New Politics eh?

[BillyStubbsTears]

Well this new broom broke pretty sharpish dint it? The man who has the job of enforcing financial discipline and telling other ministers how much money they have to cut from schools, armed forces, universities etc turns out to have had his hand in the till to the tune of 40 grand.

But it's just an honest mistake. He didn't realise that the bloke he'd been living, sleeping, breakfasting and cuddling up in the sofa in front of the telly with actually counted as his partner.

So, David Laws is either an out and out thief or he's thick as pig shit.

Next!

[en aitch]

David Laws, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said curtailing ministerial use of chauffeur-driven cars would save nearly £2.8million a year - a third of the Government Car Service’s £8.3million budget.
 

Mr Laws said: “In the future, no minister should have a dedicated car or driver other than in exceptional circumstances.

“Ministers will be expected to walk or take public transport where possible, or use a pooled car. The pooling of cars will allow big savings to be made.”

Allegedly

Laws claimed between £700 and £950 a month between 2004 and 2007 to sub-let a room in a flat owned and lived in by his partner in Kennington, South London.  After the flat was sold for a profit of £193,000 in 2007, Laws's partner bought a nearby house for £510,000. Laws then began claiming to rent the “second bedroom” in this property, at a cost of £920 a month, until September 2009. Laws, whose main home is in his Yeovil constituency, then began renting another flat. This flat was not owned by his partner

I did actually wonder whether James Lundie could prove that he had paid tax against this rent and thereby clear Mr Laws, but in 2006, MPs were banned from “leasing accommodation from a partner”.

Strangely Mr Laws had not even made his parents aware of his relationship. This was out of consideration for his long term (boy)friend - who he had no desire to embarrass by outing him as a liberal!

[Filo]

So much for a Strong and Stable Government that Cameron and his bum chum Clegg were banging on about, the first time a government official gets a bit of pressure he`s on his bike, hardly strong or stable is it?

[RobTheRover]

I watched this news break on the telly with the sound off.  I got quite excited, but only because I thought it was Niles and they were making a new series of Frasier.

Gutted when I turned the sound up.

[Filo]

RobTheRover wrote:

I watched this news break on the telly with the sound off.  I got quite excited, but only because I thought it was Niles and they were making a new series of Frasier.

Gutted when I turned the sound up.

Why do you watch the telly with the sound off?  


Were you in Currys at the time  

[Barmby Rover]

Either this bloke is corrupt and therefore not able to be trusted to run a till in Tescos, or so stupid that he cannot understand simple rules made by his own colleagues. This is the \"rising talent\" that so many in the Con Dems admire. It gives you so much hope for the future.......no wonder they are changing the rules so that they can't get voted out of government. Welcome to the dictatorship!

[Filo]

It looks like his replacement is on the fiddle as well

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/liberal-democrat-mps-expenses/7787519/Danny-Alexander-new-Treasury-chief-avoided-capital-gains-tax-on-house.html

[jucyberry]

CON-dem.......Well, at least the first bit is descriptivly accurate isn't it?

[Sandy Lane]

This whole business I found incredibly sad. I totally understand he wanted to protect his privacy, but in order to do that Laws should have come clean back in 2006 when the rules changed, bought his own flat since he is a millionaire, and claimed his own expenses.  If he wanted to live with his partner, his partner could have moved in with him, not vice versa.  But he continued to claim expenses, even claiming greater amounts for utilities and things!!  If it was his sexuality he was protecting wouldn't this have eliminated the problem?  He allowed his private life to become entangled in his public life and allowed public monies to benefit his partner.  He claimed he did not benefit from this monetarily, but certainly his partner did.  I can't believe he was that thick. And I read the reason he didn't run for Liberal leadership against Clegg was possibly to protect his sexuality and privacy..  So he can't have it both ways.  Still I feel for him, and he did what he had to do, finally, both personally and professionally.

[Filo]

Sandy Lane wrote:

This whole business I found incredibly sad. I totally understand he wanted to protect his privacy, but in order to do that Laws should have come clean back in 2006 when the rules changed, bought his own flat since he is a millionaire, and claimed his own expenses.  If he wanted to live with his partner, his partner could have moved in with him, not vice versa.  But he continued to claim expenses, even claiming greater amounts for utilities and things!!  If it was his sexuality he was protecting wouldn't this have eliminated the problem?  He allowed his private life to become entangled in his public life and allowed public monies to benefit his partner.  He claimed he did not benefit from this monetarily, but certainly his partner did.  I can't believe he was that thick. And I read the reason he didn't run for Liberal leadership against Clegg was possibly to protect his sexuality and privacy..  So he can't have it both ways.  Still I feel for him, and he did what he had to do, finally, both personally and professionally.

I bet he does    they`ll take it in turns to be Daddy          

[Barmby Rover]

jucyberry wrote:

CON-dem.......Well, at least the first bit is descriptivly accurate isn't it?

I wish I could claim copyright to that one Jucy, the News Quiz on R4 is where I heard it first, but it is SO accurate for the righteous twaddle that is going to masquerade as government policy that we will have to endure for some time. There is going to be no protection for the weak and the needy, everybody must suffer you know, unless you are an old Etonian with connections and a large inheritance, then you will be fine!

[River Don]

It just goes to show they're all just as bad as each other doesn't it?

So many of them turn out to be fiddling the tax payer who is surprised when more turn up? It's right across the board and affects all the parties. He won't be the last, indeed it's laughable that questions are already being asked about his replacement.

I suspect this issue won't just go away no matter how much Cameron and Clegg wish it would, no doubt there will be more skeletons waiting to fall out of a few more cupboards where expenses are concerned.

[RoversDave]

Mr Laws also turned down £19k severance (sp) pay he was entitled to for losing his job after 3 weeks. What a hero.