Frozen at zero
Posted on
November 03, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
So I guess now we know why Ed Miliband isn’t too bothered about whether energy companies whack their prices up before and after his 16-month “price freeze” or not.
Because we’re paying his bill either way.
Ed Miliband’s parliamentary salary is approximately £140,000. Plus expenses.
According to the Metro there are MPs claiming a heck of a lot more than that for their gas & electricity bills. And the poor souls have just had a miserable £10,000 wage rise.
I have a very hard time not swearing when I see something like this.
Total promotion of Nu Labour mantra (& tactics) –
I’m alright Jack; ‘nough said ?
And yet it’s the unemployed and disabled that are seen as benefit cheats and scroungers 🙁
I wonder how long it will take until we see cheques being waved in the air ala blears stylee saying they’ve paid it back and it was all really husy a mistake and not really theft.
I make no apology to calling them all thieving bastards
‘I have a very hard time not swearing when I see something like this‘
Stewart Bremner
Go on Stewart, enjoy yourself!
If you want to read more and the blood pressure can take it
link to theguardian.com
“The Conservative MP Nadhim Zahawi, a founder of the market research firm YouGov, claimed the most with a bill totalling £5,822.27 to cover electricity and heating oil for his estate in Warwickshire”
Standing in the cafe queue with a middle aged guy. He said, “You’ve made your mind up then” ,nodding in the direction of my YES badge.
“I think I’m going to do the same” he said showing me the front page of the Daily Mirror he was holding.
link to archive.is
“I’ve had enough of these b@@gers”! Front page:MPs claiming for energy bills on expenses.
I said “there are more folk than you think voting YES”. He nodded, grabbed his coffee and shambled off. Here it is!
Sorry Rev can’t resist – In light of what you’ve just put up this is apt.
To all Ed miliband and J Lamont fans who may have found their way here –
(And Dunfermline Labour voters)
Hello, Hello, Hello …..
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me
Is there anyone home?
FFS Margaret, at least spare us the lame excuses, the Tories are honest enough to not bother, why do you? How’s your hanging baskets getting on anyway?
Dame Margaret Beckett, who has been Labour MP for Derby South since 1983, claimed £3,960 on gas and electricity on her constituency home. Mrs Beckett said there was “ill health in her family” for the period covering the expenses claim which meant being in the house longer and having the heating higher.
The energy companies need to raise about £110 Billion by 2020 to pay for new power stations. They can do that from borrowing, from their shareholders, or from their customers.
Thanks to Ed threatening to freeze their income they immediately lost about 5% of their share value. That means that their shareholders aren’t going to stump up the cash and the business doesn’t look such a good bet for lenders.
So thanks to Ed the only option they had left was to squeeze some more, a lot more, out of their customers. Ed and the Labour party might claim that they are trying to protect people from the energy companies, but they are the people who caused the energy companies to put their prices up.
Remember, we’re all in it together, we all get to pay a share of Ed’s electric bill, even if Ed doesn’t.
The second home allowance I suppose is reasonable when it comes to rent/mortgage costs (although in the case of a mortgage it would seem fair that any profit at the end of their term should belong to the taxpayer) and also perhaps council tax and insurance.
But surely other living costs for consumables such as food and energy should be borne by the politicians, afterall the rest of us have to pay for these things from our ‘normal’ income and any food / energy costs incurred when in London means not having to spend this at their other address (standing charges excepted)
Its what Johann Lamont means by a Something For Nothing culture.
Isn’t it, Johann?
@Seasick Dave
Excellent comment!
Just slightly O/T – I missed this article by Simon Henry of Royal Dutch Shell on Friday in the Herald.
link to archive.is
“Asked about Scotland possibly voting for independence in the referendum next September, Mr Henry said: “We try to stay out of such geopolitics in general and reiterate that our wish and our need for investment is a long-term stable energy policy and fiscal framework. What we don’t need is arbitrary and unexpected changes in fiscal regimes. I can’t speak for Scotland, but the UK has a track record of exactly this, which has affected our own willingness to invest in the UK in the past.””
