Nothin’ goin’ on but the rent
Just for a little bit of fun, we thought we’d dig out how much money was claimed for accommodation last year by the 47 Labour MPs who couldn’t be bothered to turn up and vote to abolish the bedroom tax yesterday. (You can look up the data here.)
It was this much: £387,439.
That’s more than a third of a million pounds, paid by all of us, specifically for second homes so that MPs can be close to Parliament and attend votes there. It doesn’t include any of their other expenses. It only covers those 47 Labour MPs.
It’s an average of £8,243 each. It would pay the bedroom tax for a year for 532 people.
See if you can guess which piggy was the greediest out of the 47.
Yep. With a claim of £25,768 for a year’s bed and board in London, Anas Sarwar was head and shoulders into the trough before anyone else got a sniff. He was almost £3,000 ahead of the only other MP who claimed over £20,000 – Jonathan Ashworth of Leicester South – and nearly £6,000 above the third-highest (Meg Munn of Sheffield). Looks like the millionaire businessman’s son was brought up with expensive tastes.
(Anas’s total expenses were just shy of £60,000 on top of his £65,000 salary.)
Maybe we’re unreasonable. Maybe we shouldn’t expect someone trousering £125,000 of taxpayers’ money to turn up and vote on an issue this important when almost a fifth of that money has gone specifically on providing him with a nice little pied-a-terre in the capital to keep his commute to a minimum.
Do let us know if you think we’re being over-harsh.
.
——————————————————————-
The full breakdown is as follows, Scottish MPs in bold:
Diane Abbott £0
Debbie Abrahams £20,933
Bob Ainsworth £18,742
Douglas Alexander £0
Jonathan Ashworth £22,805
Ed Balls £0
Hugh Bayley £6,106
David Blunkett £13,374
Gordon Brown £0
Chris Bryant £19,914
Ann Coffey £9,569
Huw Irranca-Davies £19,597
Geraint Davies £11,121
Gloria De Piero £19,934
Jim Dobbin £37
Frank Dobson £0
Brian Donohoe £8,002
Frank Doran £12,858
Clive Efford £0
Frank Field £0
Paul Flynn £3,849
Mike Gapes £0
David Hamilton £19,890
Margaret Hodge £0
Jim Hood £6,322
George Howarth £7,581
Sian James £2,693
Alan Johnson £17,264
Tessa Jowell £0
Gerald Kaufman £4,246
Siobhan McDonagh £0
Ann McKechin £3,091
Alan Meale £7,296
Meg Munn £20,000
Jim Murphy £13,687
Pamela Nash £13,923
Dawn Primarolo £17,683
Joan Ruddock £0
Anas Sarwar £25,768
John Spellar £2,201
Gerry Sutcliffe £15,600
Chuka Umunna £0
Joan Walley £5,393
Dave Watts £3,042
Alan Whitehead £14,738
Shaun Woodward £0
I daresy Anas will be in hiding now …if he doea another debate he will get his arse reamed over this and his vote…or lack of it.
Tar and feathers anyone?
Actually does it cover just 33 due to the zero claims? £10k + a year for the greedy and apathetic?
“Actually does it cover just 33 due to the zero claims? £10k + a year for the greedy and apathetic?”
I was being super-fair. I even rounded down their claims to the nearest pound.
I’m laughing as I said “I know this one!” to myself before I clicked below the line 🙂
Still not seen anything in the MSM about it though.
As others have already said, we cannot allow the ‘Scottish’ MSM to bury this. All of us need to apply pressure to Scotland Tonight in particular.
Rev –
It’s a bit off, traducing the man when he’s in no position to defend himself…just wait till he surfaces. He’ll wave a leaflet at you! That’ll be you sorted then…
Tsk tsk, Anas Sarwar. Who’d a thunk it. And where is he anyway?
Major,
He’s hiding from all these nationalist death threats..
Aye, he’s quite the little spender is’int he, I wonder who’s or what type of property he likes staying at. Certainly won’t be at the Premier Inn, though I thought their would be a family property in London he could stay at.
Maybe I am just a suspicious git, still better than being greedy one.
Just did a quicky before I read this. Thought I was being sarcastic not honest.
Broon and Sarwar
F—, I only get paid £25 000.00 a year before tax
We need a clever photoshop of Where’s Sarwar? (climbing the Eiffel Tower, bottom of the ocean, etc.)
