++ ICM: Westminster – Con 40%, LD 25%, Lab 22% ++

Political Betting reports that, in the Telegraph’s ICM poll, Labour is now in third place in Westminster voting intention – Con 40%, LD 25%, Lab 22%.

Conservative Home, meanwhile, reports ICM’s European election voting intentions as Con 29%, LD 20%, Lab 17%, Green 11%, UKIP 10%, BNP 5%. ICM clearly have understated UKIP’s vote (as Mike Smithson argued earlier this week, the over 55s figure – much higher for UKIP – are more reliable as they’re more likely to turn out and vote, and they are VERY ANGRY at the moment).

The Telegraph article is here and here’s a snippet:

The ICM poll for The Sunday Telegraph is the worst possible news for the Prime Minister as he enters his most important week since taking power with Labour expecting a hammering in Thursday’s local and European elections.

The results, which show Labour has suffered particularly badly from the MPs’ expenses scandal in voters’ eyes, are certain to ratchet up speculation that Mr Brown will face a leadership challenge in the next few weeks.

Gordon Brown just may be finished with these sort of polling figures, Nick Clegg’s impressive reaction to the expenses scandal, and the disastrous results to come next Thursday & Sunday…

Has there every been such an exciting set of elections, and potentially the next General Election? 1979 and 1997, and the locals and by-elections that preceded those General Elections, fade into insignificance.

Electoral Gerrymandering, not Reform: Lewis Carroll couldn’t have made it up

On ConservativeHome, as elsewhere, there’s speculation about the fall-out from the Labour nuclear explosion that will be the European/local election results (Lab 15%). The pandemic of insanity that has followed the expenses scandal [fixed-term parliaments, electoral reform, etc] is leading to Labour desperation and a potential move towards PR and a Lab/LD stitch up. As I commented there…

Propping up a lame-duck Labour Government would destroy the Liberal Democrats, and would lead to LD –> Tory vote-switching on an unprecedented scale. So, in effect, it could tip the Tories over 50% and destroy the Centre Left’s case for PR.

Also, PR would give us BNP MPs!!! Nick Griffin MP? Is Alan Johnson serious??? (actually MRLP’s R U Serious MP would be more like it.)

We’re in Lewis Carroll territory here.

… but, whatever happens, this iniquitous Labour Government must be destroyed as soon as possible. Not only have they presided over the humiliation of the House of Commons, economic disarray, and much else, but now they’re prepared to pervert democracy to cling onto their positions. Labour must be ousted and an honest, decent Government needs to be ushered in asap.

++ Telegraph: Bill Cash paid daughter £15K for rent ++

As a European Journal subscriber and an arch Eurosceptic, I am dismayed. The Telegraph alleges that Bill Cash, founder of the European Foundation, paid his daughter, Laetitia, £15k for rent (she can forget selection for a Tory seat now, alas; the young hotblooded Tory Bear will be devastated).

Source: Telegraph

While this may not be against the rules, I have no doubt that Dave Cameron will use it as an excuse to get rid of this Eurosceptic MP. The Commons will lose a great man if Mr Cash resigns. But I fear that Dave will not be able to resist the opportunity – after all, UKIP is squeezing the Tory vote, and (though he couldn’t expel Lord Tebbit for suggesting that people don’t vote for the 3 main parties due to their expenses), Dave will no doubt jump at the chance to remove Mr Cash. After all, he won’t deselect any of his Cameroons (some of whom are a lot guiltier than Messrs Cash, Viggers, Hogg, etc).

A swing to UKIP after that, if Dave dares, methinks….

++ Telegraph: Nigel Griffiths’ £3,600 for TV and radio ++

Clearly, Edinburgh Labour MP Nigel Griffiths has no shame:

Nigel Griffiths, the Labour MP, tried to defend his £3,600 claim for electronic equipment in his second home in London by insisting he had to listen to “Scottish radio” and watch “Scottish TV”.

The former minister and close friend of Gordon Brown also argued that a flat-screen television was the best option because he lived in a “cramped flat”.

“Likewise, I record the Scottish TV news and Scottish current affairs programmes, which feature issues in Scotland and in south Edinburgh. In a cramped London flat, flat-screen TV is the sensible option.”

….

He said he bought the television to replace one he purchased in Edinburgh in 1983 and a DVD player to replace a 1986 video recorder.

