Shameful Secret Repayments

 The Telegraph reports that John Lyon, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, has allowed the widespread use of a controversial “rectification procedure” whereby a number of seedy MPs have secretly paid back falsely-claimed expenses without their names or abuses being disclosed to the public.

Sixteen MPs made secret repayments in the 2008/09 financial year and it's thought that dozens more mired in the expenses scandal have agreed similar arrangements.

However, it has now emerged that Mr Lyon is taking advantage of a little-known Parliamentary rule that allows complaints about financial misconduct to be settled behind closed doors.

The deals are made available to MPs who are willing to admit they have broken the rules and offer to make voluntary repayments.

They have to privately apologise to the Committee of Standards and Privileges, the group of MPs overseeing the conduct of politicians - but their misconduct is then not made public.

It is not clear why the identities of those making repayments are not made public in the same way that criminals pleading guilty who do not face a full court trial are named...
...Last night, a spokeswoman for Mr Lyon refused to disclose how many MPs had been privately allowed to repay money or who they were.  She also refused to say how many MPs were being investigated and their identities.

The Metropolitan Police are also understood to be growing frustrated by Mr Lyon’s intervention in cases involving potential fraud.

Lyon has justified using the procedure “where there was no clear evidence that the breach was intentional and it was at the less serious end of the spectrum,”  but it isn't for John Lyon to decide on intent or what constitutes 'serious' in the eyes of the voter and then do secret deals.  It's clear that voters must confront  MPs seeking re-election and question them directly.  If in doubt, kick them out.

The aftermath of the MPs' expenses fiasco has been marked by headless chickens instigating reviews and inquiries:  Sir Thomas Legg; the Kelly Report; John Lyon.  No wonder the Met Police claim to be 'frustrated' in their own enquiries.

Over to Brown, Clegg & Cameron who have all said that the Kelly Report should be implemented in full yet allow this rotten state of affairs to continue.  Name all the MPs who have abused the system and let their constituents decide.

Cross-posted

Shameful Secret Repayments

Free Speech Go To Hell

Yet another EU Directive:

[The Equal Treatment Directive] is common hate crime legislation, which will turn disapproval for Islamic practices or homosexual lifestyles into crimes. Europe’s Christian churches are trying to stop the plan of the European political establishment, but it is unclear whether they will be successful. The media are silent on the topic.

The directive applies to social protection and health care, social benefits, education and access to goods and services, including housing. American citizens and companies doing business in Europe are also required to adhere to it.  The directive’s definition of discriminatory harassment is so broad that every objection to Muslim or homosexual practices will be considered unlawful.

We Brits are such an offensive lot aren't we and the peace-loving minority must be protected from our 'propensity to violence & aggression'?  TM Jack Straw.  'We must be mad, truly mad.' TM Enoch Powell.

Is their really any point in all this?  I seem to remember a saying about a wise General knowing when to withdraw from the battle.

Free Speech Go To Hell

Outrage! Time to march on Parliament en masse

Parents could face a £5,000 fine for driving their children's friends to a sports event or Cub Scout meeting.

They face punishment and a criminal record if they have not been vetted first by a massive new government agency.

An astonishing 11.3million people - one adult in four - are likely to come under the watchful eye of the Independent Safeguarding Authority.

Read more.

How far are we going to allow these communists to push us, before we protest?

Do you really want to be on their fascist database for the privilege of transporting your children's friends around? Where will it end?

Will you need a CRB check to take your children to school? And if you decide to educate your children at home, will the government want to inspect your home?

This is the thin end of the wedge. We know what these control freaks are like and we know what their agenda is.

Parents, don't wait until it's too late. Organise yourselves on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks. Get a protest going and if need be, bring this rotten government down if they don't back down.

Evil b*stards!

Edit: This has the smell of Ed Balls all over it!

Cross-posted

Outrage! Time to march on Parliament en masse