Comments on: From John Lewis list to MFI list? http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/ Conservative Party Member of Parliament for Wokingham Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:25:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mikestallard http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22422 mikestallard Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:58:23 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22422 Having lived through it, I can say without fear of contradiction that things have NOT got better under Tony Blair/Gordon Brown. Everything has got worse. Sometimes it has got a bit worse (NHS); sometimes is has gone disastrously wrong (our economy). There are far too many expensive people in control of far too little: hence the contradictions and inefficiency. "Wasn't me, guv, it was 'im!" I cannot see the MSPs disbanding quietly, or the Welsh disbanding quietly either. The rest? Sack the lot! We need a smaller parliament in both houses, more power to county and town councils and Whitehall to be made to run as smoothly as it did under John Major. I honestly think that the Conservatives believe in all this and that, one day, they will bring it to pass. Having lived through it, I can say without fear of contradiction that things have NOT got better under Tony Blair/Gordon Brown. Everything has got worse. Sometimes it has got a bit worse (NHS); sometimes is has gone disastrously wrong (our economy).
There are far too many expensive people in control of far too little: hence the contradictions and inefficiency. “Wasn’t me, guv, it was ‘im!”
I cannot see the MSPs disbanding quietly, or the Welsh disbanding quietly either. The rest? Sack the lot!
We need a smaller parliament in both houses, more power to county and town councils and Whitehall to be made to run as smoothly as it did under John Major.
I honestly think that the Conservatives believe in all this and that, one day, they will bring it to pass.

]]> By: adam http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22418 adam Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:19:55 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22418 if there is a john lewis list, what other lists are there? (words left out) more importantly why are labour mps claiming they never heard of a john lewis list? They then imply it must be a conservative thing. Now i know our mps are stupid but really how embarrasing is it journalists know more about business in parliament than mps. Maybe we should let the journalists scrutinise legislation. if there is a john lewis list, what other lists are there?
(words left out)

more importantly why are labour mps claiming they never heard of a john lewis list? They then imply it must be a conservative thing.
Now i know our mps are stupid but really how embarrasing is it journalists know more about business in parliament than mps. Maybe we should let the journalists scrutinise legislation.

]]> By: Ken Stevens http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22407 Ken Stevens Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:55:10 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22407 Simon_C "I don’t have a problem with a housing allowance for any MP that doesn’t live close to Westminster,.." Nor as regards someone living fairly close but can't reasonably "commute" on a particular day because of late business. In that instance an overnight hotel booking would be equitable, as a supplementary or alternative arrangement to Simon C's MP ghetto idea. Simon_C
“I don’t have a problem with a housing allowance for any MP that doesn’t live close to Westminster,..”

Nor as regards someone living fairly close but can’t reasonably “commute” on a particular day because of late business. In that instance an overnight hotel booking would be equitable, as a supplementary or alternative arrangement to Simon C’s MP ghetto idea.

]]> By: Ken Stevens http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22405 Ken Stevens Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:37:04 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22405 "..We are awash with too many MPs, MSPs, Assembly members,.." MPs used to be sufficient to run UK. So, scrap the MSPs and AMs. Then MPs sit in their devolved parliaments for part of the time and together as UK parliament at other times. That of course would result in an English Parliament ;-) Aside from that particular bugbear, could someone tell me why the devolved territories are so complex that they require MPs, MSPS/AMs and Secretaries of State to run them (not to mention separate representation on British-Irish Council)? England is evidently a lot simpler to manage, despite its comparatively larger size! (I won't even venture into EU regional governance aspects; need to keep the blood pressure down) “..We are awash with too many MPs, MSPs, Assembly members,..”

MPs used to be sufficient to run UK. So, scrap the MSPs and AMs.
Then MPs sit in their devolved parliaments for part of the time and together as UK parliament at other times.

That of course would result in an English Parliament ;-)

Aside from that particular bugbear, could someone tell me why the devolved territories are so complex that they require MPs, MSPS/AMs and Secretaries of State to run them (not to mention separate representation on British-Irish Council)?

