Podcasts with Pienaar
Iain Dale 3:38 PM
Yesterday I recorded a 12 minute podcast chat with 5 Live's John Pienaar, mainly about Joanna Lumley & the Gurkhas, as well as a review of PMQs.
Listen out near the end for my line on Nick Clegg taking Viagra!
And it went so well, we did another one today on the expenses scandal. Listen to them both HERE.
(If you are wondering why the expenses one is a bit echoey, I was on Skype from home!)Darling & Hoon Are the Two Most Serious Cases
Iain Dale 10:40 AM
Take Geoff Hoon, for example. As far as I can see, there can only be one explanation for the quadruple redesignation of his second home. And the reason can only be for financial gain. Similarly with Alistair Darling. They played the system. Apparently they even have a name for it. it's called "flipping", as in flipping between your main home and second one. You spend money on one, then redesignate it so you can then spend money on the other. And it's all within the rules. Nice, eh?
It always used to be the case that an MP's second home was the one they used while in London. Even then, the allowance system was abused, but at least it was clear which home was the second home. Nowadays, MPs can choose, which also means, they can change their minds, seemingly at will. Jacqui Smith is a blatant example of this, but following today's revelations there are clearly others - Gordon Brown among them. No doubt there are many Conservatives too, as we will no doubt find out in the next few days.
It is very easy to define what constitutes a main home and it shows how broken the system is that one MP's definition can be completely different to another's and they are still within the rules.
Looking through the different examples cited by the Telegraph I think the following need further explanation...
I am not making a party political point out of this as I have absolutely no doubt that over the next few days Conservatives, LibDems and MPs from minor parties will be shown to have done similar things. So yes, we can all condemn and be outraged. And we all are, especially those of us who try their hardest to defend politicians and politics as a noble cause. So yes, condemn, get it out of your system, but then think how best to change the system and try to restore some sort of order.
There are two simple reforms which could be made immediately. Ban MPs from claiming food costs. You can only eat in one place. Secondly, ban them from buying any furniture or fittings for their second homes. They would then each get a one off £5k grant at the beginning of their parliamentary career, or a similar grant once every five years. They could then only claim for rent/mortgage interest and utility costs.
We can all think up different solutions, but in the end it is Sir Christopher Kelly's committee which will be tasked with doing so. I do wonder if they have the resources and capability to complete the task, though. The three political party representatives have withdrawm from the committee on this issue, but surely the committee needs to call on expert advice from serving politicians.
We are about to enter a very murky few days for the reputation of politics.
Still, plenty to talk about on my radio show tonight! I'll be posting details of how you can take part later on.Quote of the Day
Iain Dale 9:32 AM
How Dirty Was Gordon's Flat?
Iain Dale 9:11 AM
How on earth did Gordon Brown manage to spend £240 a month on a cleaner? Even if he/she was there for two hours a week it's a pretty incredible hourly rate. Or was it just a very dirty flat?
I suspect the tabloids have already started the search for the cleaner...
I have only got to page three of the Telegraph, so I'll have further comments when I have read the lot.
Friday, 8 May 2009
OK, I have now just ploughed through the nine pages of coverage in the Telegraph. It's a curious mix of the outrageous and the pedestrian. You get the impression with one or two of the Cabinet Ministers that a story has been manufactured out of very little. But for most of them, there are questions which need to be answered, and I am afraid that the stock answer of "It was approved by the Fees Office" or "It's within the rules" is simply not good enough.
"Ms Lumley's co-campaigners were behind him and arranged it so that there were pictures of injured Gurkhas beside each of his ears. Doughnutted by hideous lacerations! What an error! If Alastair Campbell were dead, he would be turning in his grave."
Simon Hoggart, The Guardian, 8 May
When I lived in London, I lived in a two bedroom flat on the Canine Islands (Isle of Dogs for the uninitiated). I didn't have a cleaner. Believe it or not I used to clean the flat myself. Shock horror. It wasn't a large flat, but it wasn't easy to keep clean as it had white walls and a light carpet. I reckon I spent an hour a week cleaning it. So my question is this.
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