Where’s the Wally
Rev Stu,
a small apartment near parliament and a Shoe Shop?!
This Sarwar chap is taking us tax payers for absolute FOOLS!
A wee note worth mentioning. It’s SSP policy for their politicians to only accept a skilled workers wage.
The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it would seem.
Actually Rev, I think you’re being too kind to these scum. Let’s rake every one of these vile folk over the coal for as long as they are in power.
If the MSM won’t do it, time for people power!
Sarwar following in his old man’s footsteps – the highest expense claim by far, what a surprise <not>
Eh?…a shoe shop? rented on expenses? maybe getting his shoes at cost price represents a net saving for the taxpayer?
Given that post devolution Scottish MPS have fewer responsibilities it is very surprising to find that out of the whole of the House of Commons the second highest claim for Constituency Office expenses was made by Labour’s Katy Clark (North Ayrshire) at £28,278 and third highest by Ian Murray (Edinburgh South) £26,593.
Ian Murray already has an energy freeze as taxpayers paid his £747 bill but not as much as Ian Davidson who received over £1000 for his heating and lighting.
Ok guys see if you can find him.
Where’s the wally?
Why can’t you stupid poor people understand? Ah wiz PAIRED FFS. Jeez, can’t a Labour MP enjoy a wee bit time off from working for you all the feckin time?
No disrespect, but North Ayrshire doesn’t come across as a hotspot for expensive real estate (may well be in few years once oil production on the Clyde takes off). Don’t they have to actually justify these claims?
The dismay at Sarwar et al goes without saying, but I have to confess that I’m intrigued most by Jim Dobbin’s claim.
What can that £37 have been for?
Is Johann Lamont’s bunker under George Square subject to the Bedroom Tax? Maybe Anas Sarwar can be Lamont’s lodger till the heat dies down.
What can that £37 have been for?
Maybe he popped into Sarwars for a coffee?
Can we not crowd fund a full page advert in the media on this disgrace. Don’t want to fund the buggers but how can we get this story the publicity it needs.
I have tweeted Scotland Tonight and Newsnight Scotland to say that I hope they are going to cover this betrayal of Scotland’s sick, disabled and vulnerable.
Can we not crowd fund a full page advert in the media on this disgrace. Don’t want to fund the buggers but how can we get this story the publicity it needs.
There’s an idea….
I have tweeted Scotland Tonight and Newsnight Scotland to say that I hope they are going to cover this betrayal of Scotland’s sick, disabled and vulnerable.
This is beyond farcical. The viewing public are now having to alert the news media to the stories of interest that they want to see covered.
The next stage will be when the reply is, well we got so many emails and tweets it was concluded everyone already knew all about it, so we decided to tell you about this kitten stuck up a tree instead, because you didn’t already know about that. FFS, we’re NEWS media, after all!
from Twitter:
Emmar ?@emmar14h
.@AnasSarwar thanks for not bothering to stand up for me. I’m disabled, bedroom tax, where do I go? You helping me move?
The arguments the media put up when faced with legislation over their behaviour is that it would limit their ability to hold the establishment and it’s representatives to account.Well where is the free press in Scotland????Might as well not be here acting as it does as the propaganda outlet for the British establishment,suppressing and manipulating news so that the establishment is not held to account.
He spends most of his cash in Glasgow nightclubs with a rolled up twenty up his nose.
Gillie
The George Square Bunker won’t be subject to bedroom tax. There is no chance that it is under occupied!
Norrie: Is that him in front of the two surprised guys (don’t want to give too much away for the others)?
@ Norrie says
Nice one Norrie; (with acknowledgement to DC Thompson)
You could not make this stuff up!
Looking forward to FMQs tomorrow!
“Is the Herald going to cover betrayal of Scotland’s most vulnerable people by 10 Scot Labour & all Lib Dem MP’s re Bed Tax?” Tweeted to the Herald.
There are not enough expletives for this bunch. Grrrrrrrr!
I sent the email below to my local MP, Jimmy Hood for what it’s worth.
Mr Hood
You (and other labour members) could not be bothered to turn up to vote against the Bedroom Tax, one of the most egregious policies ever to eminate from the Westminster cesspool.
I doubt if the MSM will highlight this disgusting behaviour, but I will do my best to make as many labour voters aware of the type of people they have been supporting. I very much hope you and your party have finally ‘jumped the shark’ on this one.
