Malcolm Bruce and Expenses

Full expose in the Daily Telegraph of Malcolm Bruce's expenses.

As he says on his own web site with an April 2008 update date and justifying his expenses

These allowances have been established because MPs do work long hours, are away from home for four days a week for much of the year and travel extensively around their constituencies and between London and Westminster.To do this they need staff support, a place to stay in London and the means to rent and run an office in their constituency.

So why is he claiming for an office outside his own constituency?

I also assume that he won't be claiming so much this year since his wife is now one of my local councillors having managed to come in second best in an election recently.

As I said at the time

I do hope that Rosemary can juggle her family life, Office Manager job (As hubbies 30k Diary Secretary) and the work of a Councillor, or will being a Councillor be second best to helping her hubbie.

Also nice to see how he can claim for an MP's office in a village more than 30 minutes from the biggest town in his constituency and at least an hour from much of his constituency. The Daily Telegraph has this to say

Between April, 2006, and March, 2008, he was paid a total of nearly £3,100 towards the cost of electricity, heating and cleaning at his main home in the village of Torphins, just outside his constituency of Gordon. Over the same period, he received a total of £61,186 from the additional costs allowance (ACA) for his second home in London.

The Torphins claim was made despite Mr Bruce having a constituency office in Inverurie, about a 30-minute drive away, also funded by the taxpayer. The ACA claim included regular monthly spending of more than £300 on food, close to the maximum of £400. In one month, August, 2005, he successfully claimed £451 for food.

As I detailed before we have also seen the following from the Bruce's

I see our prospective Liberal Democrat Councillor Rosemary Bruce in the Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside by-election advertises herself as an Office Manager.

She is currently an office manager, but has previously worked in both training and hotel management

Strange. I thought she was the Diary Secretary for her Husband, Malcolm Bruce M.P. , at a cost of about £28,500 to us, the general public.

No mention of who she was an Office Manager for and the fact that the office was miles from the people he represents.

MPs' expenses: Liberal Democrat MP Malcolm Bruce claimed running costs for two homes - Telegraph

A Scandal within a Scandal

The attached article in the Daily Telegraph tells the story of John Wick the intermediary who sold the MP's expenses story to the Telegraph.

The interesting part of the story is how the data was presented to him.

Rather than being a simple CD or such like, it looks like what has been given to the Daily Telegraph, is the complete system or database used by the Fee's office. If this is true then it is truly scandalous that a Government department should have such lax security that it allows data such as this to be available unencrypted in any form far less as comprehensive as this. As Mr Wick says

It was obvious there was also a major failure in the way the parliamentary authorities had handled such sensitive data. Government ministers had overseen a series of data losses involving the electronic records of ordinary people in recent times and here was the proof that they could not even properly protect their own information.

What does this say when the complete personnel details of over 600 of the top members of our government are available to the highest bidder. The details include enough information to take each of them for probably more than they have received in expenses.

Mr Wick then adds

Has the Govenment and Civil Service learned nothing in the past 18 months since the loss of the Child Benefits data. Have they not taken up any of the recommendations from the investigation into that loss.

I blogged on that quite a few times including a blog entry on 25th June 2008 which pointed out the words of our Shadow Chancellor that the loss of data was symptomatic of

the incompetence and systemic failure at the heart of this government. They were a guide to how not to govern this country

How can a government manage to continue to lose this sort of confidential data so many months after it has been castigated and had to apologise to 25 million people.At the time some of the factors causing the data loss were identified as follows:

• Some DSSM and IDG policies lacked sufficient detail and strength to guide staff
• Inadequacy of removable media and encryption policies
• Better implementation and enforcement of policy is required.
• Policy could be made more accessible and better communicated.
• Appropriate authorisation.
• Method of data transfer.
• Prioritisation of operational delivery over information security.
• Lack of policy awareness.
• Lack of training.
• Accountability for the ownership and guardianship of data.
• Lack of clarity surrounding authority requirements.
• Relations with the NAO.

