No Expenses Spared
A couple of weeks back some readers took me to task for not blogging about the release of Stormont expenses. One reason I held back at that stage is that I had an idea of what might be brewing in relation to the past allowances. Andy Martin's report on "Good Morning Ulster" has now made those matters public.
When we were called into an Assembly briefing on the release of 2008/09 expenses questions were raised about the big round sums paid to some party headquarters. But at that stage officials explained it as a matter of personal choice for the politicians. Some organised their own secretarial and research requirements, whilst others preferred to let their parties provide them centrally.
Andy's figures, putting Sinn Fein at nearly £2 million, well ahead of the Ulster Unionists at £380,000, raise a question about whether the Assembly allowances are being used to support politicians in their necessary constituency work or - in Sinn Fein's case in particular - have been used as a "tithe" to supplement the general party coffers.
Sinn Fein officials point out that the "Office Costs Allowance" is not limited to constituency work but is meant to support their MLAs in their general Assembly functions. So, the argument goes, if MLAs band together to pay for centrally provided research on, say, rural planning then that is a legitimate and effective use of resources.
They also point out that other parties tend to use the bulk of their "Office Costs Allowance", so it's not the case that republicans are costing the taxpayer more on average than their counterparts. There seems to be a hint also that because Sinn Fein workers get lower rates than other employees this has freed up more of the OCA for their general research work.
Nevertheless when you look at, say, Cathal Boylan's expenses and see round figures for £13,400 and £10,800, then, for example, Raymond McCartney's expenses with round figures of £13,300, £11,900 and £6,500, it's hard not to wonder where that cash is ultimately going to.
Sinn Fein aren't "themselves alone" on this one. If you look at last year's top claimer, the SDLP's Pat Ramsey you can see bills from SDLP HQ of £1,950, £1,500, £2,500 and £900.
Maybe there is nothing awry (although I see that, predictably, Jim Allister is not convinced). But it would probably increase public confidence in the assembly if there were some system of secondary auditing so the ultimate use of money paid to party headquarters could be independently verified.
Defending his party, Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd argued that other politicians employ their husbands and wives to do similar work rather than ensuring it is carried out centrally. Andy Martin mentioned the employment of some relatives in building work on MLA offices during his broadcast this morning and tomorrow's "Good Morning Ulster" is expected to have more on that score. The Assembly has just adopted a new code of conduct which will include a register of family members, expected to be published next month. Again, given the level of suspicion around expenses, whether they are at Stormont or Westminster, the publication of this register will not be before time.
Andy also raised the large sums approved for repairing or altering MLA offices. That's something which will raise eyebrows amongst anyone who has been a tenant, and who expects their landlord to pick up the bill for maintenance. I suppose a case can be made for MLAs paying the bill if an office has to be altered to suit their particular purposes (for example by ensuring full access for constituents with disabilities). However there is clearly room for debate about which alterations should be paid for by a tenant and which by a landlord. And if a politician rents from their party or a family member then there is always the potential for a perceived conflict of interest.
Finally an admission. The headline for this entry is plagiarised from the recent Daily Telegraph book of the same name. I am reading it at the moment and would recommend it to anyone looking for - in Anthony Howard's words - a "racy, pacy" read.
I'm 
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Thanks MARK.
INFORMATION OVERLOAD !
Will give us something to do,a damp weekend !!!
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Office Cost Allowance as per Assembly Members Handbook:
The purpose of the OCA is to provide Members with an allowance equal to the expenses incurred on research, secretarial, clerical or administrative assistance (including the provision of any equipment, facilities or services associated therewith) required in connection with the carrying out of Assembly duties.
Members may not claim from OCA the cost of any donations they might make to their political parties or to any other organisation or individual.
From the above and from the tenor of Marks article it is clear that a practice must have been allowed to grow and may still currently exist where some MLA's submitted inflated invoices for either secreterial support or research for work that may or may not have been carried out.