Yours in disgust
Alex Taylor
@Norrie, it’s the clown in full make-up, amirite? That or the Black Knight running down pedestrians on his high horse lol…
Sorry about the formatting
Just as it is incumbent upon ‘decent’ Labour politicians to dissociate themselves from the likes of Sarwar or forever be condemned along with him, it’s incumbent upon any remaining journalists with principle and integrity (stop reading now, Torcuil) to condemn the suppression, manipulation and distortion going on in ‘our’ media or enjoy the opprobrium and the inevitable fallout along with the rest of the propagandists.
Any takers out there?
patronsaintofcats.
Think thief he’s there honest.
Whoa! Nice job if you can get it.
Wonder how many spare rooms he has?
Loathe as I am to give any credit to OneNation Labour, at least Danny Alexander replied to my twt asking why he missed the vote – apparently he was on a visit to Auschwitz in a delegation with another Labour MP, 1 Tory and 1 LD – so presumably no net impact on the bedroom tax vote?
I’ve mailed or twtd all the other Scots no-shows – be interesting to see if they respond!
i have spent the last few days working on my top notch poetry for those i cannot respect.
anus oh anus
oh how you pain us
so fuck off you slack arsed bastirt
end
I’m not surprised to see Gordon’s at £0. I mean when was he last in London and are ex-politicians allowed to claim anyway?
how about tweeting ten of your friends
to tweet ten of thiers
Andy
I’m guessing you mean Dougie Alexander?
The usual issue is hypocrisy. Labour introduced the concept of Local Housing Allowances to regulate Housing Benefit claims for the low paid and unemployed. So Mr Sarwar and his party support limiting people’s option because of cost to the state. But he gets to claim whatever he wants for his rent.
Where does that hypocrisy of one rule for the rich and one for the poor lead? The local housing allowance rate for a one bedroom flat in Inner London is £255 per week. This means that if that ‘principled’ opponent of the Bedroom Tax – Mr Sarwar – was unemployed he would have to find £12500 from his own pocket to pay his rent. Surely if the Bedroom Tax and Local Housing Allowance is good enough for the poor it should be good enough for the rich!
Can we not crowd fund a full page advert in the media on this disgrace. Don’t want to fund the buggers but how can we get this story the publicity it needs.
Excellent idea – they really need to be named and shamed – how about taking out full page adverts in the local papers of their constituencies? That would really put the wind up them!
that’s at least three press releases on this from the SNP so far and the MSM ain’t biting. Must be a busy news day what with shrinking mountains.
@HandandShrimp
Oops..yeah, that’s the fella; these NewOneNation Labour drones all look the same to me! 😉
From the Labour Party website, dated yesterday;
Tonight, MPs can vote to scrap the Bedroom Tax — and put an immediate end to the distress and hardship it’s causing thousands of vulnerable people. Ed Miliband has already promised that a Labour government in 2015 would repeal this unfair and cruel policy, but it can be scrapped now if enough MPs vote the right way in the debate Labour has organised tonight. Share this graphic (in one quick click) and let’s make sure our MPs know that their vote tonight will show just whose side they’re on: the privileged few, or the most vulnerable in our society.
A £25,768 accommodation claim and a no show on the Bedroom Tax vote clearly shows that Anas Sarwar sees himself as one of the privileged few.
Expats for Independence on FB has done a nice billboard for us:
link to tinyurl.com
Morag, for me this is one of the main issues of the whole independence debate i.e. media manipulation. It is actually skewing the whole democratic process. One of my interests is looking at how the Nazis rose to power in the thirties and how they controlled the media when they took power. The comparison of how they controlled the media and what is happening in Scotland in 2013 is actually quite frightening. The Bedroom Tax vote yesterday is a classic example of what is going on i.e. close the issue down, don’t mention it, don’t write about, don’t speak about it. I have scoured the media this morning and can find no mention of the vote anywhere, but for the Rev and social media, I would not have known the vote actually took place. We cannot allow this undermining of our democratic process to continue unchallenged.
Hi all. Been following this site for a while now and its brilliant.
I sent an email to the Scotsman a few minutes ago reading:
Dear Sirs
Could you explain to me why it is not headline news on the Scotsman website today that 43 Labour MP’s abstained in the vote on the bill for the abolition of the ‘bedroom tax’ in the UK Parliament yesterday? I can find no mention of this story (it may of course be very well hidden) but personally I find that story of more urgency and importance than the story about the box of puppies being thrown from a car, however tragic and sad that is.
