Criminal MPs Who Fiddled Expenses Get Taxpayers to Pay for Their Defence

Three former Labour MPs accused of fiddling their parliamentary expenses have won taxpayer money to help pay their legal bills just weeks before the introduction of “means testing”.

David Chaytor, Elliot Morley and Jim Devine are accused of stealing almost £60,000 in allowances through false mortgage claims, rent claims and invoiced services.

They have been told they are eligible for legal aid to fund their defences which includes the argument that they are protected from prosecution by the ancient right of parliamentary privilege.

The former MPs’ total legal bill is expected to reach tens of thousands of points but could reach six figures if they continue their legal appeal all the way to the Supreme Court.

Read more...

MPs' Expenses: David Wilshire Compares Treatment of Politicians to Jews in Nazi Germany

Mr Wilshire, who was forced to resign after paying more than £100,000 in expenses to his own company, said the “witch hunt” against MPs “will undermine democracy”.

“Branding a whole group of people as undesirables led to Hitler’s gas chambers,” he added.'

Read more...

MPs Ignore Public Anger and Give Themselves £9,000 Expenses Deal by Stealth

The Daily Telegraph can disclose that MPs have devised a new scheme allowing them to claim a £25-a-night “subsistence” allowance when staying away from their designated main home.

The controversial payments for MPs have been approved despite widespread outrage at unjustified expense claims following the disclosures made by this newspaper.

Tories oppose Gordon Brown's expenses reformsThe allowance, which is almost double the previous £4,800-a-year limit for unreceipted claims, is paid on top of expenses for mortgage interest, rent, council tax and utility bills.

Read more...

When will they learn they cannot get away with this shit anymore. Guy Fawkes Had the right idea!!

Activists Occupy the Empty Brentford Home of MPs Anne & Alan Keen

Activists have moved into the vacant home of MP couple Anne and Alan Keen, also known as "Mr and Mrs Expenses", who were recently caught up in the MPs expenses row for claiming for two second homes. The home, not one that the couple were claiming for, has been empty for nearly a year and was previously undergoing renovation work.

Activists, who found their way in through an open window, say they have occupied the house in protest at the number of people who the government cannot find accomodation for while homes go empty and MPs claim taxes for themselves.

See More here....

MPs to Face a Year in Prison for Fiddling Expenses

MPs caught fiddling their expenses could face a year in prison from the autumn after the House of Commons agreed to surrender its right to police itself. Parliament looks likely to approve rules that will see Members who lobby for money or fail to declare how long they spend on work outside Parliament being hauled before a judge.

Read more...

MPs plot to abandon publication of receipts

Parliament is planning to block the future release of expenses receipts after the humiliation endured by MPs this week, The Times has learnt.

Senior MPs have drawn up plans to replace the publication of every receipt with a spreadsheet detailing individual claims.

The changes would make less information available for public scrutiny, despite the anger caused this week by the way in which details were blacked out from the official files.

The news emerged as a handful of MPs and peers learnt that they may face prosecution. A Scotland Yard inquiry will focus on three MPs and two peers, The Times understands.

Read more...

Tory Claims £57,000 to Rent Flat From Own Company

Brian Binley claimed £1,500 a month to rent the flat for more than three years, despite House of Commons rules forbidding MPs from renting properties from themselves or their companies.

The Daily Telegraph can disclose that Mr Binley’s rental claims were first flagged up by parliamentary officials in April 2006, but the payments were not stopped until April of this year.

Read more...

MPs Expenses: The Moments We Won't Forget