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Publication of MPs' expenses 
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Gordon Brown recently hailed in a new era of "Open Government". And, ladies and gentleman, here is the proof.

Seriously, is there anybody that still has any sort of faith left in British Politics?

I laughed so hard when I saw this. It single-handedly demolished any lingering hope that I had for the system, any belief that one day I might participate in the act of voting, that as if any of it mattered.

Oh, and just for a bit of perspective, a friend of mine recently got served a summons for a Court Hearing over the non-payment of council tax. He missed two months of payments. He lost his job in the recession and, until this year, had voted Labour all his life.

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:29 pm
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Oh, and here is the link with a few more examples:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/gallery/2009/jun/18/mps-expenses-houseofcommons?picture=349037860

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:34 pm
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5563229/MPs-expenses-phantom-claim-MP-David-Chaytor-paid-daughter-under-assumed-name.html

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:52 pm
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I took the opportunity to download the PDFs of the expenses of my local MP.

I have to say in general most of the stuff he claimed for is office stuff, for running his constituency office. All well and good, but why, when he lives an hour from London by train, does he get his mortgage paid? I don't even think he has a second home? :roll:

The other stuff is printing. Fair enough for leaflets and so on, but business cards? Aren't these supplied from a central source in London? Nope. He gets them printed down the road from where I live. I suppose you could argue it's helping local businesses by keeping them in work, but why are they a claimable expense?

The redacted areas, apparently, cover anything likely to be a security or privacy issue. I do think Mr G Brown's council tax one is a bit heavy-handed, though. Oh, and why does he feel the need to get his employers to pay for his Sky telly?

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:55 pm
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5567079/Tony-Blair-claimed-7000-for-new-roof-two-days-before-leaving-No.10.html

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 12:56 pm
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/jun/18/mps-expenses-food

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:00 pm
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There was someone on from the Telegraph on Sky News this morning saying they are going to publish the whole lot in a supplement.

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:00 pm
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Here's one of the best revelations of the day. In 2005 George Osborne, the shadow chancellor, claimed £47 for two copies of a DVD of his own speech on 'Value for Taxpayers Money'. A spokesman for Osborne said: "Four years ago George received a request from a member of the public for a video copy of the speech which he obtained through the House of Commons broadcasting unit."

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:05 pm
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/5562772/Kitty-Ussher-resigns-from-Government-over-17000-tax-dodge-MPs-expenses.html

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:13 pm
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http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/benedict_brogan/blog/2009/06/18/your_taxes_allow_the_prime_minister_to_watch_football_and_iron_his_shirts

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:16 pm
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Graham Brady, the Tory MP for Altrincham and Sale West, charged £70.50 for a locksmith after he locked himself out of his home. It's on page 55, on his ACA file for 2005-06.


ACA file = http://mpsallowances.parliament.uk/mpslordsandoffices/hocallowances/allowances-by-mp/graham-brady/Graham_Brady_0506_ACA.pdf

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:26 pm
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The Conservative MP for Basingstoke was paid £154.61 for books in February 2008. The invoices she submitted from Amazon list political titles, including books on Tony Blair such as Blair Unbound, Blair's Britain. One receipt also shows children's books, including Vikings Don't Wear Pants: Potty Poems of the Past, but Ms Miller has categorically denied claiming for these, saying she was only reimbursed for books connected with her political work.

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 1:32 pm
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Right - I’m going to be looking for mine. He’s a Tory, so there should be some curios there.

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:05 pm
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"Is Moran the world's unluckiest woman?"

First her front room ceiling collapses, then her bedroom suite follows suit. Just when she thought it couldn't get worse...her boiler blows up.

9 August 2007
£14,805 emergency replacement of boiler, pipework, central heating and consequent repairs.

2 August 2007
£1207.50 for "remove collapsed unit for fitted bedroom". Moran claimed for "remake collapsed units and replace bedroom paint" (probably paint, but writing difficult to decipher).

Expenses claim from 1/4/07 to 30/06/07
£2282.65 for "repairs and decs front room roof collapse, replacement items from above."

Expenses claim from 1/4/07 to 30/06/07
£2282.65 for "repairs and decs front room roof collapse, replacement items from above."

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:07 pm
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This is the thin end of the wedge.

THIS is British politics.

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Thu Jun 18, 2009 2:13 pm
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