Yours sincerely
Bravo Norrie…brilliant!
Im now wondering what will Fortnum & Masons ( food) and Harrods ( bedding and Furniture) do when Anas is out a job?
@Morag, @Bill C I so agree with you media blackout. Chilling.
@Norrie, thanks for the cartoons, have enjoyed and shared x
Must be a busy news day what with shrinking mountains.
Yes, it is rather pathetic, but .
Crowd-funded adverts in papers would not only circumvent the current wall of silence, but eventually the MSM would be held to account. People would begin to ask why the BBC or any of the newspapers did not cover it.
My wife emailed our local MP – Jim Hood – asking why he didn’t vote. His reply came very rapidly (clearly a copy & paste job that his Secretary has been doing all morning). After a preamble of how much effort he has put in protesting about the bedroom tax – he finished with the following excuse:
“I was therefore hugely disappointed that I was not able to be in the Commons last night to support the Labour Party’s motion. It was my earlier intention to seek the Speakers’ eye to speak in the debate. Had not been for circumstances beyond my control I would have been there.”
Aye right.. (or is that EYE right?)
“I was therefore hugely disappointed that I was not able to be in the Commons last night to support the Labour Party’s motion. It was my earlier intention to seek the Speakers’ eye to speak in the debate. Had not been for circumstances beyond my control I would have been there.”
He doesn’t appear to have actually said why not.
link to twitter.com
LoL
@Kininvie, brilliant! 🙂
In February 2009 Sarwar won The Sun’s “Best New Scottish Politician” award.
It seems Tits in The Sun isnt just a recent area of disappointment!
See these Old Friends….it smacks heavily of an old Labour stitch-up
@Bill C- whole heartedly agree. What can be done?
I believe if it wasn’t for the indepedence debate, most of us would still be unaware of what was happening.
It must have been like this for years.
I always distrusted the SLAB lot but it was only when I was forced to get information on-line due to the crap out put by the BBC and MSM that I found all the evidence against them.
Most folk are just not aware.
PS would be happy to donate to crowd fund.
I am impressed with anyone who can find a place to rent in central London for under £10,000 a year. Fair play to the zero claimants like Gordon Brown – mind you he’s never in Westminster, it would be a complete liberty if he claimed for London accommodation.
For anyone who still does not think there is an anti-independence bias in the MSM in Scotland, just think what the reaction would be if the SNP MPs had not voted against the Bedroom Tax yesterday. The MSM would be all over the story. Instead what do we get? A complete media blackout…
Could t just be that this media blackout was planned and sorted a before the debate?
Golly, I wonder how Paul Sinclair will pre-write Joanne’s response to AS’s query re Labour no-show MP’s?
He must have a selection of responses all based on the BBC prompted issues led by them 24 hours before any FMQ – but it’s earily silent from there, so what can the poor chap be pre-writing?
“For anyone who still does not think there is an anti-independence bias in the MSM in Scotland..”
Well, let’s take the BBC out of that equation, Muttley. After all, Derek Bateman assures us that any perceived bias on their part is down to managerial incompetence rather than deliberate and malicious suppression and omission. It’s all a light-hearted farce at Pacific Quay, with well-meaning but incompetent buffers every day accidentally traducing the SNP and supporters of self-determination as they bumble towards today’s cat stuck up tree in Pittenweem exclusive..
Yeah right.
Bill C
“the whole democratic process. One of my interests is looking at how the Nazis rose to power in the thirties and how they controlled the media when they took power.”
While Andy wrote “Danny Alexander replied to my twt asking why he missed the vote – apparently he was on a visit …”
Any connection? Fact finding mission?
“Crowd-funded adverts in papers would not only circumvent the current wall of silence, but ”
now come to think of it, if we are to believe Chomsky, part of the problem is the pressure felt from papers advertisers, (real or perceived) and what the press feel is going to play well with them, so what effect would us becoming a customer have bearing in mind we’d only be a tiny proportion of their advertising income?
I was about to knock up a little composite of the odious little dick wearing a pig snout. However I have held off as the midgy munchkin apologists (Duncan Botherall et al) may start jumping up and down and screaming racism.
So I ask you all – Anas wearing a pig snout detailing his expenses – yes or no?
The Brass Neck award for todays media regarding this story, must surely go to the Daily Record who highlights the Lib Dems but does not mention the Labourites who failed to show!
