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16/06/2009, 10:48 AM Caring local Joined on 03/06/2009 Posts 8 MPs expenses Well, it seems like Hugo has come clean, didnt seem to have anything remarkable or shameful to declare. I expect his opponents will be disappointed that there isn't much ammunition for them.    Report

18/06/2009, 10:13 AM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 Re: MPs expenses Hugo is the incumbent in what is one of the safest of tory seats,  in other words he has a "job for life" just like near neighbour Anthony Steen!... and we know what he thinks about his "grace and favour" position, and that he certainly  thinks he's better than us mere mortals .... Roll on his departure I say However, I'd like to move on to the European elections, where Giles "   Mea Culpa"  Chichester who was sacked by Cameron when it was discovered that  £400,000 ( yes .. it eclipses any of the MP's misuse of public funds)   had found their way into an account in which he had/has a personal interest.  (ref The Times June 2008)www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article4069524.ece What concerns me is that we all had leaflets through our doors before the Europeans from all parties, and , well blow me down! but Cameron was supporting Chichester for the European position yet again. It astonishes me that 1) The tories think our memories are so short that misdemeanours of this type are  easily brushed under the carpet 2) In the light of the revelations by the Telegraph, of all papers !! Chichester , who should have led the charge to the exit door through shame, is back in Brussels where the opportunities are even greater than at home. 3) The local electorate are still prepared to support these people despite their "sins" It's a bloody outrageous disgrace and it's time the   labour and conservative parties were dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Parliament has hardly changed since a chap called Fawkes tried to put and end to it!! The effigies on our bonfires should change to reflect the times... ...seems to me Caring local that perhaps you don't care at all!   Incidentally, I sent a similar email to the Journal before the elections .... needless to say, our beloved totally impartial Phil Griffin didn't print any of it! Shameful again!    Report

18/06/2009, 8:40 PM Ian Woolger Joined on 09/09/2008 Budleigh Salterton Posts 211 Re: MPs expenses I have just been sat staring at my computer screen for the past hour, perusing Hugo Swires expenses. As I sat trying to read the scanned files on the government website, with my poor eyesight, I came accross some opticians bills totalling £235 ! can someone explain to me, why I am wondering how I can afford £200 for new glasses, yet I am paying Hugo Swires opticians bill? I dont get NHS glasses, I have to pay the going rate at spec savers, which comes out of my wages, on which I have been taxed...WHY WHY WHY! do I have to pay the opticians bills for someone who earns more in one year than I do in ten? I sadly posted on the forums a while ago complimenting Mr Swire on his prompt reply to an issue I raised with his office. Sorry Hugo, I take back every single favourable comment, you are in the golden trough up to your snout along with all the others. After a lifetime as a Conservative voter, you can shove it.......... It is criminal to steal a purse, daring to steal a fortune, a mark of greatness to steal a crown. The blame diminishes as the guilt increases    Report

18/06/2009, 9:09 PM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 Re: MPs expenses Good call Ian!    Report

19/06/2009, 10:22 PM King Ludd Joined on 20/12/2008 Posts 35 Re: MPs expenses .    Report

21/06/2009, 11:28 PM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 Re: MPs expenses Hugo Swire (East Devon) reclaimed tens of thousands of pounds over four years, including for "contribution towards the reimbursement of costs and expenses in support of the parliamentary duties of Hugo Swire MP incurred by the East Devon Conservative Association... provision of office facilities, administration and secretarial staff and advice bureau". Hugo Swire - Con, East Devon £3.02 Flash antibacterial wipes £15 for a Glyndebourne festival opera booklet £105 Spectator subscription 30p Mars bar from Honiton garage £24.50 replacement orchid plant  .... from the WMN Sat Jun 20th 2009 More instances  of our local MP ... what shall we say , stealing from the public purse to recompense his party for their expenditure helping to keep him in office, and other items not commensurate with what the public might see as Parliamentary essential expenditure!! This is yet another flagrant breach of Parliamentary rules , and yet another reason for the man to be excluded from public office,  expulsion from the conservative party and investigation by the police.... sadly, he isn't the only MP guilty of these misappropriations of public money.. No wonder we're one of the highest taxed populations (if not THE highest) on the planet !    Report