X_Sticks
Great spot there !
Seasick Dave
Lets tell Johann and her cronies who support the Tories ‘Something For Nothing’ in September next year !
@X-sticks
I bet that article wouldn’t have been tucked away in the company news section had he answered the independence aspect in a way more favourable to the NO side !
Ian Davidson claimed £1333.45
Makes you shiver, doesn’t it?
£4,000 quid for heating? WTF?
What the hell was she heating an Olympic sized swimming pool….or am I just a cheap skate going for the energy saving bulbs and jumper option?
BTW?
How short is the list of things MP’s actually have to pay for?
Margaret Curran claimed £653.17
Cathy Jamieson claimed £725.47
O/T on GMB huge surprise announcement.
Are any WoS community, members of the said Union ?
Were you or your colleagues consulted as they have said ?
How did they measure this ? – did you all vote or did they just say – Yeah thats great to hear your views but we’re still opting for no – Coz we’re better together we think and were opting to wait for more powers ?? (Whit?)
O/T, but I don’t want to put this in old thread-
Just had confirmation from SSP Regional Organiser that we will actively protest against the scrapping of the Prestwick ‘Prom’ Fun Day, and will be approaching other local organisations/residents to force the community council to reverse this ludicrous, cowardly decision – if they don’t, we’ll organise a People’s Fun Day.
Have to get a press release done – if anyone else is a member of Ayrshire groups who want to get involved, drop me a line ian@stevenston4.fsnet.co.uk and if you know of anyone who should be on the mailing list for a press release apart from Irvine Herald, Irvine Times, Ayrshire Post, Kilmarnock Standard and Ardrossan/Saltcoats Herald, please let me know details before 10 pm. Cheers.
It’s MSP’s as well of course, here’s the link for their Edinburgh utilties claims Oct-Jan 12/13 for anyone interested.
link to mspallowances.scottish.parliament.uk
Ian Davidson claimed £1333.45
I’d imagine that, being cold blooded, most of that is for sun lamps.
@gordoz
Here’s a YES Unite member and their views, popped up on the WoS twitter feed. And I’ve seen another post saying it was ONLY the Scottish Committee of Unite who took the decision. Duh, GMB!
link to twitter.com
Gordan Banks 793.39
Ian Murray 747.39
John Robertson 721.48
Brian Donohoe 725.99
Frank Doran 924.99
All Labour MPs
Albalha – Cheers
I just hope members react to this they are being treated like shxt as always.
Just watched Politics Scotland today (last segment) first for a long time – nice to see our Labour friends getting a right kicking for a change.
“Ian Davidson claimed £1333.45”
Perhaps his reclining sofa is heated?
O/T Sorry, did you hear Kate Higgins on Headlines this morning? After a tweet correcting Ken’s musing over Wings gingerbread story. Kate was heard to say… “The cybernats will have to be careful what they wish for”. So you’re all cybernats here!!
Richard
Kate isn’t a big fan of WoS, but if she got to know us she would realise we are lovely really….mostly…well a bit nippy sometimes but in a sweet sort of way.
@gordoz
Did they do the GMouth story?
Kate who ?
Who’s she ??
Ian Davidson’s electricity bill was mostly consumed by his electric bayonet sharpener.
😀
£4,000 quid for heating? WTF?
What the hell was she heating an Olympic sized swimming pool….or am I just a cheap skate going for the energy saving bulbs and jumper option?
It’s not that hard to rack up some quite substantial heating bills. My house is quite big, and although I try only to heat the bits I’m using at the time and I do wear an extra pullover, it can be a bit of a money pit. Out in the country and 800 feet up, and of course no mains gas so I’m dependent on oil deliveries. I get by by simply not adding up the oil and the electricity and the LPG cylinders for the gas fire.
But it’s my choice and I’m the one who pays for it, out of taxed income. Reimbursing these buggers for luxurious lifestyle choices is ridiculous. They can afford it, let them pay for it themselves like the rest of us.
