Hillsborough's "J.R. Hartley"
When I lived in New York a couple of friends, on finding out I had written two books, nicknamed me "J.R. Hartley". They reasoned that, apart from the author himself, no one could possibly be interested in my obscure tomes (with friends like these, you may well think...) The nickname, for those not familiar, was a reference to the old Yellow Pages advert in which the ageing author of "Fly Fishing" rings around second hand bookshops to track down his own work.
With such a famous co-author as Esther Rantzen, I wouldn't dream of putting Shaun Woodward's book on Ben Hardwick in the same category as my publications. Nevertheless there is something distinctly JR Hartleyesque about the revelation that the Secretary of State bought a second hand copy of his own book and then charged it to his Westminster expenses.
No doubt Mr Woodward will explain all - I believe he's due to appear on the Politics Show on BBC 1 on Sunday at 12.30pm. Once the TV show is over feel free to flick on Radio Ulster. We are starting a series of special European election programmes, featuring the seven candidates. We kick off this weekend with the SDLP's Alban Maginness and Alliance's Ian Parsley. I shall be joined in the studio by Martina Purdy for the programme which starts straight after the One O'Clock news.
P.S. Martin McGuinness may not have been keen to attend this week's Hillsborough reception for the Irish rugby team hosted by the Queen, but where can you see the two of them together?
Answer - on the mantle piece at the home of Newry and Armagh MLA Mickey Brady's mother. She turned 100 earlier this year and has on display cards from both the Deputy First Minister and the Queen. Apparently, though, her favourite is another card which, when opened, triggers a rendition of "Happy Birthday" by Daniel O'Donnell.
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DOUBLE VISION?
The Daily Telegraph has reported that a Northern Ireland MP claimed for two televisions at a total cost to the taxpayer of £2,278.
I was thinking perhaps that it may have been that he/she could watch two DVDs simultaneously...borrowed from Jacqui's hubby?
Pandora
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Mark,
I have read your book Flash Frames and I think it is brilliant. It tells things they way they are and it was a very interesting read.
As regards to the expenses off our MP's it is disgraceful the amount of money that was claimed and more to the point the items that were claimed. One MP tried to claim for a pram. How would that help him carry out his job? In the Daily Telegraph yesterday Matt the cartoonist had a brilliant cartoon. He had 2 men outside Parliament and one said to the other - I am came into politics to furnish my living room!!
Stormontspy
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I posted this comment earlier on my usual blog, 'Blether with Brian'. I came over to this blog to see if there were any comments about the BBC article.
'I have just been reading the 'Telegraph' about the MPs expenses. To be fair to the MPs who are being castigated all their expenses have been deemed 'legal' by the Westminster parliament. Whether the MPs mentioned are having their nose in the trough, as a lot of us believe, does not mean to say that they have done anything illegal.
The case of the PM sharing a cleaner with his brother, and the monies paid to his brother, is miniscule for hiring a cleaner for two years. Unless, of course, you would want the cleaner to be paid even less than the small amount of money they would normally get. The real question is not the 'small' amount his brother was refunded but, 'Is the PM allowed, under Westminster parliamentary rules, to claim for a cleaner to come to his second home and clean his flat?'. If the rules state that it is allowed then this is a 'no story' and smacks of smearing. However, there are other cabinet members whose claims seem to be disturbing. Take, for example, the case of Barbara Follet who tried to claim GBP 528 for cleaning a Chinese needlepoint rug but the House of Commons Fees Office told her it was too expensive and gave her only GBP 300 instead. Again, it is not the amount of monies claimed for cleaning a rug but has she the right to do so? Obviously, the Westminster parliament believes that she has the right. Personally, I don't see what the cleaning of her rug has to do with the Westminster Parliament. It is not the MPs that the Telegraph should be going after, as they have not broken any laws or rules, but the people in the Fees Office who are allowing all this to pass. I'd be interested in finding out why she was allowed this cleaning bill.
As to the BBC highlighting the article in the Telegraph about flats that the Sinn Fein MPs use when they are over here, on parliamentary business, the BBC know and have reported this in the past, that Sinn Fein will not sit in the house because they will have to swear an oath to the Queen. So, I don't know the point that the BBC are trying to put over about Sinn Fein who have the right, as any MP does, to claim legal expenses. The fact that Sinn Fein do not sit in the house is a political point, which the BBC are fully aware of, and not a 'sleaze' point, as the article was meant to be about.'
My comment is not about any political party but, rather, the BBC's point on highlighting a political party's political stance.
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SOS BOOK...
I was wondering how much the Secretary of State claimed on expenses for his own book.
Ben: Story of Ben Hardwick by Esther Rantzen and Shaun Woodward may be purchased new and used from as little as 1p from a well-known internet book seller!
Pandora
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
I was interested to see that the Robinson dynasty at Westminster both claimed second home allowance for the flat they own in London. (from BBC website) Is that ethical? Don't they say two can live more cheaply than one.
Also when are we going to get around to asking questions about how expenses are used in respect of staff costs. The taxpayer is effectively paying MPs' staff. shouldn't these be advertised and normal recruitment procedures run rather than taking on members of their family to work for them. I wonder how many MPs 'employ' family members.
Since we also subsidise the EU it would be interesting to see the types of expenses and volume claimed by our MEPs.
And as Visteon workers fight for a decent redundancy package, the Assembly has slipped out a nice little redundancy package for our councillors, some of whom may receive up to £36,000 for all their years of public service. We are trying to reduce the numbers by about 120 councillors before the next elections in 2011. Why should the taxpayer have to pay for what are party political matters. No-one asked them to stand and they do precious little other than complain. My solution is to end the double jobbing in the Assembly. That would get rid of about 70 councillors and the political parties can decide who to deselect and pay them off if they want to.
Its time all our politicians took their snouts out of the trough. Respect has to be earned.
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