As important as a visit to Auschwitz is, no Labour Party member should have agreed to be on any visits that meant they missed this opportunity to overturn a policy that has been hurting the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society.
The Labour Party are scum 🙁
Katy Clark expenses ?………
MochaChoca says:
No disrespect, but North Ayrshire doesn’t come across as a hotspot for expensive real estate (may well be in few years once oil production on the Clyde takes off). Don’t they have to actually justify these claims?
You’re right it isn’t .she’s claiming around £543 per week in a property that commercially would be circa £100 per week and struggling to get that……..still she took over the seat from Brian Wilson who possibly taught her the art of accountancy
I think we should all remember what life was like before the internet
So we should pause for a moment and think about that, about a time when your only source of information was what was on tv or radio and reading newspapers. About Sunday’s going to the newsagent and buying up more Sunday papers than can be read in an afternoon, all more or less saying the same. Of turning on the radio and listening too the news, blissfully unaware you were getting shafted by the politicians you had voted for, as you had done that all your life. Any scandal reported was usually a sex scandal involving either a vicar or an MP exposed due to his ‘sexual infidelity’
If today had been in those days, we would not find out that 47 Labour MP’s hadn’t bothered to turn up. All we would have been told in our local paper is that Labour had tried but were beaten (actually the BBC did try that line today).
History will indeed show that our perceptions changed after the internet was set up. This above all else what hacks of our politicians as now we do not need to rely on buying compliant newspapers or listen and watch compliant state broadcasters. We are able to find out for ourselves and exchange freely our thoughts and ideas. This does gets to the crux why Labour are how they are, as they thought they were safely aboard the gravy train, only to find out we knew. But still they continue to carry on like some squire of the manor
Just think of the times when we were blissfully unaware of what really went on
@Training Day
The thing about bias in Scottish politics is that it can easily be measured by the coverage the MSM gives to stories it thinks are awkward for the SNP and unionist SLAB. If it is a bad story for the SNP or independence (or even perceived to be), they literally cannot help themselves from drooling and covering it in detail. However, when it is SLAB’s turn then we get a complete media blackout. This suggests corruption and bias of the kind that Pravada in Communist eastern Europe would be proud of.
And lets not forget that this isn’t just a Scottish matter, worth pointing out to your friends in the rest of the UK.
big ai
A VERY BIG SNOUT PLEASE
link to money.aol.co.uk
Prime Minister David Cameron said “The question is now for Labour. You have ranted and raved about the spare-room subsidy. Are you going to reverse it? Just nod. Are you going to reverse it? Yes or no? Absolutely nothing to say, and weak with it.”
Wee S**t was last seen heading for the secret bunker in Fife to hide with his pal JL.
Amazingly this Anas Sarwar page cannot be found!! The title says it all.
link to scottishlabour.org.uk
Should be Reaffirming our Receipts and renewing our Gold Cards.
Re Crowdfunding an advert for the msm Do you really think they would accept an advert that swims against the flow of their editorial policy ? I genuinely hae ma doots
Craig P
I rent in Stepney Green, on the District Line and 19 minutes from Westminster by tube. £6500 a year and all bills included, water, leccy, gas and Internet.
Actually the premier Inn would be a bad idea for mr sarwar, I stay in London a lot and the premier Inn is never less than £170 a night
e mailed the state broadcaster this morning about lack of coverage over vote on the bedroom tax. Got the bog standard reply that it has been passed on to those resposable for the relevant news programmes, blah de blah de blah. If the Scottish Goverment had done what those fuckin morans that are supposed to represent us in westminster had done the MSM would have went into meltdown blaming anyone who supports a free Scotland!!! Looking forward to fimq’s to morrow and I hope the REV will pass on the relevant details to anybody who can make good use of them at the next Scottish Parlimentry by election.
I thought th Bedroom Tax was a big issue to MSN ? When it was a ConDem issue its reported, but when Labour are quoted as displaying a ‘deriliction of duty’ its ignored.
FFS this is a complete rubber ear – blanket news blackout from BBC & STV
Absolutely shocking yet again !
Scotland come on !
Here, for non-Tweeters, as RTd by Rev, from SSP:
pic.twitter.com/ZPHoImDid4
Never ever forget them.
