It's All Right For Some !

[tonyav]

Can this be right considering what the energy companies are doing to Joe Public.
http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/mps-attacked-over-energy-expenses

[LazyGun]

Not entirely sure I fully understand the expenses rules. It seems to me that for those MPs that require a second home or accommodation in the London area to attend the HoC in order to do their job, then those bills/living expenses should be claimable - but to claim £5,000 or so "for an estate in warwickshire" seems to be taking the proverbial a bit- that would presumably be the MPs own home, so why are they claiming back expenses for the costs of their own home?

[sir.prize]

LazyGun - probably because he is allowed to designate the Warwickshire Estate as his second home!

[Hypognosis]

During the height of the expenses scandal, some bright spark came up with the idea that the MP's should be provided with a 'hall of residence' block, somewhere within walking distance of the Houses of Parlliament.

State owned building. They pay rent. They claim expenses for the rent. Overnight sleeping accommodation, not the sort of place to invite family friends to parties or sightseeing trips and such.

When they retire or get voted out of office, they do NOT walk away with an extra house that the population paid the mortgage on!

[LazyGun]

@ Hypo I think that's the system used in at least one Scandinavian country - cannot remember which.

Seems eminently sensible to me..

[jno]

it's nto cheap heating duck houses, you know.

Hypo, I thought they should house MPs in the athletes' village in Stratford after the Olympics. Easy access to work on the Jubilee line. However, they didn't see it my way.

[Hypognosis]

@jno,

'They'? You mean you wrote to them and suggested it? (grin)

Due to complete lack of curiosity, I have yet to set eyes on photos of what the athletes' accommodation was like, on the inside. Thinking that they spent most of their days outdoors, either training or competing, my guess was that their rooms were going to be not much better than bedsits, perhaps with individual bathing facilities, maybe a common room for socialising. A bit 'student-y', if you know what I mean.

However, thinking back to the pre-publicity, I recall some political promises to turn them into low-cost houses for local residents so maybe the apartments were fully appointed?

[jno]

no no, Hypo, I suggested it on AB; that seemed like the best way to attract the world's attention.

I don't know what the original village was like but they always planned to turn it into low-cost accommodation, and I couldn't see why it shouldn't be made available for MPs to use (though it would rather lower the tone of Stratford).

[Hypognosis]

//that seemed like the best way to attract the world's attention. //

Oh, you'd be surprised.

Copy some words you've written on AB recently; type two quotation marks in the google search box ("") and paste the words in between the quotes and then search the 'net.

It's no different to what happens when you type a crossword clue straight into google search. It's not unknown to find RT crossword answers via Google at 07:30 on a Tuesday.