Yip
And I would say JoLa got a ‘roasting’ over Falkirk but dont want to give the wrong impression.
gordoz
Kate Higgins (I think)…SNP National Collective…bit of a purist. We are political ragamuffins with suspect views on some of the more politically correct issues….or something like that. On the same side but different or something…I dunno I am political ragamuffin I don’t know about these things
Just seeing in Twitter land that the Sunday Times is reporting today that there are allegations against Labour and vote rigging in East Dunbartonshire too.
@Morag
No open fire?
Scottish section starts exactly 38 mins in.
Nothing to write home to your mother about until even the EU Croatia is waffle..
1hr and 7mins to get to discussion stuff on the weeks news
Police and then Falkirk / Grangemeouth/ China
Lamont gets it in the neck, problem for labour being silent!
link to bbc.co.uk
Another hellish Bedroom Tax tale.
link to archive.is
@Morag
No open fire?
Living flame. I’m lazy that way.
Kate Higgins pseudo-nationalist closet-unionist cyber-not.
They should build a campus outside London and house MP’s there with no expenses payable.
They can make their own way into work at their own cost in the morning like the rest of us.
Fucking spongers!!
I don’t think she’s a closet unionist. I think she’s just so far up herself that she comes over that way. Everything has to be done Kate’s way or it isn’t right, so of course she spends a lot of time criticising her fellow-travellers. And she’s more interested in how many X chromosomes someone has than in the quality of their contribution, which is sad.
gillie
LOL I think that is the harshness she objects to. I’m pretty sure she is a nationalist but she is charmed by the politically sophisticated and nuanced approach which we are much less enticed by.
She is young and the young are always sure, it is a youth thing 🙂
Do SNP MP’s claim for electricity and Gas bills?
I think the MPs salaries and expenses are way to generous. They need to be reduced in order to ensure they know how ordinary people live. Salary should be cut by a third, pension the same as say a cleaner in a school. Houses purchased should become the property of the Government not the personal property of the MP.
No wonder these people are so out touch and enact some of the laws that they do. It doesn’t affect them so why care.
@Jen
Thought you were asking about MSP’s. I’d be surprised if SNP MP’s didn’t.
If you look at the link to the story you can find them all.
@gordoz
Kate Higgins – she of the ’ems’.
Anyone count ’em?
Glad to hear that Ian B! Let us know if you lefties need any financial help to make sure Ayr has it’s fun day.
Apologies Prestwick not Ayr… those towns all look the same down there! 🙂
Jen says:
Do SNP MP’s claim for electricity and Gas bills?
Yes Jen, they do. It’s a mixed bag really, there are some MP’s that claim nothing, like Darling.Brown and Moore – Stewart Hosie doesn’t either.
However, the one who claims much more than anyone else is our old friend Ian Davidson. As mentioned already, he’s up at £1,333 – everyone else is well below the £1,000 mark.
Here’s a few more MP’s who claimed for electricity, but as some of the above posts state, Tory MP, Nadhim Zahawi, is the worst offender.
link to bristolpost.co.uk
O/T Rev I do apologise.
Had to laugh at the thought of Teresa May and her visit to Scotland to preach how Scotland would be wide open to espionage, and infiltrators after independence, due to our, lack of intel links.
The Home Secertary forgets that it was her total mis-management of the UK Border Agency, that apparently let in up to a million people over a period of time, without proper checks.
Having taken the time now to fully read the source story and the who’s who of claiming energy bills I wonder why 309 MPs can manage without claiming. And if they can why not do away with it? I appreciate some MPs don’t have wads of spare cash, like rather too many, but one of the richest MPs claims the most.
And 41 of the 341 who claimed were for £1000 plus bills. I think it has to be one constituency home and then hotel stays no more of this second home business. Plenty of people are away from their families for all or part of their working week.
o/t Theres a Yes Scotland event at the Smith museun in Stirling tomorow evening. 7.30 kick off.
Note that Red Ed’s electricity is paid at Doncaster not London. So it’s for his constituency house. What is his electricity bill for his London accommodation?