This was obviously done as a means of indirectly supporting the party and was an activity carried out with little resistance from the finance office.
With regard office rents who reviews them and decides if they are fair and reasonable. Again the practice of claiming for inflated rentals as a means of diverting additional monies to the landlord would be wrong.
The above instances are clearly unacceptable and if the have gone on then it is clear evidence of breaches of not only the new code of conduct but also potentially the criminal code. To preserve the good name of the Northern Ireland Assemly the matter needs to be fully investigated and clarified now.
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Always interesting watching the news in this so-called country. I always thought that journalists were supposed to be impartial, watching BBC newsline tonight the body language of a certian lady presenter, we shall call Donna, disproved this. Stop beating up Sinn Fein, who im sure Mark you will agree are Steps ahead when it comes to political know how!!
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The BNP are on Question Time tonight. Could you imagine if they decided to march from their London headquarters to the BBC studios via Finsbury, behind the Enoch Powell memorial band, waving banners displaying Richard Butler and Adolf Hitler. Would the London Assembly or the Met Police allow it? just a thought!
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Research for "politic know how" costs too much!!!
Think of all those bags of "chips",the money could buy!!!
Get Legg involved to stop this misuse of public money!!!
Any MLA,abusing expenses,should be suspended!!!
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#4 DisgustedinDerry.
I was right about the CHIPS !!!
Your wrong again,wanting to go marching,a week too early.
BNP are on Question Time next Thursday,and
they're opening up membership to all !!!!!
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Does it matter when the BNP are on question time the fact is that neo-bigots would not be allowed to march in asian or black areas in London. Maybe other neo-bigots in other parts of the United Kingdom should also open their ranks so that it represents society as a whole!
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Mark,
Is this the information on a disc passed to the BBC by someone in Stormont?
I am glad it has now been revealed. It makes no change that our public representatives are swiping the tax payer for everything they can get. Iris Robinson, last week and this make a fool out off herself at the health committee in Stormont taking a pop at people who want more for our health service. If she and others didn't have such high expenses claims and let us be clear anything above 2p in my opinion is excessive then there would be more nurses and more beds in our hospitals.
It would be good if the number of MLA's was reduced to nil and direct rule was restored. Before this happens let us find out what else is on this disc? Any excessive furniture claims or gardening claims????
Stormontspy
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Is Jim Allister's scepticism any more predictable than the arrogance of Assembly members in spending the taxpayers money? What appalls the average citizen is that there is no substantial effort by the media, including the BBC, to apply investigative techniques to uncover these stories ahead of the choreographed, sanitised versions that are sold as news. For instance I notice that Jim Allister made a press statement about the development of a "Big Brother" type database on all schoolchildren, including the collection of information about members of the security forces, but despite all the research money claimed by the main political parties and the MLAs not one single word of concern has been raised. Was that also predictable? The failure of the multi-million pound computerised Incas assessment system contracted by CCEA for primary school pupils was only announced after parents complained about inaccuracies. Was that predictable also?
It should be remembered that after the Daily Telegraph scoop on expenses there was much hand-wringing on double-jobbing by our squeaky clean MPs and MLAs. Who has taken steps to end this travesty? Predictably - not one!
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Stormentspy
Your right.There must disc of MLA expenses.
More info out today.
Bring LEGG over here to stop this "dripping roast" becoming putrid !!!
There's enough of a rancid smell in the political nostril !!!
How about all the extras,"double and triple"jobbers claim ???
Maybe the Daily Telegraph will collate all into a supplement !
Will await your guy's analysis,and
SusieFlood's cryptic comments !!!
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spinspamspun,
There is a disc which the BBC has but won't declare. I wonder how the BBC continually gets leaks like this and also private emails and executive papers...
Whenever I hear of double and triple jobbing I laugh at the DUP. Whenever it first became an issue the DUP said they would end it and have a cabinet reshuffle. Despite this Sammy and Peter are still triple jobbing and in fact Sammy is doing 4 jobs.
