man I admire very much .

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by JCB

It annoys me that the people of Hyndburn are continually being subjected to a form of politics based on personalities rather than policies.

I would ask you to expand on that please.

I have made no secret of my opposition to specific policies of the Hyndburn Conservatives and how I would have done things differently. How else would you have me conduct myself?

I am assuming that I am not the only councillor you are referring to but I am interested to know what you mean by personalities, as far as I can see the attacks come on our actions and not on our personas.

Possibly with one 'venerable' exception.

[garinda]

Originally Posted by JCB

We need politics to be conducted in the spirit of the late Michael Foot , a man I admire very much .

Donkey jackets, and mubbled good intentions may have appealed to you, but judging from election results, didn't hold the same attraction with the rest of the country.

Historically it seems people like their leaders with a big personality, and even biger balls.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by garinda

Donkey jackets, and mubbled good intentions may have appealed to you, but judging from election results, didn't hold the same attraction with the rest of the country.

Historically it seems people like their leaders with a big personality, and even biger balls.

Donkey jacket, eh? Well, it's not a look I've previously gone for but if there's a vote to be had I suppose I'd better get it in the online repertoire.

It seems I may need a personality bypass at the same time, just to be sure.

[Benipete]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

I would ask you to expand on that please.

I have made no secret of my opposition to specific policies of the Hyndburn Conservatives and how I would have done things differently. How else would you have me conduct myself?

I am assuming that I am not the only councillor you are referring to but I am interested to know what you mean by personalities, as far as I can see the attacks come on our actions and not on our personas.

Possibly with one 'venerable' exception.

So are you saying that if Labour had control of the Council you would vote against them if it contravened your beliefs,or am I to assume that you have them all under your thumb and they will tow your line.

Or will you take your place at the trough?


Ah well time may tell.

Oh and try and stay clear of them venerable exceptions,can be bad to clear up.

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by Benipete

So are you saying that if Labour had control of the Council you would vote against them if it contravened your beliefs,or am I to assume that you have them all under your thumb and they will tow your line.

Or will you take your place at the trough?


Ah well time may tell.

Oh and try and stay clear of them venerable exceptions,can be bad to clear up.

Hyndburn's very own Blue Carbuncle, you might say.

I'm already on record for saying that I will not vote against my own party, although abstention is not ruled out as a worst case scenario. They still took me on board. My view of joining any group is that by and large you abide by their majority decisions or ship out, there is very little point being part of it otherwise.

The difference with the Conservatives, and in this instance I do refer to a personality, is that I simply could not go along with the whims of Peter Britcliffe. The man has a monster of an ego and spends public money with gay abandon, something I know Miles Parkinson would never countenance or in any way echo as Leader of the Council.

My status as a miser with public money is more or less confirmed and as Treasurer for the Hyndburn Labour group they are now rapidly coming to terms with my questioning every last penny that gets spent.

Hyndburn can't afford a trough, it's time to realise that.

[JCB]

Originally Posted by Ken Moss

I would ask you to expand on that please.

The opening quote on this thread with the article from the Telegraph is typical of what I am getting at .

[Ken Moss]

Originally Posted by JCB

The opening quote on this thread with the article from the Telegraph is typical of what I am getting at .

I'm sorry but I still don't see how a story about expenses classes as personality rather than politics.

Graham has given up his county allowances for at least five months as a gesture of good faith whilst other MPs in the same position have claimed as much as they can. He is now asking for a bit of financial help in order to do effectively fulfil the requirements of two senior positions.

On first reading it admittedly doesn't sound very good but just think it through again.

Where does his personality come into it?

[cmonstanley]

wonder what way he is voting on the fixed term parliaments bill

[g jones]

The article was designed to goad people by being misleading. There are overheads each month, for instance my insurance policy payments to ALC. We are charged on an automated system for being a County Councillor, eg the new car parking charges, and with no money to deduct, paper invoices were being sent.

I pay for many things myself so you will see for instance little if any travel and no food. As MPmi have adopted the same principle.

I do not want money but I would like these things that help the job, leaflets, insurance etc and my pension payment covered.

There are also difficulties raising money for good causes so the obvious thing to do was retake he allowance, cover outgoings and fund good causes.

I enjoy doing the County Council in my own time. There is a useful link and keeping your feet on the ground and not getting sucked into the Westminster bubble is important.

An example is a radical new upgraded bus network and possible smartphone, GPS, traveline IT upgradesmthat are being pursued. The Tories are happy to have me as MP to make the link. If I was not a County Councillor these things would be far less
likely to happen.

I happen to care about the place I live and I have no time for anyone who makes cheap headlines out of a genuine story. Bare in mind it was I who posted this on my blog for transparency and it has been taken from there out of context.

[Benipete]

Well back to the original post then.

If Mr Jones is doing the job and If the local labour party are happy with the arrangements I can't see a problem.

I think both they and the people he represents should give him their support.

A couple of Ifs in there but that's life. Good Luck all round.