"I have a very, very large house - people are jealous and have no right to interfere" says MP who claimed £90K for its forest

Zen cannot be intellectually grasped or explained.

Give up now while you still can. Run. Flee!

McCathyism was all about looking for Reds under the beds. The DT is factually reporting specific events.

Yeah - well - if the people who want to monitor every aspect of our lives 24/7 with the defence 'nothing to fear- nothing to hide" are suffering stress from the unintended consequences of their own actions - too bad.

being kind (life is) and brutal (nature can be).
being devotional (to a cause) and being intolerant of others


being firmly on Planet Reality but needing Planet Romance and Imagination for fulfilment..

and so on.
.....


in the world of politics,


at heart the Tories are about nobilty but at heart the exaggerated BNP causes are close to their heart too (patriotism, race, immigration).


at heart Labour is about social justice but they are happy to reject the importance of patriotism and social upheaval which will come with "liberal" immigration.

I've run out of expressions to descripe this fool. I think I should retire. If only I was an MP, final salary a go go ......

It does sound very Draper'esk. After all, how many times had he consulted his lawyers and how many writs were issued?

If Dorres is correct about the Telegraphs tactics, then if I was an MP I (like to) think I would pre-empt it and publish them / confess up myself as it would spoil their story somewhat surely.

I am begining to take a dislike to Dorres - all the moral indignation over Smeargate and then when the press is used against her it's all pity me. Sorry Dorres but you can't have it both ways.

As for Steen, the man is a class A1 idiot who obviously never comes out of his "very very big house" and maybe says something about how well his constituency really knew about him when they voted him in. Or maybe they got the MP they deserved.

Now there's a thought...an MP's expenses should be paid for by the people that voted them in. Would make people think long and hard before just blindly adding a X in the usual box.

Sorry Ash you are going to have to start explining things a little more clearly as even CH is being less cryptic than you at the moment.

Mind you...dualism by Charles....duality of life by you...Ash you are Charles Hardwidge and I claim my tenner! :-)

The problem Guy, is that it appears MP's have been feathering their own nests whilst the rest of us have been struggling. And maybe this wouldn't have happened IF they'd had been concentrating on the economy etc rather than buying duck houses, claiming mortgage interest that didn't exsist and clean moats.

I have no doubt the majority of MP's are pretty honest and trustworthy and yes the economy IS more important than the expeses, the problem in my mind is that can we trust these people to get us out of it?

Well done, I found Blur running through my head the first time I read it too. :-)

the duality of life is the two extremes within us.

Great call Alan. Wonder if Cameron knows what he's going to have to do if he gets into No 10?

Salmonella anyone?

Canmeron's also given Nadine a public seeing to. Gordon have a look over the dispatch box, there you will find some kahona's; either grow some or call an election.

With respect to my expenses, "I have always stayed within the rules". :-)

Actually I do have to stay away from home (75 miles away), and can claim expenses, but I don't think HMRC would be impressed if I tried to claim for moats and duck houses, or if I failed to produce receipts.

The Archbishop of Canterbury says the humiliation of MPs must stop. This is useful but it is also useful that they take some heat. Dualism is a bitch like that.

"In the way of the martial arts do not let your frame of mind be any different from your everyday mind." -- Miyamoto Musashi.

This is not as easy as it looks.

i think mrs dorries is a bit of a drama queen. She is the new edwina curry.

While I am appalled by the Labour MPs fiddling expenses I can find no sympathy for Nadine Dorries and her pathetic bleating in defence of her fellow MPs who have lost all the high ground they had against Labour.
A number of Tory sayings thrown at lefties by the Tories over the last 30 years come to mind, namely
'if you dont want to do the time , dont do the crime' strike to me as the best. Does Nutty Nadine remember all the hassle the Tory press were giving Scargill, Livingstone and Hatton? These Tories they just dont like it up 'em!!

