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New Coaltion, New Politics? Same stench of hypocrisy

[Bristol] OldFell@ | 31.05.2010 23:22

Beware the LibDemCon
This newswire has been scarily quiet on the Cameron/Clegg coalition love-in, perhaps people have been too busy reaching for the sick bucket? It's not like the coalition came as a complete surprise, given our experiences of the Tories & LibDems in Bristol. Despite what may have been said during the election campaign (you didn't really believe those nasty things they said about each other surely?), these two were born for eachother - same class, same backgrounds, same politics. Well the rapid downfall of multi-millionaire south west MP David Laws gives us the ideal opportunity to demonstrate that in politics nothing has changed.
Laws, the MP for Yeovil, and ex-Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has claimed at least £40,000.00 in rent expenses in recent years, and paid it to his 'landlord', who he has been in a continuous relationship with since 2001, and who is therefore his 'partner'. This breach of parliamentary rules is explained by Laws as an attempt by himself to keep his and his partner's private lives 'intensely private', hence his failure to disclose the money was paid to his partner.

Let's leave aside the hypocrisy of a man whose job was to impose cuts in public spending whilst he fiddled his own expenses. The hypocrisy of a man who claims 'privacy' whilst being a part of a ruling system that seeks out every possible private detail about the rest of us and monitors us continually day and night. The hypocrisy of a man who made millions with investment bankers JP Morgan but expects us ordinary taxpayers to bail out the finacial system he helped build up, whilst claiming every last penny out of us he can get. The hypocrisy of a man who continually lied about his sexuality and status. Instead lets look at what those other exponents of ultra-white clean politics have to say about him:
Cameron - You are are a good and honourable man.
Clegg - I have always admired his intelligence, his sense of public duty and his personal integrity.
Ashdown - I can tell you he is Mr Integrity.
Ed Balls - Having worked with David Laws over the last 3 years, I am personally very sorry about what has happened.

How can we trust the judgement of these people? Would they say the same about one of us if we got caught fiddling our benefits, such as paying £40,000.00 housing benefit to our partners? Oh no, they'd be clamouring for a benefit clampdown and prison for the lawbreakers. The fact is they believe they are above the laws and rules they expect the rest of us to abide by. They are the continual living proof that power ultimately corrupts, and that all politicans are, or will become, liars. The solution is not changing the party or parties that rule us (with a minority of backing from the electorate), but changing the very way we embrace democracy. And I'm not going down the blind alley of proportional representation either.

by one of the 34.9% of the electorate who didn't think any of the parties worthy of voting for

[Bristol] OldFell@
- Original article on IMC Bristol: http://bristol.indymedia.org/article/692529

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The replacement, Danny Alexander

31.05.2010 23:51


Unfortunately it seems that the replacement for Laws, Danny Alexander, is yet
another serial expenses abuser.

During May 2005-March 2009 Danny Alexander claimed a total of £13,975 in
"food" expenses, at up to £400/month, without supporting receipts. When the
new system came in, he regularly claimed the similarly abusive sum of £25/day
for "subsistence", again without providing receipts.

As you can see from the analysis below, Alexander made large, round-number
"food" expenses claims, including for periods when Parliament was not sitting.
For example, in 2008 Parliament was in recess from 22 July 2008 to 6 October
2008, yet he still claimed for food during that period. Likewise in previous
years.

He also claimed for several "big ticket" items, which are shown.

Quite simply, this is yet more expenses abuse. Robbery by a person in power from us, the people.