Obviously no heed has been taken of any of the above in the Fees Office. At the time the report written by Poynter said

As regrettable as the Child Benefit data loss incident was, one positive may yet flow from it. It may provide the burning platform for these transformations, recognising it as an imperative rather than a luxury.

Obviously from what has happened here not a thing has changed. It doesn't matter that this data may have been obtained in the public interest, it is a scandal that it is available to anyone in this form and with apparently such ease. Remember these are the same type of people who are responsible or will be responsible for all sorts of highly confidential data on our whole population. I wouldn't trust them with one bit.

A video of John Wick telling his story is below



John Wick: I am proud to have exposed expenses scandal - Telegraph

For Ducks Sake - This is Quackers

Not satisfied with Moats and Jacuzzi's we now have a Duck Island in amongst the gaggle. Not sure if it was decorative or like the picture one for shooting ducks from. In any case this is one MP whose Goose is well and truly cooked.

According to Sky news

The Gosport MP's expenses were among the latest to be published in The Daily Telegraph. His claims included £1,645 for a floating "duck island" for the garden pond at his Hampshire home, the paper said.

In a statement, the Conservative Party said: Sir Peter Viggers has confirmed that he will retire as MP for Gosport at the next election.He will do so at the direct request of David Cameron. Sir Peter is the third Tory MP to say he will step down over expenses claims after Douglas Hogg and Anthony Steen did the same.

He is expected to repay more than £10,000, the Telegraph said.

I await with bated breath the next item that MP's deem as absolutely necessary for their job.

Expenses: Conservative MP Sir Peter Viggers To Step Down At Next General Election Over Claims | Politics | Sky News

Gurkhas to be given right to settle in Britain

All Gurkha veterans will be given the same right to settle in Britain, ministers will announce on Thursday.

The statement will confirm a significant political victory for campaigners led by the actress Joanna Lumley.

Gordon Brown, the Prime Minister, is expected to signal the new policy in the Commons today, with a formal statement from the Home Office on Thursday.

Victory for Joanna Lumley as all Gurkhas to be given right to settle in Britain - Telegraph

Labour Supporters say Brown should go

Now it's own supporters say Brown should go (and go now). Even Scotland doesn't want him!

Labourlist had a pool over the weekend and 62% say Brown should go; 38% would support Johnson.

"Should Mr Brown step aside, Alan Johnson was favoured to replace him in every demographic breakdown by age, gender and region, though his level of support varies and is higher amongst men (40%) than women (27%).

A total of 1,060 people responded to the poll between Monday 11th and Friday 15th May, 2009.

A total of 783 identified themselves as Labour Party members or supporters.

Duplicate responders were filtered from the results. Apart fromn the first category showing all responses, only those who identify as Labour Party members or supporters are included below."

62% say Brown should go; 38% would support Johnson | LabourList.org:

Really Deep Trough needed for this Snouter

I haven't commented much directly about expenses but this must take the biscuit for the depth of trough needed, in fact it must take a lorry load of Biscuits.

Government Chief Whip and Minister for the North East Nick Brown has managed to trough £18,800 worth of food in four years with no receipts. No wonder he looks like a Porker.

This must be one of the deepest troughs by any MP. I calculate that, as this is his second home, he probably spends about 150 days there a year which by my reckoning makes it over 30 quid a day on food. The troughs must also be expensive down there in Newcastle. I could live by myself for less than 10 quid a day shopping at M&S.

I won't go onto say what else he has claimed , no I will, according to The Daily Telegraph he was also said to be claiming regular £200 monthly bills for repairs and maintenance, plus £250 a month for cleaning, without any receipts. Amazing that, just under the limits for no receipts for MP's.

Never mind Nick says

"I am working flat out for the people that I represent and the politics that I believe in.

A true porky there.

Nick Brown defends expenses claims (From The Northern Echo)

Scottish Pravda Propaganda

Read the attached piece from Scottish Pravda. It is stunning how a supposedly non-partisan broadcaster paid for by us can get away with posting this as news. They have no other stories like this and it is the top story for Scotland this morning. I can only think that it is as Morus twittered

The award for most-brazen-publishing-of-press-release-by-lazy-hack-ever (politics prize)?