Remember we mortals pay out of taxed income.
OT
Hi
I’m trying to raise £350 for an independence project using crowdfunding and was wondering if you could help, if not financially maybe send link to your friends?
Also I’m looking for somebody that can do some graphics, so if you can help please email kevingibney2001@hotmail.com
link to igg.me
Cheers
Salary should be cut by a third, pension the same as say a cleaner in a school.
The other side of that argument is, how do you attract professional high-flyers into politics in that case? With low remuneration you’ll mainly get two types of people – those with independent means who are probably doing it as a power trip (there are a lot of these as it is), and those whose qualities can’t command more than a modest salary in the wider job market.
Difficult circle to square.
OT
Just to let you know our next project “The Economic Case for an Independent Scotland” will involve a presentation and Q & A by 3 members from Business for Scotland… Ivan McKee, Michelle Thompson and Eric McLean that we intend to promote and stream live, so please help with the funding it’s not much.
The event will be on 26th November Gladcafe, Glasgow…
@Morag
What about those that really want to make a difference for others? What would they cost if they weren’t crowded out by the self-seeking chancers presently attracted by the lucre on offer?
Does the present system attract a Parliament of suitable talents? Will the Tony Blair problem solving by throwing more money, our money, at it make it any better?
The other side of that argument is, how do you attract professional high-flyers into politics in that case? With low remuneration you’ll mainly get two types of people – those with independent means who are probably doing it as a power trip (there are a lot of these as it is), and those whose qualities can’t command more than a modest salary in the wider job market.
Johann Lamont for example
I don’t know. That’s why I said it was a difficult circle to square.
Do we really want to persist with ‘professional high flyers’, have we not been thoroughly shafted by that type already?
Not sure that level of income is directly proportional to a flair for politics, but I am utterly sure that there is a wealth of talent out there struggling by on an average wage.
There’s more than one type of professional high flyer though. It’s a difficult problem, and I can see both sides. Self-seeking chancers are perhaps the bigger problem. Bus conductor – TGWU – active in Labour party – safe Labour seat – set up for life. What use is such a person to the people they represent? Usually, not a lot. And yet, unless they blot their copybook by over-claiming expenses, they have a decent chance of a platinum-plated retirement with an ermine neck-warmer.
Sure, we see that all the time in the Labour party, especially up here. It just seems to go along with the party system, the self-seeking chancers on one side, the millionaires who see no paradox in claiming the energy costs of a 31 acre estate, complete with riding school business, on the other.
It’s refreshing that the SNP seems to have attracted a better class of polly, maybe it’s the conviction politics thing, I don’t know. But people like Martin and Prsecott, and the rest, ending up in ermine, makes me sick.
Was terrific forward thinking on behalf of the Tories to infiltrate the Labour party with one of there own (Tony Bliar). long term strategy, to turn Labour into a right wing party and unelectable to the core vote.
MPs claims for gas and electricity.
1. Scottish Labour £10,827.68
2. Scottish Lib Dems £1631.49
3. SNP £1446.15
4. Scottish Tories £159.64
Top Five claims
1. Ian Davidson Lab £1333.45
2. Frank Doran Lab £924.99
3. Gordon Banks Lab £793.39
4. Ian Murray Lab £747.39
5. Cathy Jamieson Lab £725.47
Perhaps we need a system where MPs are required to spend more of their time in their constituencies rather than hobnobbing with party apparatchiks, SPADs and lobbyists in parliament. With modern communication technology there’s surely less need for them to be in the actual debating chamber (if, indeed, they’re there at present) and could do their job equally well from a constituency office.
A requirement to be physically present in constituencies would discourage carpetbagging candidates being flown in from head office and remind our representatives that their job IS to represent us.
Morag says:
3 November, 2013 at 5:10 pm
The other side of that argument is, how do you attract professional high-flyers into politics in that case? With low remuneration you’ll mainly get two types of people – those with independent means who are probably doing it as a power trip (there are a lot of these as it is), and those whose qualities can’t command more than a modest salary in the wider job market.
