In my opinion abuses of power in the seat of Government should be stamped on extremely hard, as corruption at the heart of the nation's Government has far greater implications than elsewhere. These are people who have the future of the country in their grasp, they must show that they deserve to have our trust. Their morals should be beyond reproach.
The current lot in Parliament clearly do not deserve that trust. They have created - deliberately or not - a lax system which is open to abuse and exploitation. A system which they then turned around and blamed when public attention was drawn its abuse. But they created it.
MPs are exceptional (ie different from the ordinary working public) in that they work in two different places: their constituencies and the Houses of Parliament. These places may be hundreds of miles apart. So it seems that they have a legitimate need for two homes.
The manner in which MPs have chosen to deal with this exceptionality really demonstrates that they are not fit to set rules for themselves for these exceptional cases. So they should either they follow the same rules as everyone else with no exceptions, or exceptional rules which only apply to MPs need to be set by an independent body.
All cases of expenses abuse should be investigated with a view to prosecution for fraud and for those cases where a guilty verdict is reached, MPs should face jail or at the very least loss of their seat in Parliament and permanent ban from running for a parliamentary seat.
Saturday, 16 May 2009
DNA
The Government says it has to allow thousands of foreign criminals into the country because under EU law it can't refuse them. It then says that it can't deport terrorist suspects because it's against European Human Rights legislation. Yet the Government is prepared to disregard European Human Rights law on the issue of holding the DNA of innocent people. Seems like they'll either ignore EU law when it's inconvenient, or use it to legitimise their destruction of our civil liberties.
Tuesday, 5 May 2009
The True Cost of Housing
Am I the only one in the country who thinks the cost of housing is still insanely high? If the average wage in England is around £25,000[1], and a house should be no more than 3 times annual salary as was recommended by bankers and mortgage advisers in more sensible times, then the average house price should be around £75,000. Or alternately, if wages had kept pace with property increases, the average UK wage would be around £70,000!
After a year or so of falling prices, the average UK house price is still over £205,000! [2]. A massive £130,000 over what it should be. But it's not just £130,000 more.
I'm going to do a mortgage calculation for a couple of different scenarios using the mortgage calculator at mortgagecalculator.net.
First with Mr Lucky earning £25,000, and the house of his dreams costing a mere £75,000, let's go for a 25 year mortgage and assume that the interest rate is going to stay at 5%. He can afford a £10,000 deposit.
Total Amount Paid = £113,995
Total Interest Paid = £48,995
Monthly Payments £379
Scenario 2, with Mr Average earning £25,000, and the house of his dreams costing the average value of £205,000, keeping everything else the same, including a deposit of £10,000.
Total Amount Paid = £341,985
Total Interest Paid = £146,985
Monthly Payments £1,140
Right away, you can see that an extra £100,000 is paid just in interest. The difference in the cost of the houses is £130,000, but the difference between the Total Amount Paid in scenario 1 and the Total Amount Paid in scenario 2 is £227,000. How many years would it take Mr Average to not just earn that extra £227,000, but save it on top of his day to day expenses? He only has 25 years of course, which draws you to the difference in Monthly Payments, almost £800 per month for the lifetime of the mortgage. What else might Mr Average want to spend that money on?
Money spent on property is dead money, the only people that benefit are bankers, solicitors and real estate agents, but most people only buy one house (at a time) so only a few of those benefit – and who cares about solicitors, bankers and real estate agents anyway? Money spent on property is money that can't be spent on goods and services, holidays, having more kids, putting your kids through private education, buying a boat, putting more away for your pension, private health service ...
There's no real way to benefit from the ridiculous property prices, unless you're planning to flee the country permanently and use the money to keep yourself for the rest of your life in a country where property is cheap.
How can prices be made to fall? By decreasing demand - by taxing second home owners and buy to letters and forcing BTLs to provide a minimum standard of accommodation would be a start.
If the prices are to drop to what I'd call sensible levels, then some people will hurt, obviously, ie the people who have bought since the housing price bubble started. Those that bought near the top of the bubble will hurt most. However if prices don't fall, everybody who buys a house from now until eternity pays. Your kids, their kids, their grandkids and so on. All subsequent generations will face this millstone around their necks.
[1]statistics.gov.uk
[2]BBC News
After a year or so of falling prices, the average UK house price is still over £205,000! [2]. A massive £130,000 over what it should be. But it's not just £130,000 more.
