Thought Id start this one going because its rather dead on this board at the moment and I suppose all my usual muckers are either at the Stella tennis event watching Dim Tim (lose again) or at Henly Regatta eating cucumber sandwiches (they wish,...NOT).

Anyway please feel free to just talk to yourself blast away and let it go on any company or subject you wish. Just wish Id thought of this one before.

cheers GF.

Tanker.

With a lot of what you say, I do think your take on it is correct.

Tons of people, in politics (and banking) particularly and 'the professions' in general, are just taking the piss. The legal and health professions contain some of the worst.

Their 'con' is usually based on one falsehood:

They would have us believe they are working in our best interests. Actually, they really want our lives and affairs to be made complicated and not simple so they can levy more and more of their phenominally high hourly charges sorting our 'stuff' out.

eg. Our taxation system is made and kept deliberately complicated so as to fund the charges of all the chartered accountants who advise us and do our tax returns.

On the criminal and civil side of the law, each side needs a lawyer. The law isn't to give us justice. it is made to keep the fees high for the defending and prosecuting lawyers.

Can't argue with any of that, spot on EL.
2517

EL - it's the legislators who keep changing the tax rules and the accountants thereafter who (have to) work their way through it all to minimise your tax liabilities

the more complex the rules are made and the more loopholes the legislators try to close, the more others are opened elsewhere .... not quite fair, but near enough

ex correct its all about looking after the rich .
back to rifkind the man as no shame any normal person would be in hiding

the tax system should the rate of tax and you pay those rates no loop holes

So given all that, you right wing voters... are you still going to vote "Con" or for the kippers?

This "Con" Party/Government have had 5 years to put things right... But have not.

nor labour in 13 years before that!

sure as hell wouldn't vote ukip; that really is one big bunch of nutters even if farage himself is not .... indeed, he's a brilliant self-publicist, though whether he has any substance is very much open to question

lets now look at the a few facts on rifkind speaking . I have loads of spare time

so lets cut the MPs by around 200 seats and pay them top money to do the correct
work for the good of the country

cynic you certainly love yourself do you take photos of your self
have now met mr farage a very nice person who is a lot brighter than Cameron the liar

MrT - try reading what i wrote ... and of course "he's a very nice man"; after all, he went to a public school, even if it is not top tier

Exec.

First, some members of parliament get more than basic £67,000 and Chairmen of Committees are an example.

I would accept that for full time MPs that their salaries should be higher.

But, they should be full time MPS and not continue without outside "work".

Also, the accounts and sources of incomes and tax returns should be open to the public eye.

Also, decent overnight lodging, and offices etc. should be provided by the "State" for those living outside a reasonable range of The HP.

Perhaps doing some of the above under scrutiny should get rid of some of the corruptible Bs. and corruption in government.

I think that MPs should be able to represent Pressure groups, Businesses, Professional Bodies, Unions etc. has to be allowed, but once again it has to be declared and open and without direct remuneration.

Rifkind is iconic of many of the "elitist" within the Con Party in overvaluing himself.

At least Straw was ceasing to be a MP, before he increased his pension.

===-=-=

Jesus, just heard that Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP may be proposed as replacement as chairman of the committee.

I can see little which makes her honourable and feel they are scraping the bottoms again.

What a period in UK government. Disaster on disaster.

I didn't ask who are you "not" going to vote for Alf, aka cloth ears... so are you still going to vote for one of the right wing outfits?... Just answer the question as you would say -):

fred - except in rare circumstances, an MPs job is pretty insecure ..... it is therefore unreasonable to demand that they should hold no other interests

however, the "rules" are not only clearly inadequate but also not frightfully clear in some respects (so the commentators were saying)

that straw and rifkind have "betrayed trust" is looking pretty undeniable, but that does not alter what i have written above

yes :-)

Who's job is safe these days?

10.30 The full statement from Sir Malcolm Rifkind, as he announces an early resignation from Parliament.

"I had intended to seek one further term as MP for Kensington, before retiring from the House of Commons. I have concluded that to end the uncertainty it would be preferable, instead, to step down at the end of this Parliament.

"This is entirely my personal decision. I have had no such requests from my constituency association but I believe that it is the right and proper action to take. As regards the allegations of Channel 4 and the Daily Telegraph I find them contemptible and will not comment further at this time."

"Although I will retire from Parliament I shall continue my public and political life and am much looking forward to doing so over the years to come."

Has he struck a deal with No 10 to go quietly?



http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/investigations/11431461/Jack-Straw-and-Sir-Malcolm-Rifkind-lobbying-scandal-latest-updates.html

how much does mark prithard get for work outside gov and does nothing for is voters to busy on private issues read about him

Tanker

I have one big problem with voting for UKIP.......

Although I do find Farage to be quite charismatic and interesting to listen to and I also agree with a lot of the points he makes, his political team of potential MPs are 'lightweights' compared to those representing Labour and Conservative.

My own MP, Andrea Leadsom is a real hard working heavy weight. She wins my vote by miles. There is no one to touch her. So, as aTory, she gets elected.

Now I think this reasoning of mine is most important, in that voters should be voting for individual political representatives and not for the party they belong to.

What do you and others think?

eg. As an example of this kind of thinking, I really do want Boris Johnson to be elected Prime Minister. He would make an excellent partry leader and country leader. He can have his hand on the tiller, steer a strong steady course, get and keep the crew behind him and get all of the jobs done.

Oh and I don't give a rat's arse about his Bullingdon Club, Eton history stuff. Boris has had an excellent education and has really benefitted from it. He is fully capable and can hold tons of information in his head.

Boris for Kensington MP?

I don't think it can be done now he has chosen to run for another seat.

Why not?

He's a shoo-in wherever he goes.