Difficult circle to square.
Very challenging, but how about limiting the term an MP can serve to say 2 terms. I am starting to lean towards those who can’t command more than a modest salary. These people are ordinary people and more likely to serve in the interests of ordinary people. I don’t think the people in the 3 main parties have a clue about ordinary people and that’s a result of already being extremely rich or in a safe seat! There is no need to try to serve ordinary people.
In addition, I would make any MP convicted of an offence, removed from office immediately and pension rights removed.
@Morag,
The ancient Greeks came up with a solution of a kind. Each year, Athenian voters would be asked if they wished to ‘ostracise’ someone. If they voted Yes, they then nominated and voted for a person to be ostracised. The ‘winner’ was then exiled for ten years, at the end of which he could return with status and property intact:
link to en.wikipedia.org
We might have to adapt the penalty to modern times a bitty, but it might serve to concentrate the minds of the troughers, the toadies and the useless numpties a little.
In fact, if we put the loser on a box outside the parliament and any registered voter had a day in which to lob a wet sponge, it could make a great tourist attraction….
@gillie
Do you have the list of the Scottish MPs who didn’t claim anything? I know I could check but just thought you may have done it.
I see that Alistair Darling, some-one we all like to ridicule on here, is on the list of those who didn’t claim – as is Eric Joyce.
On the other hand, I feel let down by the SNP MPs. It makes it far more difficult for us to to point the finger and complain about the morally corrupt Westminster system all of us here want to be rid of when they too are joining in the free for all.
I had hoped that they would have refrained from such gravy-train activities. In view of the fairly paltry sums they claimed for, was it really necessary?
@jimbo
Re SNP, hear hear. Given almost half of all MPs didn’t it makes you wonder. But of course as I posted higher up MSPs do the same.
Germany leading the way?
link to bbc.co.uk
O/T It looks to me that Lamont is on her way out. The day after she make a fool of herself (yet again) for criticising AS over Grangemouth The Record prints a story where McLuskey praises him etc. A coincidence? I think not.
Saturday’s leader in The Herald also put the boot in. Very unusual!
Today’s Sunday Herald was brutal, although no real surprise.
Unionists realise she’s a liability for the NO campaign. As well as for Labour.
@gavin lessells
Some things are just better by being in public hands. Everybody knows that if you want to win “Monopoly” forget Park lane and Mayfair just grab the water and electricity utilities as quickly as you can.
@Albalha
Aye, Albalha, I checked your link. It of makes a mockery of any politician who talks about a ‘Something For Nothing Culture’.
It also makes a mockery of those politicians who claim to feel our pain. Maybe it would help if they all started to pay their own way instead of living off of us, then our taxes might not be so feckin high. Is their anything these people actually pay for?
Just yomping through Ian Davidson’s expenses (he does read a lot of newspapers)
He bought himself his constituency office a camera on 31/03/2103 for £ 218.99 and on the 29/03/2013 an iPad SIM Card for a fiver
He purchased for himself his constituency office an iPad on 29/03/2013 (same time as the SIM Card) for £ 803.00, can only assume he needed a top of the range Apple iPad Air 128gb, though that retails at £ 739
He must have lost his keys to the office as he bought keys for the constituency office on 14/02/2013 for £ 16.50
Apparently his constituency office needs a TV, as he claimed for a TV licence for it on 07/02/2013
@Edward
Talk about snouts in the trough! Unbelievable, lets get this on leaflets.
@jimbo
The range of allowances is simply not on. I think the fact not all MPs or indeed MSPs make all claims then why are they necessary? There are hard working politicians and not sure it’s a job I’d fancy doing BUT there has to be a curb on it all. And as I’ve said the second home nonsense should end. Hotels or perhaps MP only London/Edinburgh pods a la Japanese.