“I mainly use [them] to watch recordings of Scottish TV news programmes affecting my constituents. I also purchased a digital radio, again primarily for listening to BBC Radio Scotland and other stations carrying news of relevance to my constituents.

Mr Griffiths should do the decent thing as many MPs (in some cases, who have done no worse than he has done) have recently announced – and tell us that he will not fight his seat in the next general election. Otherwise, it’s up to his constituents to boot him out….

Julie Kirkbride and Margaret Moran to stand down: no job for a lady?

Both Julie Kirkbride (C, Bromsgrove) and Margaret Moran (L, Luton S) have announced that they will not be standing at the next general election – due to the media pressure surrounding their expense claims.

This just highlights the perils for women in politics.

Ms Moran has a husband in Southampton and she claimed for that home, which has caused her downfall. However, especially with Labour/Mandelson’s appalling handling of the economy and the car industry, Luton S will inevitably go Tory at the next general election. So Ms Moran would be gone anyway.

As for Julie Kirkbride, hers is a personal tragedy. Her husband, Andrew Mackay (C, Bracknell), had already announced he was stepping down. She was embroiled in his expenses claims, but also faced questions over family members, an extension etc. We must not forget her 8-year-old son in this saga – this little boy’s parents will be out of work after the next general election.

Reforming parliament is one thing. But making the Commons a better place for women – particularly so they can have a work/life balance and so their kids don’t suffer – is vital. Ms Kirkbride and Ms Moran have both been victims of trying to have a work/life balance and the Commons’ outdated attitude to women.

Being an MP is still “a job for a lady”, though it can’t be easy. Let’s hope that we do have more women MPs in the next parliament, though we need to bear in mind their home, family, and childcare responsibilities and maybe not judge them too harshly in future.

Vote Match Europe shows another reason why Tories are losing ground to UKIP

Try Vote Match Europe (hat tip: Slugger O’Toole) to see how your views on EU issues compare to the parties on offer in your region. I did so for Northern Ireland and it broadly reflected my views (but not my voting intention, which is influenced by a non-EU issue). However, I also tried it for the West Midlands, where I used to live, and guess what? I, the former Chairman of Wolverhampton SW Conservative & Unionist Association and who delievered 10,000s of leaflets in the West Midlands for the Tories, scored 58/73 for UKIP, 42/73 for the Greens and only 35/73 for the Conservatives (and 16/73 for Labour!). This doesn’t surprise me, and the Tories’ failure to reflect its core voters’ views on the EU explains why it continues to lose hundreds of thousands (maybe over a million) votes to UKIP, and – after the European Elections - Mr Cameron should stop, think, and reflect on what his Party’s policy on the European Union really should be…

See the anguish in his eyes: child abuse ( rape ) must be confronted

Slugger O’Toole has reported widely on the Ryan Commission Report into decades of child rape by priests in the Republic of Ireland. The video below is of a victim, a former Fianna Fail Councillor & Mayor,  describing on RTE’s Questions & Answers programme how he was abused viciously by priests and how the Government has failed to bring justice: 

I watched Questions & Answers on Monday evening and, though I’m quite tough, I was driven to tears by Michael O’Brien’s testimony. The Irish Times article linked above quotes Mr O’Brien :

“I am surprised at you, Minister. You made a bags of it at the time.

“I went to the commission.They had seven barristers there questioning me, telling me that I was telling lies. I was raped, and got an unmerciful beating and he then came along the following morning and put Holy Communion in my mouth. You don’t know what happened. You haven’t got the foggiest. You are talking through your hat, and you are talking to a Fianna Fáil man, that worked tooth and nail for the party that you are talking about. You didn’t do it right. You don’t know the hurt I feel inside.”

The Irish Government needs to call an immediate Rights of the Child referendum. Just as in the UK we need a Crimes Against Children Act and we need to stop appeasing paedophiles by failing to punish them sufficiently. In Ireland, many child rapists got away with it, and have not yet been brought to justice. In the UK, the rapist of a 2-year-old-girl and killer of Baby P was given 10 and 12 years imprisonment concurrently. 

It is time, in both Ireland and the UK, to stop sweeping child rape (the term “sexual abuse” is too politically correct and fails to acknowledge the utterly despicable and iniquitous nature of the acts committed) under the carpet and to confront these unspeakable crimes for our children’s – and the adults they will become, unless they commit suicide, as many do – sake.