"City dweller, successful fella
Thought to himself oops I've got a lot of money
I'm caught in a rat race terminally
I'm a professional cynic but my heart's not in it
I'm paying the price of living life at the limit
Caught up in the centuries anxiety
It preys on him, he's getting thin

He lives in a house, a very big house in the country
Watching afternoon repeats and the food he eats in the country
He takes all manner of pills and piles up analyst bills in the country
It's like an animal farm lot's of rural charm in the country"

Country House by Blur

Oh, well. The medacious Steen will have the opportunity now to spend much more time in his Balmoral-like house with his family (if he's got one) and friends (if he's got any left). As they say every cloud has silver lining!

"While id happily see the Tories in meltdown"




oh?! Tory party is in meltdown as they are not going to be able to handle the gulf between the world their constituency parties live in and world that the rest of us think we live in. The media are turning the heat. the creaking pressure cooker is on...



incidently did you hear about the leaked emails from the Tory activists - who were worried about Andrew Lawnsley's visit to help with electioneering. They wished that he would keep a low profile....because of his expenses. The Tory party are being shaken to the core.

I had another post above this one in response to Guy M's flawed assertions. It has since vanished. Odd.

The pay scales of MPs, committee members, PPSs, ministers and Secretaries of State is a matter of public record and I would like my post reinstated.

Deliberately trying to undermine the political system. And the problem with that is.....?

Lets talk about what an MP does in terms that the private sector understands.

He has a small staff (<6 people?) and customers in his 'sales area'. His sales area is relatively tiny by comparison to that of most salesmen. An MP is not 'senior management': he's effectively middle management; senior management is a ministerial role. I don't think there is any private company that has 640 senior management or board members (partnerships may be an exception)!

Compare him to a Congressman in the US: 18 staff (+temps), responsible for a million voters, an MPs constituency is tiny by comparison.

For me there is one thing which distinguishes the Labour miscreants from the Tories - and choosing between the two would be as pleasant as having to choose between stomach cancer or liver cancer - is that the Tories don't portray themselves as being on the side of the angels, fighting the good fight for this country's oppressed and dispossessed. Getting the taxpayer to clear your moat or build you a floating island is pretty despicable, but claiming for a mortgage which doesn't exist is the pits, as is, coming from a government which has imposed so many taxes, not pay capital gains tax. So it is a little disingenuous for this blogger to concentrate on a Tory as though Labour greed is somehow not quite as bad.

And please stop banging on about how much you earn, £63k p/a is still a lot to most of us mere mortals. You are coming across as a right ****, dismissing it as pocket change.

Even if it was true that MPs or ministers are up there with GPs etc, not all MPs are ministers. Backbench MPs are the only ones on £63k. Theres more on top for committee work or PPS duties. Those that are ministers get their pay topped up to 90 odd thousand a year, cabinet ministers over £100k. Not that they manage the budgets of their departments like you describe, their permanent secretatries and senior civil servants do all that for them.

Anyway. I think I am underpaid. Should I start milking my employers expenses? Dodge some tax maybe? Do tell.

While id happily see the Tories in meltdown, you are deluded if you believe that they are.

What in gods name are you on about?

time to think why she is being shutup by her leader. time to think what lies behind the "hysteria".

does it take a rocket scientist to figure this out...


The tory party is surely in meltdown.


Looking forward to the rebirth. with best wishes.

PRAT! Enough said. Thank God he's gone.

The guy is an idiot but represents the only silver lining to the whole expenses cloud - how Cameron is hopefully using it as an opportunity to clear out the crap ones before the election. Will make his life much easier once in power.

You fall into the typical trap of the anti politicians at the moment i.e. an inability to see a diference between some of the mediocre MPs we have at the moment and what the role of MP should be.

My point is simple if the role of the commons is reviewed and power is redistributed away from the executive back to the legislature which seems to be a common suggestion doing the rounds at the moment then the need for intelligence in an MP is rather important.

I'll say again, I do not want the "plebs" as you describe yourself deciding on what laws are enacted thanks. If we had that now we'd have capital punishment still in place with all the miscarriages of justice that go with it. The public majority is often NOT RIGHT and I would prefer a group of MPs well educated and experienced to work on my behalf partly to protect me from the vagaries of the not well educated masses.

