It was with intrigue that I read Mike Weatherley MP's recent comments about the squatters on the Grand Parade:

“This is yet another example of middle-class, well- educated layabouts creating a mess at society’s expense when they should be hard at work like the rest of us.”
I was intrigued as to how Mike considers himself to be 'like the rest of us'? After all, how many of us - as Mike does when he goes to work for the Motion Picture Licensing Company – get paid £422 an hour?

Mike likes to portray himself as a rock music lovin', curry competition judgin' man of the people; the truth is, Mr Weatherley is more Hollywood's man than Hove's. In 2012, Mike did just 72 hours of work (six a month) for the MPLC and was reimbursed a total of £34,000. That's in addition to the £65, 738, he gets paid as an MP, and the £24,192.77 he claims in expenses for travel and accomodation. At a time when most are struggling, we have to ask – when was the last time Mike Weatherley felt the dread-fear of an unexpected bill landing on the doormat?

And one wonders just how hard Mike's working for Hollywood's money. His own website proclaims that he's just helped to push through changes to copyright legislation worth £500m to the industry; indeed, Mike is currently the secretary for the all party parliamentary committee on intellectual property.

How close does this come to the line where conflict of interest is concerned – and how squarely is his mind on the residents of Hove and Portslade?

----------- There will be a solidarity protest for the three squatters charged with squatting in a residential building outside Brighton Magistrates Court, 9.30am on Monday 22nd April. ------------

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