The only consolation is the image on the page which is possibly not quite what Labour would like as according to the story

Scottish Labour is launching its European election campaign with a pledge to fight for jobs

The story continues with this gem

Scottish Labour's lead European candidate, David Martin, said: "The overwhelming desire is for politicians to work together through this economic crisis.

"That is what defines the Scottish Labour Party - passionate about Scotland, determined to help middle income and modest income families, and always prepared to work internationally to solve the great problems of the world."

Mr Gray said the Scottish National Party was not doing enough to help people through the recession, adding: "To overcome this economic crisis, we need to work together - MSPs, MEPs, MPs all working in harmony.

"There is no division of responsibility for getting out of recession, because there are no Scotland-only solutions. We have to work together across the UK and across Europe, and focus on jobs."

This is just straight fantasy politics. Perhaps this is why they have come third in two recent Scottish sub-samples of national polls after the SNP and Tories

BBC NEWS | Scotland | Scottish Labour in Euro poll push

MPs Expenses - Make Poverty History

Short but Sweet

Video is from Beau Bo D'or.

Hattip to: well he knows who!

YouTube - MPs Expenses - Make Poverty History

Voting Tory in Scotland - Michael Gove

Micahel Gove writes in the Scotsman about getting people to vote Tory in Scotland. His final paragraph is

It is, of course, part of my job to convince them that the only way they can get the Cameron-style policies on education they might like, on eliminating illiteracy or dealing with poor discipline, is if they vote to get them implemented in Holyrood as well as Westminster. Voting Tory, as Annabel Goldie pointed out this week, is still a big ask for some Scots. But, increasingly, the question many Scots are asking themselves is, why not?

This is the question, why not vote Tory at the General Election. Since 1997 when no Tory was returned to Westminster both Scotland and the Conservatives have changed significantly. A new optimism and confidence has come to Scotland with the start of Devolution, a belief that we are as big, if not better, than our nearest neighbour and with this has come a realisation that we can aspire to bigger and better things, not caught up with the tribal beliefs of a stagnant and dying Labour Party. This has already been seen with the SNP being the biggest party in Holyrood, but now the Tory Party is seeing the beginning of a renaissance with the polls showing that Labour is now in third place in Scotland with the Tories a strong second. Michael Gove gives some of the reasons this might be true

Under David Cameron, the Conservative party has changed in a way which brings it more closely into alignment with mainstream Scotland. The Cameron policy instruction to test every idea to see if it helps the poorest first, the Cameron spending decision to protect the NHS at this difficult time, the Cameron campaigning injunction to defend public-service professionals from attacks on their independence, all place modern Conservatism and middle Scotland back in synch.

He is right the Tory ideals are now as much Scottish ideals, a desire to become better but also to ensure that no-one is forgotten as we grow. This is in distinct opposition to Scottish Labour who are still stuck in the 70's thinking and their tribal warfare.

Let us hope that Gordon Brown is soon forced to call an election and Scotland can get the representation in Westminster it deserves.

Michael Gove: Tory vote is a big ask for Scots, but nation and party are changing - Scotsman.com News

ComRes Poll give Tories Lead in ALL regions.

ConHome reports new ComRes poll with Tory lead the same as last poll but both Labour and Tory down 5%. One significant point is that The Conservatives lead Labour among all regions and social groups – including Scotland.

Further to the results of tonight's BPIX poll for tomorrow's Mail on Sunday, there is also tonight a new ComRes poll, to be published in tomorrow's Independent on Sunday. The Conservative lead is constant at 19%, but both major parties are down five points in the wake of the daily revelations about MPs' expenses, meaning that Labour hits another new low in ComRes polling history. The figures are:

Con - 40% (-5%)
Lab - 21% (-5%)
LD - 18% (-)

Meanwhile, combined "Others" are at 21%, up nine points.