I spent 10 years canvassing in elections for a variety of candidates and the overwhelming impression I took away with me from it was that a large % of the population is pretty dumb. I don't want them deciding law for me and I'd rather none of them were ever an MP.

The judgement that will be given in one years time on the "political classes" will be to elect a Tory government. There will be no mass upheaval of the party system, no mass election of independents and when people realise the alternatives of UKIP, BNP and Green you'll find that at a general election the 3 main parties will still be there.

Finally as to your "mortgage" complaint, again all you do is show ignorance. It is quite right for payment of mortgage INTEREST to come from expenses, but not the actual repayment of capital. MPs should not bear any expense that leaves them out of pocket if it relates to them doing the job. They would have no need for homes in 2 different places if not MPs and it is right that they meet the capital requirements if they wish to purchase but expenses cover the interest cost of the mortgage. As for flipping, no it's wrong and should be stopped but show some common sense and get away from a desire to punish individuals and focus on what the job role deserves.

Indeed, it becomes less likely, doesn't it, for MPs to take on Fleet Street on issues over privacy, for instance, when the Telegraph can say "you're only doing it to hide your own behaviour".

The issue of press self regulation over privacy and apologies when they step over the line has bounced about for a while. What chance our political class now goes very quiet on this, which won't be to the Telegraph's liking at all will it?

Robert I suggest you go read an executive vacancies listing and tell me if there are many senior management or board positions in either the private or public sectors that come in at less than £63,000. In fact I don't think you'll find too many at under £80,000 pa.

Thes are the sorts of people I'd like to see standing for MP, especially if we have a primary system like the US. I don't want any more mediocre middle management types. I'd like the Directors, GPs, Headteachers etc. to think about standing.

Put MP pay out to an independent commission and I guarantee they will recommend a pay rise.

By the way I have a degree, post grad, professional exams and I wouldn't go near an MPs job for £63,000 and people who I know who are my peers feel the same way.

I have said before and I'll repeat now. Take a look at what level in society you think those who make and scrutinise your laws should be. If it's equivalent to a school cook then pay MPs that rate and don't complain when we get people like Jacqui Smith who are up to the job.

If the intellectual requirements to be an MP and government minister in turn (with billions pound budgets) are more in keeping with GPs, Company Directors, Headteachers, Barristers etc. then pay the going rate for that level of applicant. I can assure you £63,000 pa is not at that level.

a tigress. oh dear. she is sensitive to the suicide tendencies in the HOUSE.
(she says that the HOUSE is on suicide ALERT)



I wish her personal (emotional) well being.
[[[what with her and hys.hissssteria. sorry to say so.


a "hysterical" tigress?

THE DUALITY OF LIFE?

the update from World at One today is that - if we get a another squeak out of the jealous chap, he has had it.


i.e be who you are. stay as you are. but do not let anyone outside the party know.

Alex,

Any chance of this being updated with the current position?

You can get that here.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8062786.stm

Please compare the chastising that Steen got with the support Broon has given "Pernicious" & "Whatta - Hoon"

I welcome the exposure of the MPs, but I'm beginning to have some sympathy with this argument. If you look at the Barclay brothers' feelings about democracy as demonstrated on Sark, the discrediting of politicians takes on a different light.

Of course the expenses claims are indefensible. But sometimes, when there is such a clear-cut moral issue with public outrage guaranteed, certain parties will use it to covertly advance their own causes. I suspect the Barclay brothers, and certain management staff at the Telegraph, are interested in weakening the power of the state. not out of political belief but because they feel they can thereby increase their own power.

I notice Purnell, McNulty and the Hoonster are keeping very quiet about their nice little property portfolios we paid for and of course Gordon is too scared to do anything about it. I imagine they're thinking the same thing though, a lot of them still appear to be 'not getting it'.

Can't you make it up a bit with your expenses, Robert? ;-)

£63k is a good wage for a job that often does not in fact require either experience or qualifications, as opposed to connections and ambition. There are some very clever, talented MPs, who the average person could not match up to, but equally there are quite plainly some who are not faintly exceptional. Also the idea that members of the public could do the job is not far fetched: there is no job description for being an MP and, in fact, if you want to and you're not on too many committees it even leaves time to do other jobs. How many jobs paying 63k a year is that true of?