It is time all parties stopped treating the electoral like fools. After all who gives political parties jobs?
Stormontspy
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Do remember that TV series based in Liverpool (1980's),
The Boys of/from the Black Stuff
Giz us a Job !!
Sammy could reduce the unemployment figures by 3 overnight !!!
I assume his main job is Finance.
I see he finally got his sums done,
incurred the wrath of "halloween" Iris and found
£68m for old McGimpsey's flu !!!
One of the few who seem to be trying their best.
After you suggesting closing Stormont down,found this
on the Belfast Telegraph site-
One lot "LOYAL TO THE HALF CROWN,BUT NOT THE CROWN"
the other lot"Loyal to the Crown,but more and more crowns.Ta ye mugs"
Interesting debates on "Blether with Brian".
SNP conference in Inverness this weekend.
ps.Still trying to work out the implications of
an Apple falling on a red Robin ! Puzzled !!!
One day,someone might tell me !!!
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#9 redflyfisher
You mention Jim Allister's scepticism !!!
Was he ever anything else ???
You have a long piece/tirade about computers !!!
Where you involved in an organisation beaten in the tender ???
Computers never do what they claim to !!!
One thing I can agree with you on,get the Daily Telegraph/Sir ? Legg
here in Belfast,and tell and print every expense !!!
redflyfisher,hope you and the TUV have a happy halloween !!!
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Mark I've got a query,not NI but UK !
Jacqui claims £116k
Critised
Moves in the Lords to stop her being dressed in "Ermine"
Question - If she pays back the £116k and takes her seat in the Lords,is this
CASH FOR HONOURS ?????????????????????????
Mark,please tell your collegues to release all expense information.
Should PNLI be involved ???
MLA's should prefer the PNLI before the Daily Telegraph!!!
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Stormentspy
News just released.
HMPC investigates taxes of 27 MP's
The "dripping roast" might stop dripping !!!
No more £2m for "research" and rental !!!
Progress for the Punter !!!
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Mark
EXPENSES UNITE MLAs
First of all, let me salute the Whistleblower who passed the expenses disc to the BBC.
I commend your action; you're a Star. In the event of your identity coming into the public domain I shall, in recognition of your fulfilling a public duty, ensure that you receive a small token of appreciation (100 pounds) for doing the right thing. You have set an example for others to follow.
Now to Expenses and where to start?
We now know that all Parties and most MLAs are at it to some degree or other. 95 per cent of MLAs claim the maximum expenses in every expenditure sub-heading. What does that tell you? Well, in effect, that they're making it up as they go along.
Let's be clear, the expenses set out in the Assembly's online publication are the antithesis of transparency. As others on this Blog have noted:- where are the details e.g. unredacted invoices of monies claimed for self-employed secretarial costs, staff wages, research & office support secretarial services and "volunteer expenses" (whatever they are)? Who is checking that the double-jobbing MLAs/MPs are not double-claiming? Who is auditing these chisellers? Certainly not the Northern Ireland Audit Office (too sensitive for them), nor the Assembly's Finance Office (too frightened to rock the gravy boat).
The excuses put forward by MLAs are pathetic: e.g. my brother's company offered a quote that represented a very competitive rate for the [very expensive] renovations carried out at my constituency office; my son was the most suitable candidate for a job in my constituency office out of 7,402 applicants; the [unusually high] rental that I paid to my wife for my constituency office was the cheapest in the north-west; I have personally made no profit out of the 2 million pounds that went to my Party; I spent 12,000 pounds on 'phone costs in the interests of looking after my constituents; et cetera, et cetera.
I have to say that Sinn Fein are the classiest act when it comes to all this smoke & mirrors form of accounting; on the 2 million pounds paid to Party HQ their answer is always that no individual Shinner benefited from allowances claimed and that makes it okay(?!?). The same could be said about the proceeds from the Northern bank Robbery.
