Author: Sal
Lib Dems Response To MP Expenses Update
Thursday, 15th October, 2009 at 2:32 pm, Isle of Wight
Newport, News, Overseas, Politics
Following the latest on the issue of MP’s expenses, the Island Lib Dems have expressed their support for Nick Clegg’s calls to expose ‘home flipping’ MPs.
The Liberal Democrat leader has publicly called for all those MPs who ‘flipped’ their second homes, to be exposed.
He believes that MPs who avoided Capital Gains Tax, claimed cash for mortgages that didn’t exist or ‘flipped’ their second home so they could claim for renovations should be held to account.
Jill Wareham said “the public will not trust politicians who seem to be more interested in playing the property market than serving local residents who elected them. Our own MP has his nominated second home on the Island for which we pay the mortgage interest.
“His first home is in London, somewhat surprising as one would assume he spends more time here than in London, and he also has a third home (jointly owned with his partner) in Cowes which is tenanted. How many houses does a person need to live in? Why should we as local tax payers have to pay for a house when he already owns one on the Island?
“I have asked our MP to publish any amounts he is requested to pay back and will be interested to see if this includes the compensation paid to Colin Hedgely.
“The rules must change so MPs do not make profits on properties. If we want to rebuild faith in politics, there can be no half measures. Only fundamental reform will be enough.”
Image: Backkratze under CC BY-SA 2.0
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weird
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I welcome the comments from Jill Wareham; better late than never. I would suggest that if the Liberal Democrats had more MPs…Well that is speculation.
How about a response from the IoW Labour Party, or are they too embarrassed by the shenanigans and fraud carried out by Labour MPs at Westminster?
Jill writes, “The rules must change so MPs do not make profits on properties. If we want to rebuild faith in politics, there can be no half measures. Only fundamental reform will be enough.”
In my opinion it will be decades before the majority of the electorate have any faith in politics or politicians in the UK; even now they are still trying to wriggle out of the problems that they themselves caused.
What the IoW needs is a politician who is not tied to any political party and represents islanders, and not tied to the apron strings of the main party leaders and their whips.
It is time the electorate had a say in who we select, not just who we elect.
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Well I think what Mrs Wareham is saying here is disgusting and is a nasty and unpleasant attempt to smear a good man who has got caught up in a bad situation.
You can tell the worth of a man by what he does when he thinks nobody is looking – that is perfectly clear from some of the claims that our ‘honourable’ MPs have been making.
I have looked at a couple of these MPs expenses and over the last four years (when nobody knew this would all become public) Mr Turner was supporting every penny of his claims with receipts.
Let’s contrast that with the LibDem leader – he wasn’t just putting his hand in the till for £250 here and £250 there – unlike Nick Clegg.
He wasn’t claiming £400 per month for food – unlike Nick Clegg.
He wasn’t claiming for a brand spanking new kitchen – unlike Nick Clegg.
He wasn’t making international calls on the taxpayer – unlike Nick Clegg.
And he hasn’t been ordered to pay anything back -unlike Nick Clegg.
The two things that that have come to light (wrapping paper £6 and carpet clearner £160) have been as a result of Mr Turner making sure there were receipts for everything. He could have got away with both of these if he had just followed Nick Clegg’s example – think on that Mrs Wareham…
As for his home on the Island being his second home – he has made it clear that he was unhappy about that but he believed he should abide by the rules. Can you please ask Mrs Wareham if she would have ignored that rule? If so which other rules would she have ignored?
Why shouldn’t he rent out a flat to a family that would presumably otherwise be homeless? He has worked all his life and it may be an investment or he may have a great big mortgage on it – who knows – it is none of our business as long as he isn’t doing anything immoral with it or trying to hide anything. Should there be a means test for MPs? Presumably Mrs Wareham would set it just so that it didn’t catch her out.
It also says a great deal about Mr Turner that his opponent is still harping about an employment tribunal that happened before the last election. I haven’t seen any nasty comments like this from the Labour party though.
I have always been sympathetic to the Liberal Democrats – I even voted for them last time round as I don’t like the Tories nationally – although I am coming round to Cameron. But now that they are led by that smarmy self-righteous Clegg and they have saddled themselves with such an obviously nasty piece of work on the Island I won’t be supporting them this time round.
I have never been moved to comment before on Ventnor Blog and probably never will again – although I do read it from time to time – but this struck me as very unfair.
