Porkers vote to keep snouts in the trough
MPs have voted to keep their £24,000 second home allowances, but have decided not to award themselves above-inflation pay rises. They rejected tougher auditing and an alternative expenses regime proposed by a Commons review. The Tories and Lib Dems condemned the decision but MPs who backed keeping the allowances said they were fair. snip More than 30 government ministers opted to keep the ACA, including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham and Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's parliamentary private secretaries Ian Austin and Angela Smith also voted in this way. Liberal Democrat Nick Harvey, a member of the estimate committee, said: "It was a total own-goal on the part of the House of Commons. An opportunity to put our house in order and be seen to put our house in order has been passed up. "They took all the nice bits of the package but not the ones they didn't like. They took the spoonful of sugar but refused the medicine." For the Conservatives, shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: "When Parliament has been under fire in the way it has been over the last few months, it is essential our leaders set the right example. "David Cameron and the shadow cabinet voted for the abolition of the John Lewis list whilst Gordon Brown and his most senior ministers went Awol. They are showing blatant contempt for very real public concerns." After the expenses vote announcement was read out, Mr Cameron was heard to exclaim: "Where's the government?" snip http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7486612.stm
MPs have voted to keep their £24,000 second home allowances, but have decided not to award themselves above-inflation pay rises. They rejected tougher auditing and an alternative expenses regime proposed by a Commons review. The Tories and Lib Dems condemned the decision but MPs who backed keeping the allowances said they were fair. snip More than 30 government ministers opted to keep the ACA, including Home Secretary Jacqui Smith, Culture Secretary Andy Burnham and Northern Ireland Secretary Shaun Woodward. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's parliamentary private secretaries Ian Austin and Angela Smith also voted in this way. Liberal Democrat Nick Harvey, a member of the estimate committee, said: "It was a total own-goal on the part of the House of Commons. An opportunity to put our house in order and be seen to put our house in order has been passed up. "They took all the nice bits of the package but not the ones they didn't like. They took the spoonful of sugar but refused the medicine." For the Conservatives, shadow work and pensions secretary Chris Grayling said: "When Parliament has been under fire in the way it has been over the last few months, it is essential our leaders set the right example. "David Cameron and the shadow cabinet voted for the abolition of the John Lewis list whilst Gordon Brown and his most senior ministers went Awol. They are showing blatant contempt for very real public concerns." After the expenses vote announcement was read out, Mr Cameron was heard to exclaim: "Where's the government?" snip http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7486612.stm