23/06/2009, 4:34 PM Tony B Joined on 23/06/2009 Posts 6 Re: MPs expenses Mr Swire's expenses whilst disappointing bare no resemblance to the disappointment of the Sidmouth Herald's reporting. Whilst the Telegraph and the Express and Echo have sought to challenge MPs and to get to the truth of this scandal the Herald has sat on its hands. Hardly a word of criticism and a wasted opportunity to grill our MP with a series of questions printed on 12 June which ends with the Herald asking Swire "What has the atmosphere been like"? to which he answed it has beeen horrible I do think we should be more transparent"! The approach of the Herald should hang their heads in shame. Watergate would have stood little of being reported and no chance of seeing the light of day! A free press except in Sidmouth it appears.    Report

27/06/2009, 9:54 AM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 Re: MPs expenses .......to which he answed it has beeen horrible I do think we should be more transparent"! The approach of the Herald should hang their heads in shame. Watergate would have stood little of being reported and no chance of seeing the light of day! A free press except in Sidmouth it appears. ... and Exmouth and Budleigh and Honiton and Tiverton   .. in fact anywhere that Archant hangs its hat it would appear . The "interview" much copied across a number of Archant publications is even published as a Scoop by the mid Devon Herald ! .. and as for Swire's hope for transparency, well as far as I'm concerned he's so transparent I can see right through him. Imagine the front needed to go to the bother of claiming for a bar of chocolate costing pennies, when this man is paid many thousands as a non executive director so that his employers (if that's the correct terminology! ) can put The Rt Hon Hugo Swire MP on their letterheads. As scandalous a practise today as it was in the 18th century, yet the tory voters of East Devon will , with heads buried deeply in the sand, return him as "our" MP at the next election. That's even more scandalous!    Report

01/07/2009, 9:46 AM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 Re: MPs expenses Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} New rules have come into force requiring MPs to disclose all income they receive from second jobs and how much time they devote to them.   The move is unpopular with some in Westminster who argue it will deter MPs from seeking outside employment which is useful to keeping them in touch with conditions in the economy and the needs of constituents. But many others argue the job of an MP is a full-time one and well-paid outside interests are indefensible at a time when Parliament has been brought low by the expenses scandal and during the worst recession for 50 years. MPs currently have to list outside employers and directorships but do not have to reveal how much time they spend on second jobs and only have to indicate salaries if it related to their work as an MP. Let's see how our MP deals with this one! His "   defence "   of expenditure so far has been unconvincing,biased and selective.    Report

29/10/2009, 12:08 PM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 MPs expenses ...... I suppose that ,having enjoyed an 82 day holiday, Hugo Swire   might think he's over the worst of this particular "personal problem" .... let's look  from another perspective. Swire and many of his colleagues have used the argument  " I've done nothing wrong / not broken the law " ... well , I suppose that as "the law" stands that might well be so, however, who makes " the law" ? and when "the law" is made,  so many loopholes subsequently appear that we might wonder about the skill (or lack of it) of the legal profession. After all, how is it that , in law , nobody is responsible for the death of Jean Charles de Menezes ? Loopholes .....  but I digress a little After the Napoli was grounded Swire was quite scathing about the "thefts"  from the containers and beach at Branscombe. He was careful not to let us know that  the rules covering the Napoli and its cargo fell under maritime law, and that it was not illegal to remove items from the beach provided the removal was lodged with the relevant office. He seemed happy to let us all think that the acts were illegal If we compare these two scenarios , I have to ask what is the difference? Legal but immoral? Opportunistic and OK or greedy and selfish? Swire's opinion about the "legalized" theft from the Napoli is on record , perhaps he should take some of his own medicine , and perhaps we should not forget this at the next general election.!!    Report

