MPs for sale

Evidence from the USA that the Kelly report disregarded  would have improved his findings. He did not take a great deal of notice  of the evidence I sent him on the same point - the corrupting nature of second jobs for MPs.

A career gracing the benches of the Commons leaves Tory MPs almost twice as wealthy as their unfortunate colleagues who ran unsuccessfully for Parliament.

The study is thought to be the first to put a figure on the financial benefits of serving as an MP. It found that while the average Conservative member died with an estate worth £483,448, those who failed to win seats died with a total of £250,699, a difference of £232,749. By contrast, Labour members benefited by a mere £10,200. Two academics examined the personal fortunes of 427 recently deceased MPs who entered Parliament between 1950 and 1970 and served into the 1990s.

Their paper, MPs For Sale?  concludes that Conservative MPs profit from their time in office largely through lucrative second jobs gained as a result of their political connections.  Being an MP trebled  their chances of being offered a job as a company director. 

Many enjoyed profitable retirements as firms bought them up. However, Labour politicians, who were more likely to take up posts with unions, enjoyed far less lucrative positions. There is an uncomfortable number of former Labour ministers who have hawked their contacts and influence to the highest bidders.

The Public Administration Committee grilled several of them who  have grabbed outside jobs before they have retired from the House. This scandal dwarfs the bath plugs and moats.

Paddy praise

It's not every day that this blog get a comment from a former party leader. I was online this morning when Paddy Ashdown complained about a comment I wrongly attributed to him. What he and John Simpson said on the 'One' show on Wednesday merged together in my mind. Their comments were very similar.

No excuse really because the 'One' show kindly sent me a disc of the show. I corrected my error immediately and re-allocated the blame to John Simpson.  It's right also  to re-instate the favourable comments on Paddy. He did a splendid job persisting with his constant raising of the issue of Bosnia in Parliament. It stretched the patience of other MPs - including his own LibDems. But it was the right thing to do. He did a fine job in Bosnia dealing with the micro-surgery of stitching together Balkan ethnic and religious groups.

One of the few faint hopes for progress in Afghanistan was the plan to give Paddy the job of Supremo. It was blocked by Karzai. Another reason not to have faith in him. Government and Opposition are rattled by the collapse of public support for the war. I will have a busy time next week refuting some of the new  false arguments. David Milliband tried a new scare tactic today, threatening that Karzai would go 'in weeks' if British troops leave. Goodbye to the election rigging thief and his drug dealing brother just to end the procession of coffins through Wotton Bassett?

Seems reasonable.

Thanks Sun

It was the Sun that did it. Tomorrow's Observer will make Cameron choke over his cornflakes.

They have a poll showing Tories on 37, Labour  31 and LibDems  17. That's hung parliament territory and the best poll for Labour for a very long time.

The Observer thinks it's the improving confidence in the economy. I believe it's revulsion at the cruel contrived attack on Gordon by the Sun. Only the Sun could make the bereaved mother of a soldier appear unsympathetic. A partially sighted man was abused and mocked for a kind act. That's too much - even for sun readers

Comments

[Dawn]

Paul said >>> "How can anyone take the Sun seriously? few do, I understand. even their own readers don't believe a word they say. they rely on the Beeb. Murdoch is manipulator of news. His son is worse."

And of course that doyen of unbiased, truthful, centrist reportage, Mr Murdoch and his heir apparent, are campaigning hard to get the Beeb disembowelled for 'unfair competition', posturing as if the Murdoch empire is some puny David trying to take down the freedom of speech crushing Goliath Beeb.

I still can't make up my mind whether we should laugh or cry. In a sensible, just, balanced world we would just laugh it off.
Oh, okay tears before bedtime then, I guess.

[John]

Just because readers of the sun may be ordinary people doesn't mean one cannot insult them for reading it.

The more ordinary people wake up to the nonsense they are fed through papers like the sun and the mail the better our society will be in my humble opinion.

[Kay Tie]

Clearly the Labour Party takes the Sun seriously. Fortunately, that does fall under the term "few".

My point was not about the Sun, but the insulting of Sun readers: they are ordinary people. It's telling just what contempt there is for them. It's typical of a socialist to despise ordinary people for having failed socialism.

[Tony]

I thought the second one might have some validity ..
As for the rest, possibly be intersting to see how the electorate look at it ..
The banks were encouraged, they have been bailed out and its not made any real difference to the way they operate .. as I said exaggerated possibly but not baloney ..

[Paul Flynn]

first one is true, Tony. the rest, baloney

[Paul Flynn]

How can anyone take the Sun seriously? few do, I understand. even their own readers don't believe a word they say. they rely on the Beeb. Murdoch is manipulator of news. His son is worse.

[Patrick]

The Mickey Mouse stories of vicars having intercourse with parrots, the schoolboy editorials, the lavatorial humour, the breasts on page 3, the sex chat ,the bingo ...

Yes it's win win win with the Sun!

Have you been a lifelong subscriber Kay-Tie ?

[Tony]

An alternative Queens Speech .. controversial , exaggerated of course but I thought it had some good points ..

“My government will mislead the public and parliament and launch an illegal war against a Third World country which will result in at least 250,000 dead, not including British soldiers.

“My government will launch another war against a Third World country but will not give its soldiers the requisite helicopters, guns, body armour etc, and not have the remotest clue what it hopes to achieve.

“My government will encourage the financial institutions to bankrupt the country and, having done so, will claim the credit for having spent unimaginable sums of your money bailing them out.

“My government will then get you to pay again for the above, either through job cuts or a freeze on wages or higher taxes.

“My government will lie through its teeth about a referendum on the Lisbon treaty, lie through its teeth about levels of immigration.

“My government will enact countless and pointless anti-hate crime legislation which will make you scared stiff to so much as open your mouth.”

[HuwOS]

Honestly Patrick, your statement is insulting, comics represent more talent, effort and are of much greater social value than the sun is.

Everything else you say about that rag is of course, true.

[Kay Tie]

The essence of socialism: dictatorship of the proletariat because they don't know what's good for them. Naughty workers, buying the Sun. Can't have that.

[Patrick]

"So probably best not to insult them just because the Sun changed to support the Tories."

They insult themselves every time they buy their daily comic.

The sun did not change to support the Tories. It supported Thatcher , Major then Blair (whilst they had public support).
With public support diminishing they have switched from the new-Tories back to the mother ship.

It promotes populist, jingoistic piffle and it's only worthy uses are to help dry out shoes, wrap up chips or ignite a fire.

[Kay Tie]

" That's too much - even for sun readers"

Because of their numbers are best described as "the ordinary British public." So probably best not to insult them just because the Sun changed to support the Tories.

[paddy Ashdown]

THank you for this generous and swift correction.

P