++ Breaking News: Telegraph: Heffer to stand against Haselhurst ++

In tomorrow’s Telegraph:

The Telegraph’s Simon Heffer has become the latest high-profile individual driven by disgust at the practices exposed by this newspaper to declare himself a potential candidate to unseat an MP whose expenses have caused concern.

In his latest column, he announces that he is prepared to run against Sir Alan Haselhurst, the Conservative deputy speaker who is currently Mr Heffer’s MP, and who used his allowances to pay for £12,000-worth of gardening at his country house.

Mr Heffer would make a fine MP for Saffron Walden. Sir Alan should be ashamed, and let him stand for his seat, and I for one will enjoy the election night when Mr Heffer unseats him.

21.52 Update: Tory loyalists (small “l”) Dale & JIsaby seem to be cock-a-hoop that Haselhurst has promised to pay back the £12k. Well, I urge Mr Heffer still to stand against Sir Alan. After all, one of Dale’s comments is rather telling: “…unless he repays the money he claimed (within the rules) for gardening”. This “within the rules” jibe is exactly what MPs have been shoving in the faces of hard-working electors – it doesn’t matter whether it’s in the rules, Messrs Dale and Haselhurst, because it was still immoral for the MPs in question to claim for such items, which is why they are paying these dubious claims back. Go on Mr Heffer: take out Haselhurst.

MPs: Keeping it in the family

Pressure continues MPs on allegations that they employed family members and paid them with their parliamentary office expenses. The Wintertons have recently announced their retirement, and it is believed to be linked to family issues. Indeed, several MPs have been accused of properties on parliamentary fees, allegedly, for their children to live in.

The latest report relates to Meg Munn MP’s husband being paid to provide tax advice to MPs and ministers, which will not go down well with the public at all.

In fact, laughably, we are told that it is “within the rules” (as was “flipping”) for ministers to use taxpayers’ money to pay accountants to provide tax (avoidance?) advice. And it was within the rules for Mr Munn – or whatever his name is – to be paid public money for providing tax advice to MPs, pals of his wife.

It doesn’t matter if the fees office (beguiled and blinded by the supposed integrity of MPs) approved it, or if it was in the jokingly-called “Green Book” – because some MPs were green with envy of the super-rich and wished to live as much as possible just like them (“Keeping Up with the Deripaskas”) – because, after all, those miscreant MPs should have known it to be morally wrong and unethical.

Some MPs don’t know their Right from their Wrong and they are dragging down MPs as a group and causing suffering to those who are being tarred with the same brush. Nadine Dorries has written a thought-provoking article on her blog in which she highlights the abuse of the system, but warns that many MPs are suffering serious mental anguish as a result of the public backlash.

Sectarian murder in Northern Ireland

Just as we in Northern Ireland were appalled by the murders by the Real IRA/Continuity IRA of 2 English soldiers and a Catholic policeman and the attempted murder of two pizza delivery men earlier this year, it is repulsive to hear of the latest sectarian killing.

As an Ulster Protestant and like any right-thinking person, I am disgusted by the murder of Kevin McDaid in Coleraine (where I went to university for 6 years). He was killed by a mob because he was a Catholic. And the violence occurred after Rangers winning the Scottish Premier League – hardly, a reason to kill someone (so much for celebration – why target Catholics because of this???).

The Belfast Telegraph reported that:

The son of a father-of-four who was killed on his doorstep as he tried to save another man during sectarian clashes in Coleraine, said today he is devastated by his dad’s death.

Kevin McDaid (49), a plasterer, was kicked and beaten to death in front of his son Ryan in the Somerset Drive area of the town at around 9.30pm yesterday.

His wife Evelynn was also attacked during disturbances involving a crowd of 40 loyalists armed with homemade weapons.

Mr McDaid’s son Ryan (22) today described the people who killed his father as “thugs” |and “animals” and added that he hopes they will be brought to justice.

In the run-up to the European elections – and the marching season, usually a powerkeg in some areas – and with the Devolved Institutions in Northern Ireland in good shape (and delivering for the people of the province), and despite the CIRA/RIRA killings earlier this year, we do not need another round of sectarian bloodletting. Sectarian attacks are on the decline, although occasionally (for example, the devastating and brutal murder of 15-year-old Michael McIlveen in Ballymena in 2006 and various other atrocities.

Politics, in particular through the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive, is the only way forward – we can’t go back. But that won’t erase the hurt felt by Mr McDaid’s family at this heartbreaking time. Such attacks have to stop: for our children’s future. And they have to stop now.