Politics scotland. Total disgrace propaganda unlimited. Hamish whoever and Garry Robertson two spineless slugs. Labour is leading fight against bedroom tax And were defeated in vote last night. SLUGS. Not a ward about the MIA.
@Bill C at 1.37pm
We’ll be waiting a long time for that to happen Bill.
I’m still disgusted about the lack of press coverage (including online blogs) over the support the Glasgow Labour Party gave ATOS as a sponsor of the Commonwealth Games.
Its crystal clear that the Labour Party don’t give a shit about the poor and disadvantaged, all Anas Sawar and his cronies want is power so that they can keep their snouts at the trough.
Not sure of this has been posted but everybody just don’t watch Scotland Tonight or Newsnicht tonight. Change the channel -if the public can send a message to the powers that be about cones , show a bit of people power , don’t watch
Sarwar. The dodgy son of a dodgy immigrant from an exceedingly dodgy country.
And the dopey Scottish fuds vote for him in their thousands. You have to laugh.
Sanwar is a big mouthed creep, this shows without shame just how he gains just one of his money streams with little work. Worse though is his hypocrisy ,and that of the SLAB and UK Labour ( yes I know it is the same !). They are beneath contempt.
As far as Sanwar is concerned, a little rich boy and wow ,did daddy show him how to get us to pay for his indulges and increase his wealth. An easy way to add to his riches. He should hang his head in shame along with the rest of Labour blood suckers.
The Rough Bounds,
WTF has immigration got to do with this! Totally irrelevant FFS!
@braco.
Oh really?
I agree 100% with Braco. Immigration has zilch to do with this. Let’s stay classy.
Big Al – No, No, No – given his religious proclivity, we would be hammered by all ‘as those VILE Cybernats’. I get the troughing bit all too well – but no way a ‘pigs’ snout on Sarwar, please?
What’s so utterly sickening about this, is that many of these scumbags – along with many who voted for this Tax, of course – were standing at war memorials only a couple of days ago.
Many of them knew, on Sunday, they would be voting as they did.
Many of them knew that the people most affected by the Bedroom Tax will have lost parents or loved ones in those wars, or even suffered directly themselves.
We will remember them.
TJENNY
how about a big nose with a honeypot at the end
overflowing with lies and damn big lies
@Big Al
I was about to knock up a little composite of the odious little dick wearing a pig snout. However I have held off as the midgy munchkin apologists (Duncan Botherall et al) may start jumping up and down and screaming racism.
So I ask you all – Anas wearing a pig snout detailing his expenses – yes or no?
Definitely NOT given the guy’s religion. If anything could be used as a smother story by the MSM that would be it. Let’s not give them any ammo. It wouldn’t matter whether or not it was intended as a religious slur – that’s exactly how it’d be portrayed.
OH OH
TJENNY WE COULD ALSO GIVE HIM BIG EARS AND CALL HIM DUMBO
Does Anas get a bung for his Evening Times column too?
The last few paragraphs here would be enough to make even him puke up his deluxe chocolate gingers over his chaise lounge in the dressing room!
link to eveningtimes.co.uk
Another day of shame for the ‘Scottish’ media and the Unionist shills and propagandists with whom it is populated draws to a close.
Is there anyone in the profession which dares to call itself ‘journalism’ in Scotland who cares what’s happening anymore?
Evidently not.
Labour apologists are reduced to talking about pairing and Parliamentary procedures. Nothing about why they called vote and then the failure of total support.
All trying to keep the focus on the LibDems. Just been commenting on the Guardian pages.
No wonder Labour is in such trouble, they are trying to base everything on tactics and procedures.
Big Al + Ged Boy – yeah, big pinnochio nose dripping with bags of expenses – would be OK – just please let’s not fall into any accusations of ‘nasty cybernatism’. (Pretty please) 🙂
Anyone know the details of who was the main recipient of the money claimed? It wouldn’t have been a family member, would it by any chance?
What about vans a la mode the ‘immigrants go home’ vans, with pictures of the various MPs who didn’t turn up to vote, and the caption;
‘DID YOU VOTE FOR HIM/HER?
WELL THEY DIDN’T VOTE FOR YOU’ and drive them round their constituencies.
sandy milne
i dont know officer the big boys made me do it
i wish we could all send him a white feather (or 387,000 of them). The biggest issue in recent times to affect the poor in the UK ( let lone Scotland ) He pontificates, then sits idly by.