Incidentally, I think a handful of GSCEs is more than John Prescott had and he became deputy prime minister.

Yes indeed it takes Mensa membership to vote on laws at the behest of your Whips. Hardly rocket science.

And your logic that politicians are on the same level as scientists and engineers is laughable. Years of study and application versus a brief spell brown-nosing the party selectors? Hmmmm.

I do not disagree that MPs need to work in two places and there needs to be allowances to enable that. But why should I pay a mortgage? Isn't a modest rented furnished flat in central London adequate? Why should I pay for repairs in their various homes when they flip the designation?

You are defending thieves. Scale has nothing to do with it.

Anyway, work away, continue patronising the plebs. Well give our judgement on our political classes soon enough.

I note Guido's coverage of Nadine Dorris expenses controversy is non-existant, I can only assume it just didn't quite fit in with his sycophantic obesession with calling her a 'tory tigress.'

The guy is a Grade A pillock but he's a Grade A pillock that won't be standing at the next election; just like those other comedy creations - Captain Duckhouse and Major Moat.

Unlike the CGT fraudsters on the Labour frontbench at present.

On the contrary, I note that the Telegraph has printed a list of 38 MPs who they believe have behaved in an exemplary fashion on this issue.

And for goodness sake, MPs are paid £64k a year, a salary that is in the top 2-3% of incomes in this country. Ministers are in the top 1%. It's hardly underpaid. I have a degree plus 6 A Levels and whilst my salary is above average, I'm not paid £64k [unless anyone would like to select me for a safe seat... :-) ]

Simple test really as to whether the Telegraph or the MPs are in the wrong: how many writs have been issued?

Quite a number of MPs have described the allegations as completely false and promised to consult lawyers and yet there's been a surprising lack of action from our learned friends.

This Twit will not be standing for re-election.

I trust that Labour MPs (too numerous to mention) with similar 'misjudgment' when it comes to feathering their nests, will also be standing down or de-selected.

Defrauding us on a massive scale? How so? I don't regard maintenance costs on 2nd homes as unreasonable. Someone on the Telegraph site has calculated the total cost so far to everyone in the UK as less than 1p pa.

Some bankers defrauded people on a massive scale, MPs have not. Some MPs have been sleazy and unethical and deserve to face the music but a degree of scale needs to be grasped. If not we will end up with this hysterical reaction from certain sections of the public.

A large chunk of the public believe £63,000 pa is an exceptional wage, it isn't.

A large chunk of the public think a second home allowance isn't right for MPs and fail to grasp the need to work in two locations

A large chunk of the public fail to accept that if an MP takes the risk of their 2nd home falling in market value and losing equity he/she should also take the benefit if it rises (the same as any other home owner). They should of course pay capital gains mind you.

A large chunk of the public have no concept of party politics or any idea of why a house of independents would fail massively

A large chunk of the public believe anyone earning more than they do aren't worth it and that education and experience are irrelevant.

I've heard too many members of the public say "I could do that job" when clearly they couldn't. Ignorance is bliss and leaving school with a handful of GSCEs at best seems to mean to many people that they are ready to take over CEO, Secretary of State, Brain Surgeon and Nuclear Physicist roles.

As for the "thicko" comment, you words not mine. My view is that your average window cleaner and shop assistant are likely not to be as intelligent as your average engineer, scientist and yep politician and I'd rather they weren't setting my laws or having any control in the mob like way they seem to want at the moment.

Your post was indicative of the stupidity of the current media frenzy and you need to be a little more rational

Jibberish. You are in fact Gordon Brown and I claim my £10.

The reason I think it is a bit like McCarthyism is that is not directed at MPs in particular, although the Telegraph would have you believe that's the case.

It's actually an attack against the entire political class irrespective of whether an individual MP has done anything wrong. At the moment it very much is guilty until proven innocent and that isn't healthy.

Further the level of stupidity it is driving in certain parts of the electorate isn't a good sign either. By this I mean the calls for MPs to earn the average wage, not have any 2nd home allowance, overthrow the system and only have independent MPs, have "halls of residence" for MPs etc. etc.