Telegraph: ministers claimed for accountancy advice for personal tax returns

The Telegraph reports:

Alistair Darling, along with others including Hazel Blears, Geoff Hoon and Jacqui Smith, have all claimed for the costs of accountancy advice using expenses intended to fund their parliamentary and constituency offices.

A tax expert described the claims as “scandalous”, especially as the expenses are tax-free.

Under HM Revenue and Customs rules, most people are not allowed to claim the cost of employing an accountant to fill in a self-assessment tax form as a legitimate business expense.

Over the past 17 days, the Telegraph has exposed the questionable claims made by MPs using their second home allowances. Now we disclose details of the office expenses claimed by members of the Cabinet.

MPs’ use of the separate allowance scheme for office costs enables them to claim tens of thousands of pounds from public funds every year.

Several of the Cabinet ministers who claimed for accountants have already faced allegations that they sought to manipulate the expenses system for personal gain.
Miss Blears, the Communities Secretary, recently agreed voluntarily to pay a £13,000 capital gains tax bill on the sale of her “second home” after the Telegraph disclosed that she had “flipped” her designated second home twice in a year.

In total, the taxpayer has spent more than £11,000 on accountants for Cabinet ministers. A bill submitted by Mr Darling in February, 2008, included the cost of receiving tax advice for “the treatment of rental expenses against income”. During 2007, Mr Darling rented out his London flat after becoming Chancellor and moving into a grace-and-favour apartment.

In total, the Chancellor claimed more than £1,400 for accountancy bills in two years.

Other ministers who claimed for personal tax advice bills included David Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, James Purnell, the Work and Pensions Secretary, and Douglas Alexander, the International Development Secretary. The Prime Minister has not claimed for the cost of accountancy advice.

Isn’t it time that these crooked ministers resign, and not only backbenchers, but of course as well the likes of Mickey Gove and Fanny Maude?

They should resign their seats now and allow us to have some decent MPs.

++ Andrew Mackay to resign at next election ++

Good news as another Tory MP, Andrew Mackay, is resigning his seat (as of the next election) over his expenses, though in reality he should be appointed to the Chiltern Hundreds and be replaced asap. His statement :

“Following a conversation with David Cameron this morning I have decided to step down as candidate for Bracknell at the next general election. I believe I could be a distraction at a time when he is working to get elected as prime minister with the good working majority necessary to take the tough decisions to turn this country around. I hope my decision to step down goes some way to showing my constituents how sorry I am about my own situation. I would never forgive myself if my candidature distracted voters from the key issues and particularly David’s rousing call for change. It has been both a privilege and huge fun to represent the people of Bracknell for 26 years. I understand why people are angry. I hope my decision to step down goes some way to showing my constituents how sorry I am about my own situation.” (FROM BBC).

Isn’t it time certain Shadow Cabinet members – as well, of course, as Cabinet members – follow suit or do their Party leaders not have the guts to push them? Maybe the local activists will give them their marching orders: if not, they should be voted out by the electorate.

++ Ian McCartney MP to quit over ill health [expenses] ++

Makerfield MP Ian McCartney is resigning his seat, ostensibly over ill health. I once saw him appearing out of a car with some Labour activists, when they went to help ‘Red Rob’ Marris in Wolverhampton S.W., and there followed a ‘chase’ in the old-banger of a car that the chap who was working for the Tory candidate had obtained for the campaign (no doubt that car would now be a candidate for the scrappage scheme).

However, it’s not too long after he was exposed over his expenses. Isn’t this a remarkable coincidence?

We never caught up with McCartney that day, but his expenses appear to have…

Make Poverty History!

Hat tip: Guido Fawkes

RT @ The Sun : Act over Baby P Atrocity Now

 

BABY P MUM JAILED

“BABY Peter’s evil mother could be free in just over THREE YEARS – after she was jailed today over her son’s horrific death. 

 ”The toddler’s sadistic stepfather was given life for a campaign of abuse against the little boy and the rape of a two-year-old girl – but could be out in 8 years. 

“And their sick lodger Jason Owen could be released in less than 12 months after he was told he must serve at least three years behind bars.”

“Sign our petition to force Justice Secretary Jack Straw to act NOW to increase the sentences handed to the mother and stepfather of Baby P and their lodger Jason Owen to reflect the true nature of their appalling abuse of an innocent child. ”
Click here to sign