From BBC News:
Justice minister Shahid Malik has gone on the offensive after becoming the latest MP to be singled out by The Daily Telegraph over expenses claims. Mr Malik insists he stuck “a million per cent by the rules“
Perhaps it is not surprising these idiots have been caught fiddling the books and inflating their expense claims if their grasp of basic number theory is that poor.
Then again, perhaps this fool did claim a million per cent of what he ought.
This business is going to change politics. Wonky expenses has been going on since politics began, perhaps now we’ll get some value for our money. And we could do worse than start with electing people who know a) how to count and b) when they look idiotic using hyperbole.
Comments
5 responses to “MP’s Expenses | Living ‘1,000,000% by the Rules’”
Kester, very entertaining, and a good point well made.
But is ‘this business’ really ‘going to change politics’? These expense claims may get tightened up for a while, perhaps forever, but where there is a will to maximise personal profit, there will always be a way.
Personally I’d be more comfortable with politicians who didnt know how to count, but were so personally invested in their vocation, that we could trust them not to abuse their positions. The sums of money that have been swiped are small beer really, its the principle that matters, and on that score there are precious few good uns around.
Good having you back by the way.
Good to be back, thanks.
You’ve probably seen from the news that Malik has now resigned. Whether that was because of his expenses, or his rather arrogant and nonsensical rebuttal of the stories about him in an interview on the Today programme we don’t know.
Actually, I do think this will change things. There will always be people out to maximise personal profit, but that’s universal in any line of work I’d say. What appears to have been so wrong in this case was the lack of accountability, and thus the culture of deliberately maxing claims. That can’t happen when there is proper freedom of information. MPs have been running scared of this information getting out for 4 years – and have consistently tried to dodge attempts under the FOI Act to make their finances public. This will change. And I think that will have a genuine effect.
I dont think you should underestimate your part in his downfall… 🙂
Perhaps you’re right, I do tend to the cynical side of things sometimes (shame shame) still wouldnt put my (very cheap) shirt on it though.
On the other hand, I do detect a hidden agenda, I suspect you of wanting more maths teachers in power – am I right?
Yes. Maths teachers should rule.
Lol. Actually, there is a serious point in government in general – the representation of those from science/mathematics backgrounds is very very low in parliament and the civil service, which is odd considering the huge part these play in controlling and growing the economy.
From my background in studying politics at university – I can tell you that is because mathematicians and scientists are fundamentally untrustworthy.