I'm going to do a mortgage calculation for a couple of different scenarios using the mortgage calculator at mortgagecalculator.net.
First with Mr Lucky earning £25,000, and the house of his dreams costing a mere £75,000, let's go for a 25 year mortgage and assume that the interest rate is going to stay at 5%. He can afford a £10,000 deposit.
Total Amount Paid = £113,995
Total Interest Paid = £48,995
Monthly Payments £379
Scenario 2, with Mr Average earning £25,000, and the house of his dreams costing the average value of £205,000, keeping everything else the same, including a deposit of £10,000.
Total Amount Paid = £341,985
Total Interest Paid = £146,985
Monthly Payments £1,140
Right away, you can see that an extra £100,000 is paid just in interest. The difference in the cost of the houses is £130,000, but the difference between the Total Amount Paid in scenario 1 and the Total Amount Paid in scenario 2 is £227,000. How many years would it take Mr Average to not just earn that extra £227,000, but save it on top of his day to day expenses? He only has 25 years of course, which draws you to the difference in Monthly Payments, almost £800 per month for the lifetime of the mortgage. What else might Mr Average want to spend that money on?
Money spent on property is dead money, the only people that benefit are bankers, solicitors and real estate agents, but most people only buy one house (at a time) so only a few of those benefit – and who cares about solicitors, bankers and real estate agents anyway? Money spent on property is money that can't be spent on goods and services, holidays, having more kids, putting your kids through private education, buying a boat, putting more away for your pension, private health service ...
There's no real way to benefit from the ridiculous property prices, unless you're planning to flee the country permanently and use the money to keep yourself for the rest of your life in a country where property is cheap.
How can prices be made to fall? By decreasing demand - by taxing second home owners and buy to letters and forcing BTLs to provide a minimum standard of accommodation would be a start.
If the prices are to drop to what I'd call sensible levels, then some people will hurt, obviously, ie the people who have bought since the housing price bubble started. Those that bought near the top of the bubble will hurt most. However if prices don't fall, everybody who buys a house from now until eternity pays. Your kids, their kids, their grandkids and so on. All subsequent generations will face this millstone around their necks.
[1]statistics.gov.uk
[2]BBC News
Liberal Democrat Candidate Turns Tory
From the Daily Telegraph:
Full story at Daily Telegraph
She has until very recently been critical of the Conservative Party, and if this Tory promise to put more BMEs in the Houses of Parliament is sufficient to make her switch alliegences, exactly how strong are her principles? From my point of view, not very. From my point of view, she switched parties because she's non-white and the Tories have pledged to help non-whites get seats in Parliament. It's a fairly shallow, unprincipled, self serving grab for power.
Haven't we already got enough politicians like that?
In the article she's quoted as saying that the Liberal Party 'is so very out of touch with everyday life and people in our country.' If anyone is out of touch with people in our country, it's Cameron. I think the people in our country are sick of having 'affirmative action' and 'equal opportunities' shoved down our throat. Affirmative action guarantees no improvements in performance whatsoever. Look at the women in Brown's cabinet. What a useless, brainless bunch of .. incompetents!
Cameron is still trying to out-Blair the Labour party, I've got news for you Cameron, the country has moved on .. for gods sake even the Labour Party has moved on.
Liberal Democrat candidate defects to Tories
A Liberal Democrat election candidate Norsheen Bhatti [Nora Batty? - HN] has defected to the Conservatives, blaming Nick Clegg for abandoning his party's commitment to widen representation of ethnic minorities.
Ms Bhatti, the prospective candidate in Chelsea and Fulham, said she had decided to join David Cameron because he was doing more to get black and Asian people elected to Parliament.
Full story at Daily Telegraph
She has until very recently been critical of the Conservative Party, and if this Tory promise to put more BMEs in the Houses of Parliament is sufficient to make her switch alliegences, exactly how strong are her principles? From my point of view, not very. From my point of view, she switched parties because she's non-white and the Tories have pledged to help non-whites get seats in Parliament. It's a fairly shallow, unprincipled, self serving grab for power.
Haven't we already got enough politicians like that?
In the article she's quoted as saying that the Liberal Party 'is so very out of touch with everyday life and people in our country.' If anyone is out of touch with people in our country, it's Cameron. I think the people in our country are sick of having 'affirmative action' and 'equal opportunities' shoved down our throat. Affirmative action guarantees no improvements in performance whatsoever. Look at the women in Brown's cabinet. What a useless, brainless bunch of .. incompetents!