Comparisons are with the ComRes/Independent poll published at the end of April and these new figures compute into a Conservative Commons majority of 140, according to the UK Polling Report Swing Calculator.

Some other statistics to be pulled out from the poll:

• The Conservatives lead Labour among all regions and social groups – including Scotland;
• 88% of people who voted Conservative in 2005 will vote Conservative now; 58% of people who voted Labour in 2005 say that they will vote Labour now; 69% of people who voted Lib Dem in 2005 will now vote Lib Dem; whilst 18% of people who voted Labour in 2005 will now vote for a minor party;
• 15% of Labour voters and 11% of Lib Dem voters in 2005 are Tory voters now;
• Only 37% of Labour identifiers are absolutely certain to vote, compared with 45% of LDs and 64% of Conservative identifiers.
• 43% of people agree they are "very likely" to vote for one of the minor parties, such as the Green Party or UKIP, at the European elections;
• 46% agree that "most MPs are honest and have been let down by the greed of a minority", whilst 50% disagree with that proposition;
• 59% agree that David Cameron has dealt with the issue of MPs’ expenses better than Gordon Brown (31% disagree).

ComRes telephoned 1,010 adults between 13th and 14th May
ComRes poll has Tory lead constant at 19% but both main parties take a hit - thetorydiary

Tory lead at 22% in new BPIX poll - Labour on 20%

Remarkable figures in the new BPIX poll for tomorrow's Mail on Sunday. This is probably Labours lowest poll since proper polling began back in 1945. Gordon Brown whatever he says tomorrow in the News of the Screws has yet again been seen to be an appalling and dithering leader.

On Westminster voting intention, the figures are:

Con - 42%
Lab - 20%
LD - 15%

Labour have melted.

Other figures

On voting intention for the European Parliament election, the figures are:

Con - 30%
UKIP - 17%
Lab - 17%
LD - 15%

On other questions related to the expenses scandal:

• 17% think that Gordon Brown has handled the problem well, compared with a 53% rating for David Cameron;
• 91% per cent agree with David Cameron's ruling that Tory MPs who have abused their expenses and refuse to pay it back will be expelled from the party;
• 77% think Gordon Brown has handled the issue badly, against 39% for David Cameron;
• 38% think that Gordon Brown should dissolve Parliament immediately and call an election; 16% want him to wait until the last possible moment in June 2010.

BPIX interviewed 2,318 people between the 14th and 16th May.

Tory lead at 22% in new BPIX poll as Labour support slumps to 20% - thetorydiary

Polly no longer thinks Gordon is the savior

Polly has obviously lost all hope in Gordon Brown now

Even after that calamity, at Tuesday's political cabinet, with blood already on the highway, the prime minister's indecision was terminal and fatal. I am told a leading cabinet minister gave him a strong and detailed expenses reform plan, with a script for presenting it. But it sat on his desk for many days. He couldn't make up his mind, he was "reflecting" on it. Since nothing is proposed to cabinet without Brown's prior support, the plan was never presented, the discussion was diffuse and nothing was resolved. But when Cameron announced his press conference for a few hours later, it was plain he had a plan of his own. So Harriet Harman was sent out in a hurry to present a plan the cabinet hadn't discussed. Cameron triumphed: it hardly mattered what he said or if his plan made sense – it too may unravel – when he showed himself forcefully decisive in a crisis and his words answered the wrathful spirit of the times: "Politicians have done things that are unethical and wrong. I don't care if they were within the rules – they were wrong." Compare and contrast that with Gordon Brown days later: "Where there is irregularity it has to be dealt with." For two weeks Chief Whip Nick Brown – and therefore Gordon Brown – knew what Elliot Morley had done because he told them, but no action was taken. That's what happens in a bunker under siege where dwindling trusted advisers lose touch with the daylight world outside.

Only Alan Johnson can prevent Labour catastrophe | Polly Toynbee | Comment is free | The Guardian

Tory Party Political Broadcast on Expenses

Just try to imagine Gordon doing anything like this.
A true Statesman.


