Denis MacShane looks as if he may be joining the hat woman Moran in the dock very shortly.
The Commons authorities have reported Den boy to the police after studying his claims for office space in his constituency which turned out to be his garage. At £20,000 a year (totalling some £125,000), paid to himself, it turned out to be a rather expensive garage...well, expensive for us, not him.
He also appears to have favoured his family when it came to getting work done. He submitted more than a dozen invoices for “research and translation” from an organization called the European Policy Institute, which just happens to be run by his brother.
As Europe minister, you would have thought that he would have been able to get any research or translating done for him by people in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or by the government’s own EU offices in London.
He also claimed for 8 laptops in 3 years... I’m pretty sure that even working as hard as I’m sure Mr MacShane did, no one could wear out that many computers in such a short time. But of course he could have been taking after his boss, Mr Brown, but throwing laptops instead of Nokias!
MacShane is thought to be the first MP referred to the police by parliament. Let’s hope he’s not the last.
Just one last thought. When I was researching some pictures for this post I noticed that MacShane is in fact the Rt. Hon. Denis MacShane. Is it not time, given the dishonour that these people have brought upon themselves, upon the London parliament and upon the UK, that these ridiculous honorifics be ditched? They are not honourable nor are they right honourable. They shouldn’t be so addressed. If there is no mechanism for removing them from the Privy Council, then there should be.
The Commons authorities have reported Den boy to the police after studying his claims for office space in his constituency which turned out to be his garage. At £20,000 a year (totalling some £125,000), paid to himself, it turned out to be a rather expensive garage...well, expensive for us, not him.
He also appears to have favoured his family when it came to getting work done. He submitted more than a dozen invoices for “research and translation” from an organization called the European Policy Institute, which just happens to be run by his brother.
As Europe minister, you would have thought that he would have been able to get any research or translating done for him by people in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office or by the government’s own EU offices in London.
He also claimed for 8 laptops in 3 years... I’m pretty sure that even working as hard as I’m sure Mr MacShane did, no one could wear out that many computers in such a short time. But of course he could have been taking after his boss, Mr Brown, but throwing laptops instead of Nokias!
MacShane is thought to be the first MP referred to the police by parliament. Let’s hope he’s not the last.
Just one last thought. When I was researching some pictures for this post I noticed that MacShane is in fact the Rt. Hon. Denis MacShane. Is it not time, given the dishonour that these people have brought upon themselves, upon the London parliament and upon the UK, that these ridiculous honorifics be ditched? They are not honourable nor are they right honourable. They shouldn’t be so addressed. If there is no mechanism for removing them from the Privy Council, then there should be.
Mr MacShane is no longer a Labour MP having had the whip removed. (Hat tip to Guido)
Pics: Mr MacShane and his garage (a coat of pain wouldn't have gone amiss at £250K, don't you think?)
He's still a Labour MP with 5 years of wages and expenses to look forward to. He just can't vote.
ReplyDeleteI see he was Europe Minister so he's no stranger to the epxpenses trough. Plus of course he doesn't care about voting anyway. That's for little people. Not for true Europeans.
COULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED TO A NICER GUY!
ReplyDeleteI have not had so much innocent merriment since the Democracy Movement came out with a leaflet on another Europe Minister. In the style of a detergent advert, it announced
NEW MIRACLE VAZ WON'T WASH
Of course he dosnt care about voting anyway. Hes a bit like Scottish torys who dont care about blocking the people of Scotland the right to vote in a referendum.
ReplyDeleteNo tory is entitled to question anyone about caring to vote.
See hear chaps - I rather think it is unfair of you to associate the this man's alleged [filthy smelling] corruption with the fact he served as UK member-state minister for Europe.
ReplyDeleteThey are unrelated, and shouldn't be conflated together.
P.S, I'd add that opposing referenda on principle is entirely reasonable. I believe in parliamentary democracy, not government-by-tabloid as the plebicite alternative inevitably is.
Ukipper... He won't have the wages or expenses if he's in prison! Let's hope that's where he ends up.
ReplyDeleteYes Mr Spalton. They are always good for a laugh.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure he will exonerated at the end and then you lot will look pretty silly
ReplyDeleteWell Anon, Labour are blocking that too.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you think of Mr Cameron's and Mr Clegg's referendum on UK voting then Dean?
ReplyDeleteOnly if he finds a friendly judge niko.. and of course that's always possible.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if he will join the rest of the troughers in proposing that he is far too important to stand in the dock like an ordinary criminal... as if stealing £20,000 a year wasn't a pretty ordinary crime.
And will he feel that he's above being judged by a judge, and demand that parliament try him?
Of course we have a way of getting rid of privy councillors - we still have a Tower of London, don't we? Last time I checked we still had sturdy chopping blocks and plenty of axes.
ReplyDelete200 + to go I notice the dictator party spokeperson decries the people a vote via referenda who also complains about nationalists, hypocrasy at its best.
ReplyDeletehttp://politics.caledonianmercury.com/2010/10/13/flagging-up-the-tories-banner-contradictions/
Ah Woman on a Raft... the first sensible suggestion I've seen all evening.
ReplyDeleteLet's get sharpening our hachets...
You are very welcome here btw... do pop back from time to time :)
Good article. Unfortunately the Engish Tories leaving Annabel looking rather foolish. How she must wish they would consult her, but of course they never will.
ReplyDeleteTris,
ReplyDeleteI do not support the proposed referendum on abolishing the tried and trusted FPTP system. If they don't have a chance of getting the peoples representatives to agree - and fail to have any semblance of a mandate to call it, why tolerate this blatant LibDemmery?
Pretty much because the Libdems wold have walked away from the coalition, dropped Brown from the labour Party and formed a government with them... that's probably the reason mate.
ReplyDeleteI don't honestly think that FPTP is trusted, though tried it certainly has been. It has produced huge discrepencies in voting numbers and representation; it leaves vast numbers of people unrepresented; it produces, on both sides, job for life MPs in safe seats..and look what they did with it.
"tried and trusted FPTP system" Ha Ha Ha call Macenroe for confirmation if that is what students are taught sack the teachers, idiots.
ReplyDeleteThe alternative vote system will mean that voters will get what they vote for. Millions of votes won't be wasted like with the present system. Labour use it for their leadership elections so I don't understand why they are against it. Unless they're afraid of people power. The only drawback is you will get more greenie fruitcakes into power and have more hung parliaments.
ReplyDeleteThis is a bizarre story about Labour's Jim Devine in case you're interested...
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/breaking-edinburgh-news/Tribunal-hears-of-bizarre-events.6580895.jp
Thanks for that link Ukiper...
ReplyDelete....he's quite amazing...
I think he should probably go to Carstairs instead of Bar-L.
tris..
ReplyDeleteMaybe he could bunk up with Tommy in the BarL ?
The Sun did a good story aswell. Check out the pic. One for the ladies ( says pot calling kettle ...)
http://www.thesun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/3180910/Bully-MP-Jim-Devine-hoaxed-own-office-boss.html
What a revolting thought Ukiper.
ReplyDeleteHe's a fine figure of a ..... erm.... yeah whatever. I was going to say, trust the Sun to find a really repulsive picture, but in fairness I think they would be hard pressed to find a reasonable picture of that one.
I tried to save it for use, but the Sun won't let you steal its pics.
Pfffffff