I know this is a Labour site and the core vote for Labour are the less educated, lower intelligence, less qualified members of society and I'm also aware that I would be lambasted for this now given the current climate but I have to say the following:

I believe in a meritocracy where those who are more intelligent, better skilled and qualified can get on and rise to the top career wise. I don't believe all are equal on everything nor that all should be paid the same. I also don't want my laws drawn up and voted upon by a mob or those who struggle to pass basic Maths and English GCSEs. MPs should be the better qualified and skilled in society and as such should be paid rate that attracts the brightest candidates.

A dangerous game is being played at the moment and a large chunk of the country is dancing to the Telegraph's tune. Those who think that all the current furore will automatically lead to a better system are a little naive

Your attitude can be summed up as so- Know your place you stupid Jeremy Kyle-fodder proles, eh? So it's ok that these scumbags, elected by us to serve us, have been defrauding us on a massive scale for years?

Yeah, what would we know, were just thicko window cleaners and shop assistants.....

Actually having read a fair bit about Fleet's streets "investigative jounalism" techniques then what Dorries describes is probably pretty accurate.

I can easily believe that the Telegraph finalise which bit of information they will drip the following morning late in the day, do then hound said MP for some juicy quote and give them very little time to respond.

I think the press and politicians have been in a fairly constant state of low level warfare for some time now and Im' sure the Telegraph would like nothing more than to be able to shift the balance of power to the press if it can. I think though a supine political structure in fear of the press and what it might do is a pretty unhealthy situation to be in.

As for the rest of Dorries' statment, yes it does seem a little like McCarthyism in the way the Telegraph is operating but no it's not torture or anything close to it. I imagine her liking it to torture is more of a mental torture link. Each night MPs sitting waiting to see if they will be the ones next morning to be the subject of an expose, with little right of reply, to a public who have taken on the aspects of a linch mob, might seem to those concerned a little like torture.

I do think at some point the Telegraph needs to stop the drip drip of information or end up looking like they are as lacking in ethics and morals as some of the MPs clearly are.

That's exactly the thing about Steen, the sheer hilarity of it. I only wish he hadn't apologized for what he said. Ho hum, guess there aren't any conviction politicians anymore.

If what Nadine Dorrie says is true

A big if there. Do you think she is right to compare the way The Telegraph is treating this issue with - and I'm using her words here - 'McCarthyism' and 'a form of torture'?

When you look at the claims for duck-houses, moats and MPs like Mr Steen, Labour's claims (generally) seem have a much lower entertainment value. The main thing that has crippled the Labour party has been the indecisiveness and foot dragging of its leadership. If Gordon Brown had, like Cameron, made it quite clear to those like Moran and Blears that their claims were not acceptable and taken decisive action, then Labour would not be in the hole it is today. Cameron is putting them up against the wall and shooting them as the problems arise, whereas Brown has been seen to be indecisive and unwilling or unable to take action.

Thanks to iPlayer, I was watching Have I Got News For You, and Ian Hislop said it best, saying that having all the expenditure stories arrive at once was "like Christmas".

Nadine Dorries claim hardly stands up; McCarthy was persecuting people for political beliefs, whereas pursuing people because they've committed tax evasion or manipulated the system to loot public money to finance duck houses or to help them become become property entreprenuers is an entirely different matter.

The Telegraph is using this issue to change the balance between politicians and media, as well as sell as many papers as possible.

If what Nadine Dorrie says is true in your post then we are at a stage where The Telegraph are deliberately trying to undermine the political system for no reason other than to get at politicians. These sort of tactics destroy any pretence to a moral high ground that the Telegraph would like to think it has.

Oh and yes I do think there could be serious consequences. Although it's interesting to note that there are a few small signs of a backlash developing against the Telegraph's tactics.

Just goes to show you can prove anything with statistics. As you have

People who live in very large glass houses shouldn't throw expenses accusations around.