Recall.
eco-exile
389.000 feathers
just send the bloody chicken
Ooh, mobile billboards – brilliant idea!
patronsaintofcats
mobile billboards
wits that got to do with chickens
A wee idea – why not try a little experiment . Let say about 8pm tonight every single one of us share this post on FB and ask all our friend to share. Surely it would go out to thousands, if not, hundreds of thousands. Maybe the Rev could come up with something simplistic that everyone can read immediately without scroll for more – again just an idea
patronsaintofcats – Maybe we could crowdfund them – we’d need volunteer drivers. I am not a driver, like Nissan, I am driven. 🙂
Due to work have just been catching up with this story. It really beggars belief. This should ensure that Labour and specifically Sarwar should never have the sheer brass neck to ever go near a tv studio again waving their phoney documents re the bedroom tax. Not buying wee Dougie Alexanders response either. He knew damn fine when that vote was taking place in the hoC but instead chose to go to Auschwitz. Classy stuff hiding behind such a sad and devastating event in history – NOT. His and their first priority is to do what theyre paid to do and attend their places of work on behalf of their constituents and repeal unpopular bills. They failed to do that. The media and printed press have their backs so Labour and the Unionists think theyre safe. Well theyre not.
The fight is between the people of Scotland and the msm. That is our biggest obstacle. Without them, Labour and this toxic so called Union wouldve been toast a long time ago. Its currently 2 – 0 for the people defeating them in 2007 and 2011. If we make it 3 in a row next september, we will win. Crowdfunding adverts in papers and/or bilboards and spreading news like this will ensure we do. Then we can toss them and their sham of a democracy into the dustbin of history.
Sorry gedboy we overlapped, it was for TJenny 🙂
patronsaintofcats – 🙂
Kendomacaroonbar says
“Re Crowdfunding an advert for the msm Do you really think they would accept an advert that swims against the flow of their editorial policy ? I genuinely hae ma doots”
Kim Il Sung used to take out a double page spread in the Sun, Mirror, Daily express Daily Record in the 70,s and was the ruler of a despised communist country,(North Korea) they would have a job refusing to air our views especially when there’s money in it 😉
The process with the Scottish media is really rather simple, it is based on common interest, in a similar way that we come together through common interest. If you look at the backgrounds of the Labour SpAds, many have had media roles, newspaper editors journos and so on, PR company roles, some do more than one job at a time. It is easy to lose track of who is a Labour employee or MSP and who is a shrill or hack.
The problem is that these micro empires are not reactive enough to the reality of what is happening politically on the ground, they have became a sort of archaic mini establishment who still exist in Labour land even though it is SNP 2013, their friendships and economic liaisons remain trapped somewhere in that sunny footage of Kirsty and Jack sharing happy times in Tuscany.
Regardless of what the Scottish voting public do the media clique remain convinced in their own minds that it is just an aberration and normal service will be resumed soon. They have created a little niche market and do quite well out of it.
This is being ruthlessly exploited by bt it is their main tactic, all is theatre, leaflet waving performance art by Sarwar 404, set pieces, circuses all of BBC Scotland and the print media at their disposal. The amazing thing is that much of it is solely for our benefit, imagine them trying to pull this stuff off in the international spotlight.
The desired effect, induce apathy and disillusionment, close down meaningful debate. Make people feel that they don’t have the tools to understand what is happening. Keep their little empire safe.
Nice one Steve Stewart!
Big Al, I wouldn’t bother. Muslims, pork, etc. (And this from someone who wrote a song called David Blunkett’s Eyes.)
just trying to work this out. I regularly travel to London, a business ticket on BA to Heathrow for the early flight returning on the early
evening flight is 325 quid. An overnight in a good hotel near westminster (they give discounts to MPs btw) is about `150 to 200 a night.
lets add in 50 foir dinner. So a worst case scenario is 575 for a 2 day trip with stayover.
So that mean 43 trips per annum,. Which incidently would make him a BA Gold Exec club member which would reduce the cost for flights…
here’s the response I put on the evening news article by Anas Sarwar
“Trust Labour to help families heat their homes in Glasgow”
How much do you pay for your leccy Anas? oh that’s right nothing we pay for it don’t we?
come to think of it where were you yesterday?after you waving the fake bill at Nicola Sturgeon demanding she sign it when you were making a cheap political point when you demanded the SNP government do what you well knew they could not do, abolish the bedroom tax, so you decided to make political capital out of a tax your party introduced against a party who have no power to remove it,and surprise surprise who’s not in the house to vote for its abolition?
