Bloody Conway

[SchizophrenicCabbage]

So, the guy hasn't even been given the sack for his behaviour... only ten days suspension.

Did he not commit fraud? Had a member of the public embezzled public funds they'd be behind bars right now.

Anyone else fuming?

[macgamer]

Look where £26,000 of tax payers money was a year:
http://standrews.facebook.com/s.php?q=H ... way&init=q

That should annoy anyone sufficiently.

[Super Jock]

Oh man, Henry Conway what a prat! If it weren't for the fact everyone who knew him would want a bit of his money, you gotta hope all his friends would have the decency to hate him.

Ps. he should definitely be sacked.

[Haunted]

Quoting macgamer from 23:54, 1st Feb 2008
Look where £26,000 of tax payers money was a year:
http://standrews.facebook.com/s.php?q=H ... way&init=q

That should annoy anyone sufficiently.

Yup, that did it

[hr]

Now with 100% more corn

[Guest]

Its a good start for getting rid of these complacent corrupt MPs. Sadly I think the actions of the leaders of all parties will not come close. Either pay them nothing or megabucks. I prefer nothing.

[exnihilo]

But who would you have sack him?

[Hevelius]

Quoting from 03:21, 2nd Feb 2008
Its a good start for getting rid of these complacent corrupt MPs. Sadly I think the actions of the leaders of all parties will not come close. Either pay them nothing or megabucks. I prefer nothing.

I've always rather liked the idea of paying them the median salary of people in their constituency. Also, I don't think MPs should be allowed to hold other paid positions.

[harmless loony]

A lot of the MPs across all the political parties employ family members. My MP (Labour) employs her husband and pays him a hefty wage.

It's frustrating but there's not much we can do (except vote her out when the time comes) but we'll probably replace her with someone who is doing the same thing!

Central govt has cracked down hard on local govt and made us make every single post competitive which means there is no such concept of promotion as every post must be advertised externally and be open to anyone to apply for...shame MPs don't follow their own advice.

All this is annoying but not at all surprising....

[Bonnie]

Having just read the article, I'm struck by how dumb British MPs can be-- why are they employing their own family? Why not offer to employ the "brilliant" nephew of a fellow MP, while that MP employs your son-- or "finds" a job for him in the private sector, while the son of the CEO just so happens to get the researcher job for the first MP.
I'm not saying it's morally right, I'm saying it's smarter.

[munchingfoo]

because your smarter option is much easier to prove as fraud.

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!

[Guest]

Who the hell is Henry Conway?

[Bonnie]

Quoting munchingfoo from 08:47, 3rd Feb 2008
because your smarter option is much easier to prove as fraud.

No, it's not. A "researcher" on staff who is your own family looks blatantly like fraud. The same money on the books spent of staff that isn't related to you doesn't look suspicious, because everyone on staff are not-related and on the payroll. And the CEO's kid could have a good-looking work experience history on paper just to make it all look up-to-snuff. It would be so gosh-darn easy to make this look a lot less fraudulent, so why didn't they bother?

[Edinburgh Boy]

We really need to look at the whole package of pay and expenses for MPs. As well as their good salary, they get handsome office allowances and support in purachasing London property, which they can re-sell at a tidy profit. They don't have to provide receipts for expenses, and their mileage allowance used to be so good that they could make a profit out of driving! Moreover, they have fantastic subsidised bars and restaurants in which to spend all of our money.

We need fewer MPs (especially in Labour areas which are over-represented), their salaries should be capped, their expenses trimmed and audited (perhaps PDFs on Parliament's website detailing how much each MP claims) and above all a Civil Service secretariat to replace the wives, mistresses, hookers and others whom they employ at our expense.

[Edinburgh Boy]

We really need to look at the whole package of pay and expenses for MPs. As well as their good salary, they get handsome office allowances and support in purachasing London property, which they can re-sell at a tidy profit. They don't have to provide receipts for expenses, and their mileage allowance used to be so good that they could make a profit out of driving! Moreover, they have fantastic subsidised bars and restaurants in which to spend all of our money.

We need fewer MPs (especially in Labour areas which are over-represented), their salaries should be capped, their expenses trimmed and audited (perhaps PDFs on Parliament's website detailing how much each MP claims) and above all a Civil Service secretariat to replace the wives, mistresses, hookers and others whom they employ at our expense.

[munchingfoo]

Perhaps you believe yourself to be correct because fail to identify the question you are addressing.

The question is not what looks like fraud but rather what is provable as fraud. Fortunately, in Britain, this is what counts.

Generally, the more people involved in a fraud means the easier it is to convict a person of that fraud.

Quoting Bonnie from 03:18, 4th Feb 2008

No, it's not. A "researcher" on staff who is your own family looks blatantly like fraud. The same money on the books spent of staff that isn't related to you doesn't look suspicious, because everyone on staff are not-related and on the payroll. And the CEO's kid could have a good-looking work experience history on paper just to make it all look up-to-snuff. It would be so gosh-darn easy to make this look a lot less fraudulent, so why didn't they bother?

[hr]

Tired Freudian references aside - your mother played my mighty skin flute like a surf crowned sea nymph trying to rouse Poseidon from his watery slumber!