England is evidently a lot simpler to manage, despite its comparatively larger size!

(I won’t even venture into EU regional governance aspects; need to keep the blood pressure down)

]]> By: Simon_C http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22397 Simon_C Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:14:45 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22397 Why can't MPs just do expenses like anyone else ? I don't have a problem with a housing allowance for any MP that doesn't live close to Westminster, which would cover rent or hotel costs or interest, and pay for *basic* furnature in a rented or bought house. Backed by receipts or course, and capped. Not just a flat rate with nothing to justify it. If the MP wanted to pay for more, he could claim up to the limit and top up the rest himself. I'd base the rent on the cost to rent a 1 bed flat in a reasonable area, + taxes etc. By basic I mean what you would expect to find in a hotel room. And I would only allow one claim per item per parlimentry term too. Expenses should be seen as just that, expenses. Not a way to top up the salary. And, I think they should be subject to the same rules the Inland Revenue apply to the rest of us for site based workers. Maybe an alternative idea would be a halls of residence idea similar to students. Can you imagine 6 MPs living on a sharing a corridor, kitchen and bathroom :) Seriously though, state provided accommodation may be the best answer to this. A block with however many units made up of a bedroom, and study/dining room should be find for staying away from home when at parliament. Just my 2p :) Why can’t MPs just do expenses like anyone else ?

I don’t have a problem with a housing allowance for any MP that doesn’t live close to Westminster, which would cover rent or hotel costs or interest, and pay for *basic* furnature in a rented or bought house. Backed by receipts or course, and capped. Not just a flat rate with nothing to justify it. If the MP wanted to pay for more, he could claim up to the limit and top up the rest himself. I’d base the rent on the cost to rent a 1 bed flat in a reasonable area, + taxes etc.

By basic I mean what you would expect to find in a hotel room. And I would only allow one claim per item per parlimentry term too.

Expenses should be seen as just that, expenses. Not a way to top up the salary. And, I think they should be subject to the same rules the Inland Revenue apply to the rest of us for site based workers.

Maybe an alternative idea would be a halls of residence idea similar to students. Can you imagine 6 MPs living on a sharing a corridor, kitchen and bathroom :)
Seriously though, state provided accommodation may be the best answer to this. A block with however many units made up of a bedroom, and study/dining room should be find for staying away from home when at parliament.

Just my 2p :)

]]> By: AlanofEngland http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22391 AlanofEngland Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:16:44 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22391 Scrapping all that ghastly English regional government should be a priority for ANY English politician with the interests of the country at heart. Unfortunately the EU view on this matter prevails, so please let me know, John, how it could be done? As I understand it, I am now a citizen of the EU in a region, Western Atlantic or whatever, under the control of Portugal. Nobody asked me if I wanted this status, I found out in a website reference. This is how the EU conducts itself, and it being financially corrupt for 13 years now just adds to my sense of despair that we have not left it for membership of the EFTA or a similar organisation. Reply: It can be done by Parliament as soon as we have a majority of anti English regional MPs. Scrapping all that ghastly English regional government should be a priority for ANY English politician with the interests of the country at heart. Unfortunately the EU view on this matter prevails, so please let me know, John, how it could be done? As I understand it, I am now a citizen of the EU in a region, Western Atlantic or whatever, under the control of Portugal. Nobody asked me if I wanted this status, I found out in a website reference. This is how the EU conducts itself, and it being financially corrupt for 13 years now just adds to my sense of despair that we have not left it for membership of the EFTA or a similar organisation.

Reply: It can be done by Parliament as soon as we have a majority of anti English regional MPs.

]]> By: Stuart Fairney http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/2008/07/16/from-john-lewis-list-to-mfi-list/#comment-22389 Stuart Fairney Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:11:45 +0000 http://www.johnredwoodsdiary.com/?p=1185#comment-22389 As the Northerners were apparently entitled to a vote on the North East Regional Assembly, can their be any justification on denying us a vote on the South East assembly? As the Northerners were apparently entitled to a vote on the North East Regional Assembly, can their be any justification on denying us a vote on the South East assembly?

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