YOU,along with 10 other yes ten Labour mp’s who couldn’t be bothered to go to Westminster to vote for a labour bill, in fact 47 labour mp’s UK wide couldn’t be bothered, so the bill failed to the tune of 26 against, this after Joanne Lamont criticized the SNP at your Brighton conference that the SNP didn’t really want the abolition of the bedroom tax to give them a grievance with Westminster at the expense of the poor people who are being turfed out of their homes,in fact the SNP voted to a man/woman against this revolting tax.
you people truly disgust me.
tick tock Anas tick tock
published
John King – nice one. Let us know what, if any, responses you get – or indeed, if it magically disappears.
(p.s. A wee bit more punctuation may make it easier to read 🙂 )
Aye, John King, aye indeed!
The bedroom tax means people whose rent is paid by the State should not have more bedrooms than they require, after all, the State is paying.
The State also pays MP’s London housing expenses. Can we take it that their expenses claims are for one bedroom flats?
Triangle social club 208 Sullivan st. Greenwich village. Rumour that’s where the SLAB crew hang out in between jobs or to get away from the heat.
Please take note:
rh Mr Bob Ainsworth
Mr Huw Irranca-Davies
rh Mr George Howarth
These three Labour MPs did in fact vote AYE
please amend your records
I support the crowd funded newspaper ads idea too. The MSM will print anything if there’s enough moolah in it for them. You can buy facebook ads too you know..
It would be interesting if prominent anti Bedroom Tax campaigner Richie Venton,who lodged an online Petition about 6 weeks ago demanding Ed Miliband move an immediate Motion to ” Abolish it NOW – not some time after the 2015 Westminster elections……” were to grace these pages and update us on his feelings and how to proceed.
link to newsnetscotland.com
@ Norrie
He’s hidden behind Black an red and has nicked the loot – or is that his sandwich box for the tea-break? 😉
On the other hand …….. he’s not slithering along the ground.
Ah well back to two hours of reading comments again!
Aside from the fact that the positive vision of an Independant Scotland is beginning to get through to people, the thing that makes me confident of a YES vote is the seemingly limitless stupidity of our opponents.
I’ve not got a huge problem with the pairing excuse but given his recent statements and the current political climate in Scotland how could Anas Sarwar possibly think not turning up for this vote was acceptable? I can’t get my head round it. What was he doing that was more important?
Thanks to all who responded! Much as though I am straining at the leash I will refrain from doing my little pic. I even had a nice wee re write of ‘this little piggy’ to embellish the photo.
I will note however that it is sad that we cannot use the reference due to the targets religious beliefs and the misplaced sensitivities of others. No one would give this a second thought if the person had of been of any other persuasion.
Craig P. I don’t suppose you would share your little ditty about Mr. Blunkett with the rest of us would you?
Sarwar claimed over £25k expenses and failed to vote on an issue he’d said was so important? That sounds like “something for nothing” to me. 🙂
john king says @ 8.18pm
published
john king says @ 07.44 am
comment removed
john king says @ 07.44
comment re sent
I only get paid £18,400 per year before tax.
Fiona O’Donnell. MP for East Lothian should be on your list Rev. She failed to turn up to vote down the bedroom tax. Her accommodation costs for year 2013/14 was climbing up towards Anus level at £20,031.21
Forget the 47 who failed to show up to repeal it what about the 288 labour MPs who failed to veto the bedroom tax (welfare reform act 2012), it would still have passed only with 308 votes to 288 as opposed to 308 to 20 (and only 10 of those 20 vetoes were from labor ‘rebels’)
No one care that we would have lost the vote regardless it’s the fact that labour didn’t even try to veto this vile piece of legislation
It makes me and many others think that they have let the tories pass what ever they want with no real opposition so that they can campaign on abolishing the bedroom tax, forced labour/workfare… in the next GE
It has always been thus. Those who have, often expose their greed in such simple ways. I live on a relative pittance, state pension plus pension credits and cannot imagine how anybody can spend in excess of £20,000 on accommodation. Is it me, perhaps I’m out of touch with the real world, I had foolishly believed that those who made the rules lived by the rules. I thought that the had ethics and would never bend the rules to suit their pockets. How naïve am I.
Anas was counting his money from the many businesses his Dad left him in charge of.