As for Micky Brady's claim for over 12,000 pounds for 'phone charges in 2007/08, there is an easy way to establish if the claim is genuine; well, anyone who used the 'phone that much must have at least one cauliflower ear. Can someone out there take a close look at Micky's ears?
As for me, I say to Micky: CHEERS, BIG EARS!
Susie
Carryduff
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Spinspamspun / Susie,
It is welcome news to see HMRC investigate MP's. I hope they look in to the affairs of our MLA's.
I also hope people have finally seen through Willie McCrea in all this. Willie runs round the world recording Gospel songs and proclaiming him to be a man of God. Is he really?
On Wikipedia it states -
He is a minister of Magherafelt Free Presbyterian Church and has made numerous gospel albums.
He was a member of the Shankill Defence Association and in 1971 he was convicted of riotous behaviour in Dungiven. In 1975 he led a prayer service at the paramilitary funerals of Wesley Somerville and Harris Boyle, who were responsible for the Miami Showband killings.
McCrea was criticised when he shared a platform at a Portadown rally with the senior loyalist paramilitary Billy Wright in September 1996.
--
Now McCrea is claiming all this money on expenses. I am sure he has told his followers to love thy neighbour and greed is a sin.
It is time Willie practised what he preached.
Stormontspy
I would love to ask him did God claim huge office expenses, forgive his enemies
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Stomontspy,what have you said or implied ???
Keeping comment off is wrong.
Mark D hope you're not involved !!!
Get focused on a major problem !!!
Get Legg across here and clear out the multi
claiming and the £2mil for political research !!!
Implode them all,up their electorates -----!!!
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spinspamspun
I think that you attempt to demonize the TUV/Jim Allister in an attempt to deny what you and others know but won't admit. The very structure of the mandatory coalition at Stormont gives rise to zero sum politics and the widening of the gap between the political class and those who live in the real world. It will never work for anyone other than the fascists.
I have no competition of interest in the matters raised in my post. I used the example as one of many where the politicians and their "researchers" have failed to examine or comment on waste. Why express surprise on the expenses scandal when there is no system to hold the MLAs to account? I will point once again to the double/triple jobbing issue and ask - where are the media campaigns to end this practice? Is it the case that they too are guilty of having cake and eating it too?
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redflyfisher
What do the TUV and the RIRA etc have in common ?
No peace this Christmas or any other !
TUV speaks from the 1950's,certainly from the time
of Enoch Powell.Why the TUV ? What possible help
can they provide for NI ?
At least that flow of press releases,which rarely
get reported,only to be in Alister's scrapbook,
would cease.
As they might have said in the USA "Alister is no leader"
Wind up his Pantomine and contribute to the mainstream !!!
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Stormontspy
No suprise that the legal team moderated your post for hours and hours !
When the MLA's income streams were released last month,I remember,
among all his coins and Crowns, Willie was being paid over £400
a week by his church.
Not bad for 1 and a 1/2 days "work"
"Singing in the Countinghouse"
Book early for Christmas !!!
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Spinspamspun,
I am sure you would agree that my post about Willie is all accurate. As you say greed is a sin. Would Willie have time to sing in the counting house? After all it goes to £5000.
As for the £400 for 1 and a 1/2 days work where else would he get it? Would they have been passing round nets to collect the money as they do in Paisley's church? That way no coins are allowed.
Stormontspy
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I read that Mark D got a big undisclosed libel payment because he was not over claiming his expenses. Legg says different so Mark should have enough money to pay back his over payment! What is more it won't have cost him anything!
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Drwilsonwilson,
I think you will find it was actually Eddie McGrady. The court ruled the paper has been harsh on him, accepted his claim was justifiable and give him a libel payment. Yet 6 hours later 24 hours after all others Eddie revealed he had to pay back £6111.
Stormontspy
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Thank you for correcting my mistake would hate to get into trouble or suggest that others have been misbehaving
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