howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
sat for a while watching our betters stitching themselves up trying to be devious and greedy.
maybe they broke no laws, i do not know the technicalities of such matters.
what i found depressing that it was much the usual suspects sitting there salivating over how they loved money and were using their contacts to gain more.
nothing has been learned, politics is at its lowest ebb, can it go even lower?
i suspect that there will be more revelations.
byers reminded me of years ago outside upton park, seedy touts promising the best seats for a price.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
HOWARD
Sadly NONE of the political parties are looking to clean up politics.
These types stories will continue to happen.
As Keith notes the stories will continue to happen.
BBC 22.00 News leads with free holidays and lobbying on behalf of foreign governments, details here:-
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8580183.stm 
Alec Sheldon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 18 Aug 2008
- Posts: 1,036
What a shower. Just heard on the News at Ten that Hoon, Byers and Hewitt have been suspended. I don't suppose they will be worried though.
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
Why has the suspension taken so long to happen? What about the public enquiry?
Is it any wonder that the people of this country have become disillusioned by politics. Maybe it is time for a root and branch cull of the current bunch in Westminster, if the electorate can be persuaded to get out and vote when the time comes; and voter apathy is going to be quite an obstacle to overcome I think.
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
Guest 640- Registered: 21 Apr 2007
- Posts: 7,819
Once again politicians have plumbed the depths. To see a former government minister like Steven Byers crawling through the slimey underbelly of commercial life trying to secure cash rich deals for £5000 per day is just shockingly unwholesome. One expects more from a Minister of the Crown and one has a right to expect more from a Minister of the Crown.
Although the others on the programme were bad enough, Byers took the proverbial biscuit in that he lied about his relationship with Tesco and his relationship with National Express. He was blagging up his CV in no uncertain terms but has been caught out as a liar. This liar was a Government Minister for heavens sake...well it beggars belief. He even at one point hinted he could deliver Tony Blair which was another load of complete ballcockery.
Yes all three as mentioned previously have been suspended and go into the twilight of their political careers tainted with a nasty brush. Is there something about Westminster that corrupts or are these corrupt before they begin. Who can tell...sigh
But whatever the case politics has slipped into disrepute once again. I dont think it will harm particularly the Labour vote, but will harm the overall vote in general. The reason it wont particularly harm the Labour vote is that people are now seeing politicians of greed in one block...just politicians! Not Labour, Not Tory, etc etc...but just greedy politicians.
Once again its worth remembering that journalists brought this information to the public..as they did with the Expenses Scandal via the Daily Telegraph. Journalists often get a public kicking but hark, they do fulfill a vital need, otherwise we the public would be walking around in total darkness.
Brian Dixon
- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
yes ok they got there fingers burnt,but hey theres an election coming up,so a lot of dirt digging and dirty tricks.all partys are point scoring again when will it ever stop.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Brian - corruption is corruption, if these behaved then there would not be anything to dig up, election or no election so don't blame the revelations of the election. Incidentally, it is journalists that are digging this up, not politicians for political reasons. It does no-one any good for politics to continue to be dragged through the mire.
There must be a clean up with the first stage a General Election.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
as has already been said, the taint is on all politicians.
i do feel sympathy for those who have gone by the book, incidentally the lady that represents crawley is not standing this time.
she was the one(forget her name) that had a put u up in her office if it was too late to travel home.
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
It's NOT ok Brian. These people are public servants and should not be trying to line their pockets. It's not as though they're not paid enough to do their jobs and it matters not one jot that there's an election looming. They should be hung, drawn and quartered and their heads displayed on spikes outside Westminster as a reminder to all our other representatives that behaving like this is NOT acceptable. Is it any wonder that all our politicians are treated with such contempt by the electorate?
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
Guest 645- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 4,463
Over 160 MP's are stepping down at the next election and its up to us the electorate to ensure that those pigs that have had their snouts in the trough that have the gall to stand again for parliament don't get re-elected.