16/02/2010, 7:38 PM Sidmouth Seagull Joined on 16/02/2010 Posts 2 Re: MPs expenses Dear Ian    I wrote to him recently when he was moaning about how much he doesn't earn (he forgets he gets 82 days summer recess plus Christmas and Easter) plus outside jobs, his wife works for him, and those expeneses.   You would think he would keep quiet about the situation and not bleet and moan and inflame ghasts but he does not seem to learn.  When he stated he insists fo paying the full council tax, I wrote to him and asked do you pay it or is it claimed on expenses.  The reply I got was he pays the full council tax, I replied you have not read or answered my question.  It is all spin. We are meant to accept and ask not questions.   In the Sidmouth Herald he states about scutinity would put off people standing for Parliament and  about the pay etc. etc.  It is not there only job.  You listen to any questions, radio 4 in general and you often have an MP twittering on, they do not do it for free.  I did not know about the glasses, perhaps he needed them so he can understand his claim forms better, because so many MP's have difficulty understanding how and what to claim.   With regard to his spectacles he is never photographed in them - surely if we paid for them we sould seen them!   With most laws made in Europe the Seagull thinks their workload should have decreased - a senior civil servant said they should be cut by one third.  But they make the rules. Reading on another forum reader his claim list, why haven't these been picked up on. Still it must have given the MPs something to think about when the Telegraph started to print details.    Report

17/02/2010, 8:07 AM Sidmouth Seagull Joined on 16/02/2010 Seafront promenade Posts 313 Re: MPs expenses Dear Ian   What is the site name you found this on please advise me. "Sidmouth Seagull" @ the top of lampost along the promenade!!! Sidmouth East Devon    Report

17/02/2010, 8:11 AM Sidmouth Seagull Joined on 16/02/2010 Seafront promenade Posts 313 Re: MPs expenses Dear Mike   Where did you get this from, I did not see it listed.  I agree with you it is terrible, especially the Mars bar.  I can't believe the papers did not pick up about his Orchid Plant!   With his wifes earning and his over sixty thousand from Photo Me and his MP's salary, it does not say much for his "budget" skills if he can't pay for things like this.   And he moans for more.............. "Sidmouth Seagull" @ the top of lampost along the promenade!!! Sidmouth East Devon    Report

17/02/2010, 11:37 PM Mike Fairclough Joined on 18/04/2008 Posts 115 Re: MPs expenses Dear Mike   Where did you get this from, I did not see it listed ... sorry SS don't know to what you refer ... however, most of my stuff comes from the local news, either press or BBC , on a wider search reputable national newspapers,( no redtops or Mail) and reputable web sources ... it's not difficult to sort out and eliminate the dross .... (see in parentheses!!) Load up your search engine of choice , type in a few relevant words like ... Swire, expenses, non executive directorships, the Eton 16 parliamentary minutes Mars bars, cameras etc,etc ... you get my drift? and a cornucopia of reliable documented information will suddenly appear before your eyes . !!    Report

27/02/2010, 4:15 PM Sidmouth Seagull Joined on 16/02/2010 Seafront promenade Posts 313 Re: MPs HAVE THEIR OWN WEATHERSPOONS!!!! Cheap beer in H of P. Letter page Sidmouth Herald this week Dear All Have you read that MP's bar bill in the House Of Commons?  They have their own type of Weatherspoons - different from Weatherspoons you have to pay  at Weatherspoons and according to the letter by Mr Wally Cotgrave in the Sidmouth Herald they have a tab and cheap prices. We never new of these benefits.  Hick! Hick! I can't see where in Sidmouth Weatherspoons could go. "Sidmouth Seagull" @ the top of lampost along the promenade!!! Sidmouth East Devon    Report

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