Paul Waugh | Blogs | Evening Standard

How to do an Attack Video - Nothing Britsh about the BNP

This is how to do a proper attack video compared to Labour's inept attempts.

The British National Party likes to hide its true nature behind lots of policies that many people agree with. It's true that many of the big parties are failing but there's a horrible truth at the heart of the BNP. The BNP is a racist party that wants to build an All White Britain. Here's a key quote from the BNP leader Nick Griffin:

“I want to see Britain become the 99 per cent genetically white country she was just eleven years before I was born, and I want to die knowing that I have helped to set her on a course whereby her future genetic makeup will one day not even resemble that of January 1948, but that of July 1914. Nothing will ever turn me from working towards that final vision.”

The BNP wants to deport non-whites from Britain. First voluntarily, it says, but it would soon create a climate of fear for all people of a different skin colour. There's nothing British about that.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS VIDEO TO YOUR FRIENDS + SIGN THE ANTI-BNP PETITION

This is a campaign against the politics of discrimination, segregation and racial supremacy started by Tim Montgomerie and James Bethell.

There's Nothing British About the BNP

UKIP and Expenses - True Troughing

I see the UKIP party seem to be the main beneficiaries of the expenses scandal when we look at the current polls for the coming European Elections on June 4th 2009.

Well how easily can the public can be deceived as the UKIP party has probably the worst record on expenses of all the parties involved in the European Elections, including one, Ashley Mote who was elected in 2004 for the UKIP party and then spent 6 months in prison after being found guilty of 21 charges of deception. Amazingly uder EU laws he was allowed to retain his MEP status.

They also have another MEP elected under the UKIP banner who has been charged with a number of cases of false accounting and money laundering.

Derek Frame, a reviewing lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service’s special crime division, said:

“Following the publication of a news article in October 2005 relating to Mr Wise and Ms Jenkins, the European Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf) began an investigation into Mr Wise’s use of allowances. Olaf subsequently passed the investigation to Bedfordshire Police Economic Crime Unit for investigation.

“These charges relate to alleged offences committed between October 2004 and September 2005. At the time Mr Wise was a MEP representing the United Kingdom Independence Party and Ms Jenkins was employed by him as a researcher.”

This is not a bad count for a party that only started out with 12 MEP's. Now two have had to leave because of the depth they had managed to get their snouts ito the EU trough.

MEP Tom Wise charged with fiddling accounts and money laundering - Times Online

Labour - No policies, No Apology

The Party Political Broadcast by the Labour party is a shining example of the depths the Labour Party under Gordon Brown has sunk to. No Policies, arrogant with no cause, shallow, deceitful, fearmongering, and certainly no apologies for the expenses humiliations they are undergoing.

After the fearmongering twaddle that was the Lib Dems launch of European Election campaigning you would have thought Labour would have come up with something more direct and an explanation of policies ad how they could help people, but no just an ad hominem attack on David Cameron and no explanations of how they are going to move forward in these troubled times. When your only attack left is personal you know you are going to lose.

Iain Martin writing in the Telegraph had this to say

If it had gone on any longer I suspect the following claims would have been made.

Small child, sobbing. Standing in front of rabbit's cage: "David Cameron would restrict the supply of carrots. Your pet would die." (cue creepy music and close up of petrified looking rabbit).

Tense looking mother of two. Standing in front of school gates: "David Cameron would close all schools. Apart from Eton." Cut to shot of public school boys beating up comprehensive school pupils in rags.

Elderly war veteran. Sitting on floor: "David Cameron would make chairs expensive. Under a Conservative government only he and George Osborne could afford them."

Look, negative campaigning can work if the ad is well made and the claims don't sound silly and over the top. But the oddest aspect of this is that it did not occur to anyone in Labour that it looks completely inappropriate in the current climate. The Tories have re-shot their PPB, with a straight to camera apology to voters from Cameron for the expenses scandal. Labour's machine is so broken that the idea of doing something similar appears to have passed them by.

