Collusion and the Fees Office.
Following on from Iain Dale’s piece this morning, it would seem that Parliamentary Staff were well aware of the collusion between the Fees Office and MPs on the matter of expenses.
I give you this exchange from a House of Commons Staff Meeting attended by the dignified figure of Chris Bryant, Deputy Leader of our House of Parliament – pictured above.
Question from Floor: […]We need uniformity. We have to fight for everything and we are sick of it. No automatic up-rating for the cost of living. Many MPs do not even give contracts. CB: That’s incorrect you must have a contract to be employed by the House and paid through fees office. Floor cont’d: That is not my experience. The fees office always help members not staff they always side with the MPs and will use loopholes to get round having contracts or paying what is fair. When I tell people outside what goes on they are disgusted – the employment terms are despicable.
Shortly after this exchange, the Daily Telegraph were able to publish a DVD listing all MPs excesses. Hmmn.
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May 18, 2009 at 2:20 pm -
Damn good spot Anna – Hmm indeed!
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May 18, 2009 at 3:15 pm -
Could it come to having to investigate the civil servants at the Fees Office?
After all, if I was helping an MP to milk even more out of the system then I’d want a cut. -
May 18, 2009 at 3:22 pm -
May 18, 2009 at 3:46 pm -
Anna, I think conspiracy is spot on.
After all, if the MPs thought they could get away with it, what better way than with ‘inside help’?
Furthermore, if MPs are meant to be amongst the most honourable in the land then surely a civil servant waving through a dodgy claim for a grand’s worth of backhander isn’t too much of a reach? -
May 18, 2009 at 4:09 pm -
I get the impression that they receive a receipt for every single penny they spend. All of these receipts are then turned in as expenses. If they are reimbursed then all well and good, if not, well it was worth a try anyway.
Why else would “Our Vera” bother to put in a claim for a couple of cheap Xmas baubles. -
May 18, 2009 at 4:59 pm -
May 18, 2009 at 5:08 pm -
Anna, they don’t. But I know what I’d like to do with her Christmas Tree on Twelfth Night.
A more grotesque Christmas Fairy, you couldn’t imagine.
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May 18, 2009 at 5:14 pm -
May 19, 2009 at 9:34 am -
Ooh, I don’t know about that Anna, Vera’s not really my type.
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May 19, 2009 at 9:54 am
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