Nearly £15000 claimed by representatives of the boss class in Scotland is being done at a time when they seem to be doing there level best to kill of pensioners, the sick and the poor who at this very moment are facing the prospect of having there heating allowance cut is a bit feckin out of order. Lets attend the bastards next surgery and let them know exactly what we all think
gillie says:
MPs claims for gas and electricity.
1. Scottish Labour £10,827.68
2. Scottish Lib Dems £1631.49
3. SNP £1446.15
4. Scottish Tories £159.64
Not really fair as there are far more Labour MP’s than SNP. If we take it that there are 41 Labour (including Eric) , 11 Lib Dems, 6 SNP and 1 Tory, then a rough calculation of comparison would see averages of:
Labour – £264.09 per MP
Lib Dem – £148.32
SNP – £241.02
Tory – £159.64
But yes, some of the Labour MP’s are claiming considerably more than others, including MP’s from their own party. By far the cheapest are the Lib Dems.
“By far the cheapest are the Lib Dems.”
The Lib Dems have always come cheaply.
Ask any Slab (1999 – 2007) or Westminster Tory (2010 – present day) – they’ll corroborate that. Give one of them a sniff at a ministerial car seat and they’re all yours.
Whats the problem with people claiming expenses? its fiddling expenses which is the issue. I would support a higher basic wage and no allowances.
I would make it so that expenses could only be claimed on rental of property, no more should we pay for mortgage payments. Or you could make capital gains tax applicable against any profits from Flipping…
Ahve jist read as far as FEFIN B BECKETT (there was Ill health in HER FAMILY ) is IT a FAMILY & FRIENDS FUCKING EXSPENCES CLAIMS LIST ( AM FUCKING ILL FUR SIX MONTHS ) Am waiting on a operation ( brain ) can ah claim extra heating allowance FUCKIN NAWS THE ANSWER. ( There again if am lucky the Sth Gen Hosp will keep me in Hosp during the worst of the winter ( thats if I get a date for a operation soon ) B TARDS B TARDS B TARDS Nae app REV fur Sunday profanity
Must admit the SNP MP let us down here.
Make us just as bad as all the rest . Did expect a troughing SNP MP
Richard Bruce RE kate whits hername AM NO A CYBERNAT WE RE AWE TREATED AS DOORMATS WIPE YER FEET ON THE WAY OOT KATE
Oops that should have read I did NOT expect a troughing SNP MP
I’ve never understood why there isn’t a Premier Inn type boardinghouse for MPs and MSPs provided by the pubic purse , and that Brian Soutar be asked to provide a fleet of megabuses with sleeping facilities to take them to their mainland constituencies again at public expense on a Thursday evening returning on a Sunday evening/ Monday morning.
If they miss the bus the pay fr their own arrangements.
It’s probably more a case of MPs / MSPs having not gotten around to claiming yet rather than choosing not to. Can’t see flipper paying his own electricity bill when he doesn’t have to.
Graeme
Isn’t a pubic purse usually known as a codpiece?
Seriously- a hostel is exactly what they need. We have the ridiculous situation in Argyll and Bute where our MP has his home and his second home almost within sight of each other.
Earlier I went through all our MPs down here and made a table and some graphs. the results are quite staggering. Labour down here were the worst culprits too. Our highest claim was more than our lowest 28 combined. Outrageous.
I agree , can we see ur graph
Plenty of old army barracks down in London to keep the tossers all in one place with the added benefits of watchtowers in case they try to sneak out. machine guns and snipers optional (all facing into the camp.)
Even a self-employed person who works from home would not be able to claim 100% of their home electricity bill against tax. £348 for three months certainly looks like most if not all of his home bill.
I see the Herald is running an interference campaign for Labour today on expenses by declaring Salmond spent 5K on cars in London…
I read this today, it seems to put Millibands strategy of price freezes in the round file.
“During its financial crisis, and in response to public anger over rocketing charges, Argentina imposed a freeze on people’s energy and water bills (does this sound familiar?). It was sued by the international utility companies whose vast bills had prompted the government to act. For this and other such crimes, it has been forced to pay out over a billion dollars in compensation(4).”
link to monbiot.com