Danny Alexander - Period 2005-2006 - "Food" claims

6 May 2005 - 1 June 2005: £300.00
5 Jun 2005 - 4 Jul 2005: £350.00
5 Jul 2005 - 1 Aug 2005: £125.00
2 Aug 2005 - 5 Sep 2005: £125.00
6 Sep 2005 - 3 Oct 2005: £150.00
4 Oct 2005 - 1 Nov 2005: £350.00
1 Nov 2005 - 1 Dec 2005: £350.00
1 Dec 2005 - 1 Jan 2006: £300.00
1 Jan 2006 - 1 Feb 2006: £300.00
1 Feb 2006 - 1 Mar 2006: £300.00
1 Mar 2006 - 31 Mar 2006: £300.00

Total for "food", without receipts: £2950.00

Other items in this period:
Sofa and armchairs: £2000.00
Boiler replacement: £2143.25

Source:
 http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/danny-g-alexander/Danny_G_Alexander_0506_ACA.pdf

Danny Alexander - Period 2006-2007 - "Food" claims

1 Apr 2006 - 30 Apr 2006: £225.00
1 May 2006 - 31 May 2006: £375.00
1 Jun 2006 - 30 Jun 2006: £375.00
1 Jul 2006 - 31 Jul 2006: £350.00
1 Aug 2006 - 31 Aug 2006: £150.00
1 Sep 2006 - 30 Sep 2006: £150.00
1 Oct 2006 - 31 Oct 2006: £375.00
1 Nov 2006 - 30 Nov 2006: £375.00
1 Dec 2006 - 31 Dec 2006: £375.00
1 Jan 2007 - 31 Jan 2007: £375.00
1 Feb 2007 - 28 Feb 2007: £300.00
1 Mar 2007 - 31 Mar 2007: £375.00

Total for "food", without receipts: £3800.00

Source for 2006-2007:
 http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/danny-g-alexander/Danny_G_Alexander_0607_ACA.pdf

Danny Alexander - Period 2007-2008 - "Food" claims

1 Apr 2007 - 30 Apr 2007: £300.00
1 May 2007 - 31 May 2007: £400.00
1 Jun 2007 - 30 Jun 2007: £375.00
1 Jul 2007 - 31 Jul 2007: £300.00
1 Aug 2007 - 31 Aug 2007: £75.00
1 Sep 2007 - 30 Sep 2007: £50.00
1 Oct 2007 - 31 Oct 2007: £275.00
1 Nov 2007 - 30 Nov 2007: £300.00
1 Dec 2007 - 31 Dec 2007: £300.00
1 Jan 2008 - 31 Jan 2008: £325.00
1 Feb 2008 - 28 Feb 2008: £325.00
1 Mar 2008 - 31 Mar 2008: £375.00

Total for "food", without receipts: £3400.00

Other items in this period:
Two alcoves: £1140.00
Removals: £1438.87

Source for 2007-2008:
 http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/danny-g-alexander/Danny_G_Alexander_0708_ACA.pdf


Danny Alexander - Period 2008-2009 - "Food" claims

1 Apr 2008 - 30 Apr 2008: £225.00
1 May 2008 - 31 May 2008: £300.00
1 Jun 2008 - 30 Jun 2008: £400.00
1 Jul 2008 - 31 Jul 2008: £375.00
1 Aug 2008 - 31 Aug 2008: £75.00
1 Sep 2008 - 30 Sep 2008: £200.00
1 Oct 2008 - 31 Oct 2008: £400.00
1 Nov 2008 - 30 Nov 2008: £400.00
1 Dec 2008 - 31 Dec 2008: £350.00
1 Jan 2009 - 31 Jan 2009: £350.00
1 Feb 2009 - 28 Feb 2009: £350.00
1 Mar 2009 - 31 Mar 2009: £400.00

Total for "food", without receipts: £3825.00

Source for 2008-2009:
 http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/danny-g-alexander/Danny_G_Alexander_0809_ACA.pdf


Danny Alexander - Period 2009-2010 - "Subsistence" claims

1 Apr 2009 - 30 Apr 2009: £225.00 (9 nights)
1 May 2009 - 31 May 2009: £275.00 (11 nights)
1 Jun 2009 - 30 Jun 2009: £400.00 (16 nights)

Source for 2009-2010:
 http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/danny-g-alexander/Danny_G_Alexander_0910_PAAE.pdf

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