Cameron is still trying to out-Blair the Labour party, I've got news for you Cameron, the country has moved on .. for gods sake even the Labour Party has moved on.
Sunday, 19 April 2009
Policing London Protests
No pun intended, but I was struck quite hard by the different approach the police have taken in dealing with protests this year. In the last couple of weeks there were the protests at the G20 meeting, where one man died, possibly as a result of a violent shove from a policeman, and others allegedly suffered violent attacks by the police. In the New Year there was a protest by muslim and leftist malcontents at the Israeli Embassy, which was basically under siege for days on end.
Many will have seen the video of the police effectively running away from an abusive mob of these muslim and leftist malcontents on one of the associated marches. What I would like to know is where is the consistency in policing?
It needs to be remembered that the Israeli Embassy protests were protests against the actions of a foreign government, and the G20 protests were at least in part protesting against the actions of our government.
I acknowledge that Mr Tomlinson, the man who died at the protests was apparently not actually protesting, and did not in any way deserve to be treated as he was.
Many will have seen the video of the police effectively running away from an abusive mob of these muslim and leftist malcontents on one of the associated marches. What I would like to know is where is the consistency in policing?
It needs to be remembered that the Israeli Embassy protests were protests against the actions of a foreign government, and the G20 protests were at least in part protesting against the actions of our government.
I acknowledge that Mr Tomlinson, the man who died at the protests was apparently not actually protesting, and did not in any way deserve to be treated as he was.
TV License Hell
A disturbing but not altogether surprising article from a fellow blogspotter
So according to this blogger, her husband was arrested and dragged to a court by the police because of non payment of a fine he had no prior knowledge of. Detail is scarce but I can't see how he could have had time to prepare a defence or organise legal representation. This is truly abhorrent behaviour. This is how the BBC is funded. The BBC, which has to rank among the most sickeningly traitorous and vile organisations in existence. No concerns about public opinion for them, no fear of a consumer boycott. They will produce their lies and propoganda, and even if you don't watch the bilge which pours from the BBC channels, you will still pay for it to be produced, or risk this kind of treatment.
News of upcoming TV License protests from yet another fellow blogspotter tv-licensing in May. Protests have been scheduled for London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester with the possibility of more venues to be added later.
I've just watched my husband driven away in a police car. Not because he is a murderer, or a rapist or even a theif but because the T.V Licensing people decided to take him to court without informing him of that fact and getting him fined. Then, without telling him that he had been fined, they had a warrant issued for his arrest for non-payment of fines.
So according to this blogger, her husband was arrested and dragged to a court by the police because of non payment of a fine he had no prior knowledge of. Detail is scarce but I can't see how he could have had time to prepare a defence or organise legal representation. This is truly abhorrent behaviour. This is how the BBC is funded. The BBC, which has to rank among the most sickeningly traitorous and vile organisations in existence. No concerns about public opinion for them, no fear of a consumer boycott. They will produce their lies and propoganda, and even if you don't watch the bilge which pours from the BBC channels, you will still pay for it to be produced, or risk this kind of treatment.
News of upcoming TV License protests from yet another fellow blogspotter tv-licensing in May. Protests have been scheduled for London, Bristol, Birmingham and Manchester with the possibility of more venues to be added later.
Monday, 6 April 2009
Don't Just Blame El Gordo
The blame for the current recession seems to have landed squarely on the shoulders of one Gordon Brown, with perhaps a small amount being apportioned to Mr Darling, with a certain A. Blair escaping pretty much unscathed. However in my opinion the overwhelming majority of labour MPs have been soulless yes men, more concerned about their careers as politicians than the future of the UK. They must have been able to see the folly of the government's economic policy long ago but kept silent. The Government's failure is a testament to their cowardice. Their pitiful sheeplike performance during labour's years in government will be duly rewarded with political oblivion, hopefully permanent. Their careers, which they sought to protect by never protesting against the government, will be over.
Below is a roll call of the current Cabinet members. The percentage of the member's votes which went against the Government's position is shown, aswell as the number of times the y rebelled and the total number of votes in which they participated. Their spinelessness should haunt them through the rest of their working lives.
