The gall of the Wintertons
You cannot beat Ann Winterton for brass neck. This morning, the far right Tory MP and her far right Tory MP husband were rebuked in writing by the Commons Standards and Privileges committee over a nice little earner they worked out. In 2002, having paid the mortgage on a flat they owned in London, they transfered ownership to a family trust, to avoid inheritance tax. They then paid £21,600 a year rent to the trust, whose sole beneficiaries are the Winterton family, and claimed the rent off the Commons Fees Office.
So did Mrs Winterton look at all ashamed after this document was published yesterday morning? Not a bit. Instead, she was on her feet to attack Gordon Brown for not renouncing the Lisbon Treaty, a subject which obsesses the Tory right, and this is what she said: "How can the Prime Minister expect the people of this country to obey our laws and to trust the government when the government itself flagrantly ignores the EU rule...?"
Talk about don't do as I do.
That's THEFT.
Obtaining money by false pretences.
Why are these people not charged with any offence ???
Posted by: Sean | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 05:21 PM
With access to the public purse in such privileges, on top of their salaries ( the level of which they themselves control!!) it is no wonder that so many candidates offer themselves to obtain a seat in Parliament.
It is high time that the rules are changed to prevent such abuses.
And an independent body should determine the level of MP's salaries.
Posted by: dave butcher | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 06:10 PM
As large numbers of voters are apparently preparing to vote against their own interests - ie Tory - this is a salutary reminder of what the Tories are actually like. Never mind 'Dave' and his vaguely 'green' outpourings, this is the true face of Toryism - people who have no compunction about emptying the public purse for their own purposes, but who would probably advocate hanging for some kid who pinches a packet of licquorice allsorts from Woolies. Shouldn't this pair of hypocritical, hatchet-faced gits be banged up?
Posted by: Indie reader | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 06:42 PM
When are we the public going to demand that MP's who make fraudulent claims as they are doing - do not get away with it. Even the few that reluctantly stand down when forced to should not be the end of the matter. They should be criminally charged, after all most of them keep talking about zero tolerance, tough on crime and how we need deterrents.
Are they beyond the law? Benefit cheats and other petty criminals are imprisoned. Perhaps we should build a prison for MP's on the fiddle and lock them up, as they do in the real world.
Posted by: Peter E | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 06:43 PM
It is just cynical party-political point scoring to use this to argue that the Tories are especially corrupt. Politicians in general are corrupt, including vast numbers of liberals and socialists. Does anyone have any credible suggestions for tackling problems that apply to politicians of all persuasions?
Posted by: Oliver Chettle | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 06:49 PM
Er, theft is where you take things without asking. What happened here is that they told their employers EXACTLY what they were doing, and the employers chose to pay them. Then the employers changed their mind.
Yes, they sailed close to the wind, even when this was set up, but they could have just bought another flat on a mortgage, and been paid like other MPs. The sooner all MPs are treated the same the better. There are plenty of MPs out there who got the same benefits. And Tony's arrangement, having accidentally shredded most of the evidence is far more shameful.
Posted by: Chris | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 09:57 PM
Here's an idea, get rid of MPs altogether and directly elect the Prime Minister, who can then select their Government Ministers from the electorate. Bills that would have gone to MPs to vote on can be decided by referendum instead, and can only be passed if the turn out is over a fixed percentage, say 50% to 60%. This would have the added advantge of preventing too many needless laws being passed.
The electorate can be represented to the Government by their local councilors and Mayors at regular monthly meetings between the PM and the heads of local councils.
The contempt for MPs is reaching critical mass and the time for direct democracy in this country is coming.
Posted by: A Williams | Wednesday, 18 June 2008 at 10:22 PM
The thing to do now is to find an MP who hasn't diddled the tax-payer. And make of him or her a hero. Is there such a one? Please, Independent, can you have a look at this? Imagine if you found such a person - we would have reason to rejoice instead of that depressing feeling we get every morning when we read about our leaders. The arrogant, self-interested, greedy, evidence-shredding, know-nothings that they are.