Blimey, Nadine Dorries has moved on from McCarthy-ism to Gitmo in the space of a morning -

The technique deployed by the Telegraph, picking off a few MPs each day, emailing at 12 giving five hours notice to reply, recording the conversation, not allowing them to speak, shouting over them when they try to explain, telling them they are going to publish anyway, at day 15, is amounting to a form of torture and may have serious consequences.

Careful Guy the socialist will be up in arms, you cannot malign fellow brothers and sisters or you'll get a seeing to from Johnny P.

Has anyone ever told you your a genius...... Before you answer that, think about how you change sitting MP's without destroying the number of MP's you have to work with.

Ash you are incredible..... roll on more propaganda please LL.

Not sure how to put pictures in here but this one from Sir Anthony's website is a cracker, I hope Geoff's got a good grip on that thing -

Give it here

Whilst Steen clearly is out of touch I am getting a little bit fed up of MPs of all hues running scared in the face of the "little people".

If I get one more barely educated, reality tv show watching numpty saying "they're no better than me" rubbish I think I'll be sick. They are invariably better qualified, experienced and skilled than you mr average person, which is why they are MPs and not window cleaners and shop assistants.

As for Nadine Dorries I think she has a point about it becoming a McCarthy-era witch hunt. The tipping point for me was the criticism of Ian Gibson (by far not a political bedfellow of mine). He has a 2nd home in London for which maintenance (mortage interest etc. I presume) is paid for under expenses but which he has put up the equity and he's criticsied for allowing his daughter to live there because he's only there "3 days a week".

So Ian Gibson is in this flat for 1 day short of the majority of the week and he lets his daughter stay in his own property? Are we at a point where we have clocking in and out of properties for MPs? Are we at a point where they are restricted from having family members sleep in properties they own?

As for Steen and his comment about the jealous public etc. I've no doubt that they are jealous. You only have to listen to members of the public on question time to realise there are a lot of people who genuinely believe anyone earning more than they do are not entitled to it and it's just "not fairrrrr". The UK has had an issue with a culture of envy and jealousy all my life to be honest.

I would like to ask who these "working people" are? I presume you mean "working class" but put it in a way that anyone middle class who doesnt like soap operas, dumbing down in schools, hoodies, chavs and the underclass somehow don't work? If I were an MP I too would have a certain disregard for idiots who can't get a GCSE in English yet think they are entitled to anything I have.

This expenses debacle all needed to come out but it's getting to the point where "witch-hunt" is entirely appropriate and The Telegraph is using it to get back at the political classes and to sell newspapers under a covering of "public interest". All party leaders are running scared yet at some point one of them needs to stand up and say there are many decent MPs out there and the public hangings need to stop and the issue be put into context.

To be blunt I am more concerned over the billions and billions of debt, the rising unemployment figures, the loss of homes and the war in Afghanistan than I am over £1,500 over a duck house.

the state of the Tory party is been revealed....

Mr Cameron's has always given the impression that he had "detoxified" the party.



What this saga is revealing is that vital claim was "bull". so....so..."sad". if we are to say that the core of Labour is empty (in terms of linking with an essential need of society) then so is Tory's.

I suppose, in some way,s steens reaction is more honest than the feigned contrition of some of them, and especially blears with her ape-like grin (is that woman all there?) then giving the impression that she has donated £13000 to charity when what she was doing was paying money to try to save her wretched moribund career - such as it is. She has never been much good at anything except wittering away boosting her fragile ego with blustering self-praise. i was going to say she was the pits, but she is in a very large field of scroungers and fraudsters.

*Shahid Malik £446,314 LABOUR*

as this man had to *stand down* last week pending an investigation into his affairs, hopefully, as nobody is expecting him to return to ministerial office, his expenses will be much more modest in future.

entertaining that Liam Byrne has been described as one of the sharpest political brains in the business.


source - Bagehot blog, Economist - online.

Whatever our lovely Tory friends post on here about who claimed the moat, sorry I meant most, and the undefendable incoherence of Our Dear Leader's views on Blears / Hoon / Purnell, it doesn't detract from the sheer brilliance of Sir Anthony retreating to his 'very, very large house', getting leathered (implied by William Hague on QT) and letting us nosy peasants have it with both barrels.