By the way I have met Mr Turner – once. He knocked on my door about two years ago. When there was no election looming, to find out if he could help me with anything – unlike Mrs Wareham!!!
Rant over….
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so the fact that he ripped us all off to pay for his losses because of his failure as an employer is alright because it was before the last election.
And the fact that he treated his very well paid staff to ‘life classes’ (whatever they might be) at our expence
He was unhappy about his Island home being his second home..but believed that was the rules….well this is true for loads of these claims, unfortunately the greay area was left down to the MPs discretion…there lies the joke.
I have nothing against Mr. Turner and in fact (for the first and last time against my moral judgement) voted for him. It is only people futilely trying to defend these MP’s indiscretions thats provides ‘fuel for the fire’
Mr. Turner is no better and no worse than loads of hard working MP’s across the country who have benifited from a system that allowed for indescretion…they have been shown up and should now pay up
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They are all lovely people …..
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What disappointing comments from Mrs Wareham, I listened to her some time ago and was very interested in her views. This however is a disturbing example of true colours shining through. A nasty,opportunistic attack on a good man.
I had higher hopes for the lib dems over here but if they also spin around like a dog with a bad ear then what hope?
Another class idea Don, what’s the name of the guy who runs the Punch and Judy show on…….
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I will be voting for an Isle of Wight man or woman
who has not been SELECTED by a HANDFUL of right or
left wing supporters.
We must have an islander who is prepared to represent the sole interests of the island, with no others pulling the strings.
Andrew let himself down by not publishing the unadulterated receipts, either one line or in the CP.
He makes most of his statements about the expenses issue on line. Does he not realize that most people do not go on line, more read the political news in the County Press.
Will he tell us NOW what questions he had to answer, following the receipt of the letter from the Legge report? Must his electorate wait three weeks? Will we ever know what questions were asked?
Now that would be real open transparency.
Finally, I am totally opposed to MPs employing family members, partners or friends. These positions should be advertised and their CVs would indicate just what adequate qualification applicants have. It is not good enough selecting employees then sending them at public expecet to be able to do the job.
There are far too many husbands and wifes in the government, on our local Councils and within the county offices.
Jobs for the boys and girls comes to mind.
Davey Jones,
The guy who runs the Punch and Judy show is called, Mr Speaker:-)
Jacqui Smith; on her way the house of Lords, let’s re-name it and call it ‘Parkhurst on Thames’.
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What the Lib Dems need is new blood…there is a reason they lost 2 elections , the first by a massive landslide , the second because of no real opposition…
Unfortunately the Lib Dems didn’t grasp that reason and put up the same old bunch of candidates that had already been rejected. ( I know they made great efforts to find new candidates, largely unsuccessfuly, and the same old ‘work horses’ still stood – they need to replace the old crowd, not supplement them with new bods)
When the Lib Dems replace the un-electable ‘old guard’ with new blood we may seem some changes , but until then we will be left with a Tory majority, no decent Lib Dems and only one decent prosepctive leader with no chance of ever getting the job because he’s Labour ( G. Lumley)
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I agree with most of what you write No 5 and I am sure that if Geoff Lumley stood as an Independent and openly condemned the sleaze and frauds that are still going on at Westminster, I feel he could be our next MP.
He would first have to cut his ties with the IoW Labour Party; at least he would get good support from Pan and most of the people who find the present day candidates very unpopular – lets face it, the Liberal Democrats, UKIP, Labour and all the other also rans should stand down. They have no chance.
To be honest, I would rather vote for David Holmes or Phil Murray; without being disrespect to either; at least they are independent. Although David could have a tinge of blue:-)
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Shocking mischief making by Jill Wareham. It looks to me like a bit of early electioneering. I think she’ll need more than this to smear Andrew Turner.
Like it or not Ms Wareham, the electorate just voted on you in Brighstone. They chose to keep you off the IW Council. I suspect you’re in for more of the same come the genral election. You’ll have to do better than this if you hope to persuade islanders you are worth voting for not some council has-been.
As for the Liberals generally, Nick Clegg has claimed a fortune without reciepts. They’re hardly in a position to be critical of any others.
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I must agree -The Liberal Democrats need a more electable candidate. Have the cosy little group got the guts to do something about it.
The Labour party are keeping quiet, have they given up the fight?
Nick Clegg is just like the majority of the others;
tarnished.
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