The Government is now further from the “New” Labour in the 1997 Manifesto, than “New” Labour was from the traditional Labour party. These extracts from that 1997 Manifesto demonstrate the point. Spending and tax: new Labour’s approach “The myth that the solution to every problem is increased spending has been comprehensively dispelled under the [...]
All posts in category MPs Expenses
Government is no longer New Labour of the 1997 Manifesto
Posted by manicbeancounter on January 9, 2010
http://manicbeancounter.com/2010/01/09/government-is-no-longer-new-labour-of-the-1997-manifesto/
Labour’s aim to save £35bn
According to John Redwood, the Labour Government has plans to save £35bn a year. I posted the following comment. It is good news that the government is allowing for value for money as a consideration. But after twelve years of government, it is a bit late. A bit of quick beancounting might put this [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on July 24, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/07/24/306/
MPs Expenses – Classic British Fudge follow-up
In an earlier post I wrote about Nadine Dorries alleging that the “expenses system was designed to give MPs an underhand pay rise, when a real one would have caused public anger.” John Prescott says that “I recall Bob Mellish, our Chief Whip in the mid 70s, telling us at the PLP that the Government [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 27, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/27/mps-expenses-classic-british-fudge-follow-up/
MPs Expenses – Classic British Fudge
There is a very valid allegation that Nadine Dorries makes, that will get drowned out in the backlash from her wilder comments. The expenses system was designed to give MPs an underhand pay rise, when a real one would have caused public anger. Nadine Dorries claims that until 2005, MPs were actively encouraged to view [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 23, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/23/mps-expenses-%e2%80%93-classic-british-fudge/
The end of Nadine Dorries’s Career?
The Honourable Member for Mid-Beds has had her blog taken due to manic accusations about the Barclay Brothers, owners of the Telegraph. Full story from Dizzy, with additional comments by Iain Dale. It is a shame that she should end the piece concerned with wild conspiracy theories. They do not stand up to close [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 23, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/23/the-end-of-nadine-dorries%e2%80%99s-career/
MP’s Expenses – Being Machiavellian to tackle the bigger financial issues
Yesterday I wrote a comment on John Redwood’s blog that That MPs costs are an insignificant part of public expenditure. David Cameron should take a decisive (Machiavellian) approach to this, providing a clear precedent for the government to follow. We should then move on to sorting out the economy. This drew two responses. I [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 12, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/12/mp%e2%80%99s-expenses-%e2%80%93-being-machiavellian-to-tackle-the-bigger-financial-issues/
Dave Cameron is decisive on MPs expenses
Yesterday I wrote David Cameron should remove the party Whip from the 3 worst offenders (according defined criteria, including failure to recognize their waywardness), forgive the rest (after appropriate admissions and apologies) and move on. That would set a clear precedent for the Prime Minister to follow. Further, it would also show David [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 12, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/12/dave-cameron-is-decisive-on-mps-expenses/
MPs Expenses – Cameron should be Machiavellian
Just posted the following comment to John Redwood’s Blog MPs Expenses are (highly symbolic) distraction. If each MP’s cost us £300k each, 650 MPs cost £195m, or 0.03% of total government expenditure. A 50% saving on MP’s costs will be less than 0.1% of the total we need to save. Conservatives should be Machiavellian on [...]
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 11, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/11/mps-expenses-cameron-should-be-machiavellian/
Kelvin Hopkins – The Honourable Member for Luton North
As a break from all the revelations of MPs playing the system, please read this in today’s Telegraph. A loose regime can only work for people with integrity. But a complex system will not only penalize the honest, but distract MPs from their proper role.
Posted by manicbeancounter on May 11, 2009
http://manicbeancounter.com/2009/05/11/kelvin-hopkins-%e2%80%93-the-honourable-member-for-luton-north/