People power.Use your vote wisely but don't whinge on here after the next election if you failed to vote.
Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter)
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
Phil
I understand your comments, and yes theres an election coming, but who do you vote for.
If you think voting tory is going to change anything it won';t, they were are as sleazy as some of those mentioned above
then theres voting for the marginal p;arties, but will that be enough?
Its still looking to me like a hung parlianment.
and the more these scandals happen, the more chance of a hung parlianment
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
When it comes to election day Keith people's minds will become fixed on turfing out this discredited Government so I suspect we may get a large turnout.
Also Keith, do note that David Cameron warned a couple of months ago that something needed to be done about lobbying, he said then that lobbying would be the next scandal.
He was right, maybe his comments sparked a journalist investigation leading to this latest scandal. Once again he was ahead of the curve and made some very sensible suggestions to deal with this problem.
It may suit you to tar both sides with the same brush but remember it was a certain Mr T Blair who claimed he would clean up politics and would be 'whiter than white' and yet we have had the most corrupt parliament over the last 13 years since the rotten boroughs.
Guest 693- Registered: 12 Nov 2009
- Posts: 1,266
For once, Barry, I'm with you 100%. I'm sick and tired of this corrupt and devious parliament and cannot wait to see the back of the lot of them. This lot make the Tory 'sleaze' of the 90s pale into significance; yes, I know it's politicians from all sides at it, but the Prime Minister does himself, his party nor the country any good by trying to cover it all up.
As Paul B says, the politicians have plumbed new depths; if the Prime Minister had any integrity left, he'd dissolve Parliament right now and put the country out of its misery.
True friends stab you in the front.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
the prime minister will have decided already on the election date, he will have prepared his plans for that.
i am sure that mr cameron and mr clegg have done exactly the same.
when it comes to polling day, those who vote will do their usual thing, i.e. vote for what is best for the country or what is best for themselves.
the sleaze that has gone on will prove a bonus for the UKIP taking votes from the blues and the BNP taking votes from the reds.
the main question now appears to be whether mr clegg and/or mr cable will be in the cabinet of mr cameron.
Brian Dixon- Location: Dover
- Registered: 23 Sep 2008
- Posts: 23,940
phil,i wasnt condoning the practice of being corrupct,i was just stating the obvious that they got caught.
barryw,acording to the itv news [12.30pm]the 3 labour mps have been suspended from parliment,the conservative mp hasnt.so much for camorons clean up of parliment.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
andy
i do understand where your coming from, and that you have an interest in the outcome as you have or will be campaigning for one of the candidates.
But if you think voting this govt out will solve the problem you are in for a shock!!!!!!
BARRYW
Thankfully the general public are not like you, they have minds of there own and are not blinkered.
So yes will be interesting election, i wouldnt have said thsat 6 months ago.
bring it on i say
Prediction: No hung Parliament, but almost total destruction of the Unite Party, oops, Labour Party.
Tony B Liar will be a millstone around the shameful head of Gordie, as will the fraudulent four.
I do agree with Keith that the minor parties will get more votes than usual, but I see BNP as the party to surge forward, possibly getting their first MP's. This will be a direct result of HMG's farcical non-policy on immigration and UK devolution which has put this country back decades with regard to race relations.
Make no mistake, the country will shun Labour at the coming election.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
not with you there sid, the leader of the oppposition set up a unit to see what would happen in the event of a hung parliament.
vince cable was invited to the treasury to extol his views on the economy, lord heseltine expects it to happen.
i notice that nick clegg seems to have a swagger about him recently, as if he expects to be part of the next government.
i can see the BNP getting a seat or two.
my prediction now, nick griffin to be elected as the honourable member for barking and margaret hodge consigned to ignominy.
Guest 674- Registered: 25 Jun 2008
- Posts: 3,391
HOWARD
Partly with you
SID
Believe me labours here to stay,
people startng to see through the tories and will shun them.
so most likely outcome
a hung parlianment