Posted by: john problem | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 08:52 AM
In years to come our antecedents will look on the way we allow run country to be run, with a mixture of horror and flabbergasted-humour. "What, they really let the politicians get away with it?!!! They must have been bloody fools!"
Posted by: Herb Worth | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 08:58 AM
Yes, why especially them ? They are all 'at it'.
Start with the speaker Mick Mr. Gorbals Martin the worst offender of the lot and leader of the pack. Now they want another pay rise- well surprise surprise.
Posted by: Victor M | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 09:42 AM
Can I remind Oliver Chettle that the piblic are the real employers of MP's (as public servants), not the self regulating committee members he maybe alluding to.
If I misappropriated company expenses like this in the real world, I would at the least be sacked and most probably prosecuted.
Considering the scale of the deceit and the fact of their position in society we should make an example of them - lets see zero tolerance and be tough on crime as all their manifestos proclaim. And BTW whose policing the police in this case - and is it working?!!!
Some even tried to hide the facts by using "The terrorism threat" as a smokescreen.
Posted by: Peter E | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 10:41 AM
I'd be keen to try the 'Unwitting' defence in a court of law! Of course, it's one law for them and another for us.
Posted by: janes | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 10:47 AM
We are the mugs to put up with this. The lies, fraud and theft are not limited to any one party, but it does seem as though the Tories and New Labour are the worst offenders. I am always amazed at the arrogance of the people, when confronted, they do not seem to think they have done anything wrong.
Throw them in prison and forbid them from ever holding a public office again. Make them repay any fraudulently obtained funds, and if need be seize assets and property.
Posted by: AndyUK | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 10:51 AM
I think the British newspapers should help the British public start a campaign to enforce proper standards of behaviour from our MP's, with truly independant scrutiny. At the moment the Westminister Club seems intent on arrogantly perverting our democratic rule, it's sense of fair play and justice by their sleaze, lies and deceit, because it's pretty well untouchable, claiming it regulates it's own affairs.
The public should demand a stop to it and enforce change upon those ELECTED as public servants to behave accordingly or face the consequences - and I don't just mean losing their seat.
Self regulation does not work - and for those who think it does I would simply say would you let the criminal fraternity regulate itself?!!
Posted by: PeterE | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 11:16 AM
MPs would only pass a law to censor journalist and their newspapers.
We are powerless to stop the thieving gits basically.
It is called....er... democracy?
Posted by: Rose Tinted | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 11:52 AM
We are not powerless, but we are apathetic about our politics. Just 22 miles from Dover, we have France, a country who we often criticise for industrial action, which may spoil our booze cruise. They have not forgotten, that they can mobilise the masses and force change, whilst we have lost the passion which built our country, and gave us the "original" Labour party, a political party which promised to fight for the rights of the working class, and make all men equal. Instead, we have allowed the elitist 1% rule our country, take control of our media and government, and set about widening the gap between rich and poor.
We should be ashamed of ourselves for letting this happen, and we have only ourselves to blame, if we continue to vote into power, individuals who serve only themselves or their sponsors, instead of their constituents. We need to be able to hold them accountable, and if need be, dismiss them from office for failing the people and the country.
Posted by: AndyUK | Thursday, 19 June 2008 at 10:08 PM
thieves should be prosecuted, 'unwitting or not.
Posted by: druscilla | Tuesday, 01 July 2008 at 08:05 PM
When each of these grubby little politicians stands for re-election it will be the duty of the media and their opponents to highlight their dishonesty.This will provoke howls of protest and demands to concentrate on the "real issues".Perhaps it would be better if a wealthy individual could provoke a libel case by denouncing the Wintertons publicly as "thieves".
Posted by: peter robinson | Wednesday, 09 July 2008 at 07:26 AM