I have the utmost admiration for the man. You stick to your principles sir, don't compromise your beliefs for short term popularity.

This piece sounds Dolly-esq.

Their seems to be alot of pieces that are now written by LL. Is that you alone Alex, or is Dolly pulling your chain.

As regards mrs dorries her recent performances on bbc and lbc radio seemed to have turned her into a female stephen pound - ready at all hours of the night and day to vouchsafe her little opions - in this *hearts and flower* interview she has also suggested that some mps might be driven to suicide. Why? *if you have nothing to hide you have nothing to fear* as MPs are fond of saying. Perhaps there are going to be some very personal and embarrassing expense disclosures?

Harris tweed reinforced knickers for Ruth Kelly (oh no she just made as pay for household
items destroyed by flooding instead of doing what ordinary perople do and claim through her insurance commpany (quite understandably she has *forgotten* why she did so). perhaps the Harris tweed drawers are for Mrs Beckett, who always has a suitably pained expression on her face. Perhaps there is an invoice for the *big boys sauna club* thats been put in by a *happily married* minister?. We have had Phil Woolas' tampons and nail varnish, so perhaps Purnell has submitted a claim for the *junior miss make-up kit*.

I can't imagine why ms dorries thinks these wastes of space are going to top themselves - or why, if they so did, we would care - -wperhaps with some of the worst of them, the greediest, those facing criminal proceedings etc it might be the best way out. Pity it's summer - a foolproof way would be to get in the bath and through the electric fire in the water with you. Knowing some of them, they'd even tell their spouses to send in the electricity bill under *expenses*

Any idiot knows this man is so out out touch, he should be put out to pasture asap. Lab has similar people; people who talk rubbish, yes Mr P thats you.

This piece reminds me of BNP propaganda, they'll spin stories to make you see their agenda and that's exactly what Alex is doing here. This piece only serves "to make thicko's hate the toffs" and join the ranks.

Well done Alex, a new low in reporting standards. Tell you what take it down a step further: I'd like to see a compare and contrast the foiables of Steen compared to the Tax evasion of the Champagne socialists "Dirty Purnell" and Hoon.

TWENTY HIGHEST EXPENSES CLAIMANTS
Total claims 2005-08 (excluding travel)
Liam Byrne £478,536 LABOUR
Joan Ryan £469,893 LABOUR
Dan Norris £450,985 LABOUR
Shahid Malik £446,314 LABOUR
Charlotte Atkins £443,244 LABOUR
David Wilshire £438,377 TORY
Tom Levitt £436,686 LABOUR
Diana Johnson £436,632 LABOUR
Fabian Hamilton £435,999 LABOUR
Jacqui Smith £434,909 LABOUR
Margaret Moran £434,456 LABOUR
Ian Austin £434,409 LABOUR
A. Rosindell £434,149 TORY
Andrew George £434,062 LIBDEM
Dawn Butler £433,865 LABOUR
Roger Godsiff £433,298 LABOUR
Tim Farron £433,260 LABOUR
Peter Hain £431,905 LABOUR
Norman Lamb £431,683 LIBDEM
S. Hesford £431,527 LABOUR

http://www.labourlist.org/reshuffle_speculation_-_whos_coming_whos_going

Anthony Steen is a prat.

Now, closer to home and therefore more relevant, what's LabourList's take on the Blears v Hoon/Parnell situation?

My mistake :)

Watching afternoon repeats and the food he eats (taxpayer funded of course) in the country.....Ooohhhhhh

It says Steen! ;)

LabourList Sub-Editors Are Beyond Reproach Alert

No spelling mistake here, anyone feel like a friday sing song....Altogether now -

Lives in a house, very big house in the country

(Of course now Alex's comment doesn't make any sense!!!)

it is beyond question that steen is a pompous greedy old fool, totally out of touch with 2009 - its probably 1949 in steenland *but* this doesn,t excuse bimbo blears and her moronic self justifications or those repulsive, hypocritical benefit scroungers, purnell and mcnulty.

Would labourlist care to do an equally lengthy condemnation of that scum?