Cabinet loyalty for current parliment
Total votes for this parliament 996 (as of 30 March 2009)
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
0.7% (1 of 146 votes)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
0.9% (4 of 464 votes)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Rt Hon David Miliband MP
0.6% (3 of 501 votes)
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
1.3% (8 of 626 votes)
Secretary of State for the Home Department
The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
0.6% (5 of 775 votes)
Secretary of State for Defence
The Rt Hon John Hutton MP
1.0% (7 of 672 votes)
Secretary of State for Health
The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
1.0% (7 of 682 votes)
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
0.4% (3 of 670 votes)
Secretary of State for International Development
The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
0.5% (3 of 582 votes)
Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Rt Hon Peter Mandelson
No information
Leader of the House of Commons (and Lord Privy Seal); Minister for Women; and Labour Party Chair
The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP
0.7% (5 of 775 votes)
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Rt Hon James Purnell MP
0.7 % (6 of 823 votes)
Secretary of State for Transport
The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
0.5% (4 of 759 votes)
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP
0.4% (3 of 749 votes)
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
0.9% (7 of 819 votes)
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
0.4% (3 of 844 votes)
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
1.3% (10 of 788 votes)
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP
0.5% (3 of 552 votes)
Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council)
The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
No information
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
1.2% (9 of 737 votes)
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Rt Hon John Denham MP
1.0% (7 of 715 votes)
Secretary of State for Wales
The Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
2.2% (17 of 781 votes)
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP
1.5% (11 of 728 votes)
From The Public Whip website
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mps.php
Not all Labour MPs have been so spineless though, the name Frank Field springs to mind as an example of a Labour politician with a conscience, someone who is proud of being British and is sceptical of the benefits of the EU and immigration. He is one of the few who deserves to survive the upcoming election with his seat in parliament intact.
Below is a roll call of the current Cabinet members. The percentage of the member's votes which went against the Government's position is shown, aswell as the number of times the y rebelled and the total number of votes in which they participated. Their spinelessness should haunt them through the rest of their working lives.
Cabinet loyalty for current parliment
Total votes for this parliament 996 (as of 30 March 2009)
Prime Minister, First Lord of the Treasury and Minister for the Civil Service
The Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
0.7% (1 of 146 votes)
Chancellor of the Exchequer
The Rt Hon Alistair Darling MP
0.9% (4 of 464 votes)
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
The Rt Hon David Miliband MP
0.6% (3 of 501 votes)
Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor
The Rt Hon Jack Straw MP
1.3% (8 of 626 votes)
Secretary of State for the Home Department
The Rt Hon Jacqui Smith MP
0.6% (5 of 775 votes)
Secretary of State for Defence
The Rt Hon John Hutton MP
1.0% (7 of 672 votes)
Secretary of State for Health
The Rt Hon Alan Johnson MP
1.0% (7 of 682 votes)
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
The Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP
0.4% (3 of 670 votes)
Secretary of State for International Development
The Rt Hon Douglas Alexander MP
0.5% (3 of 582 votes)
Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
The Rt Hon Peter Mandelson
No information
Leader of the House of Commons (and Lord Privy Seal); Minister for Women; and Labour Party Chair
The Rt Hon Harriet Harman QC MP
0.7% (5 of 775 votes)
Secretary of State for Work and Pensions
The Rt Hon James Purnell MP
0.7 % (6 of 823 votes)
Secretary of State for Transport
The Rt Hon Geoff Hoon MP
0.5% (4 of 759 votes)
Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
The Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP
0.4% (3 of 749 votes)
Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families
The Rt Hon Ed Balls MP
0.9% (7 of 819 votes)
Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change
The Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP
0.4% (3 of 844 votes)
Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
The Rt Hon Andy Burnham MP
1.3% (10 of 788 votes)
Secretary of State for Northern Ireland
The Rt Hon Shaun Woodward MP
0.5% (3 of 552 votes)
Leader of the House of Lords (and Lord President of the Council)
The Rt Hon Baroness Royall of Blaisdon
No information
Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP
1.2% (9 of 737 votes)
Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills
The Rt Hon John Denham MP
1.0% (7 of 715 votes)
Secretary of State for Wales
The Rt Hon Paul Murphy MP
2.2% (17 of 781 votes)
Secretary of State for Scotland
The Rt Hon Jim Murphy MP
1.5% (11 of 728 votes)
From The Public Whip website
http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/mps.php
Not all Labour MPs have been so spineless though, the name Frank Field springs to mind as an example of a Labour politician with a conscience, someone who is proud of being British and is sceptical of the benefits of the EU and immigration. He is one of the few who deserves to survive the upcoming election with his seat in parliament intact.
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