Labour are likely to come a distant third or even fourth in these elections, one more nail in the coffin for the Tragedy that is Gordon's "leadership" of the Labour Party

Stapler-hurling Brown launches negative ad against Conservatives - thetorydiary

Aboyne Academy Rugby get just rewards

Nice to see Aboyne Academy doing well with Rugby.

RUGBY players from Aboyne Academy were given a coaching master class by Scotland throwing coach Stevie Scott and Scotland sevens and under-20 international Ashleah McCulloch of Aberdeen Grammar yesterday.

The school was paid a visit by the duo as a reward for reaching the gold level of the SRU’s Rugby Champions programme.

I'd just like to say with pride that my son Malcolm is the captain of the U15's and also playing for the U18's quite often.

All the teachers and volunteers are to be thanked for the hard work they have put in over the past year or so to bring Aboyne Rugby up so quickly to such a standard.





Aboyne Academy get just rewards - Press & Journal

Failing Our Troops - Yet Again

Yet again this government and the MOD our failing our troops. New equipment that is not fit for purpose, spares not available, fixes that make things worse and just plain incompetence seem to be the order of the day for MOD Logistics. Apparently only 57% of requests are fulfilled on time.

The Telegraph reports that Edward Leigh, the chairman of the Commons Public Accounts Committee which oversees the work of the NAO, said that he found it

"surprising" that the MoD still had not sorted out the problems with the supply chain.

He said that it was a "woeful state of affairs" when commanders lost confidence in a new vehicle like the Vector so quickly.

"Our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are giving their all, but they don't always have what they need to get the job done," he said.

"We owe it to them to make sure they've got what they need, when they need it. The Ministry of Defence should not rely so much on the famed ability of our armed forces to make do."

Troops in Afghanistan face delays getting vital equipment, says NAO - Telegraph

Not for Self but for Country

Not for Self but for Country - Perhaps something worth remembering in these troubled times. Whilst all the hoo-haa is going on about greedy and sleazy politicians we need to remember that back in the real world people are dying in the service of our country.

The Telegraph reports on the homage paid to the dead as hundreds lined the streets of Wootton Bassett to honour the return of four soldiers killed in a single day's violence in Afghanistan.

The men's bodies flew to RAF Lyneham, in Wiltshire, where their families paid respects at a private ceremony, before the cortege drove through Wootton Bassett.

As has become tradition at each repatriation, well-wishers formed a guard of honour on the three-mile route that campaigners want to rename the Highway of Heroes.

Sergeant Ben Ross, 34, from 173 Provost Company, 3rd Regiment, Royal Military Police, and Corporal Kumar Pun, 31, from the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, were killed by a suicide bomber during a patrol in Gereshk, Helmand province on May 7.

Rifleman Adrian Sheldon, 25, from 2nd Battalion The Rifles, died in an explosion when travelling in a Jackal vehicle near Sangin in Helmand province, that evening.

Corporal Sean Binnie, 22, from the Black Watch, 3rd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland, was killed in a fire fight with insurgents near Musa Qaleh in Helmand province, on the same day. Cpl Binnie was part of the Battle Group mentoring the Afghan National Army (ANA).

May they rest in Peace.














Hundred line streets as four dead soldiers return from Afghanistan - Telegraph

More Brownies from Gordon on Expenses

Watch this video at about 2:45 mins in when Toenails skewers Brown on when he actually dreamt up his plan.

As the BBC reports this is yet another Brownie by our dear Leader. The BBC report has this to say

Asked if he had been forced into a response by Mr Cameron, Mr Brown told the BBC: "I have been discussing this for days and we have been looking at this matter for some time. We had hoped to make some progress yesterday and now all parties are prepared to accept this."

But two senior MPs told the BBC he was "misrepresenting" what had been agreed by the committee.

They said the committee only agreed to examine the idea of an independent audit, that there was no "firm or final agreement" and would meet again on Wednesday after seeking advice on whether it was possible.

Even on an important point as MP's expenses Gordon just can't stick to the truth. Why should we trust him on anything. This whole interview is yet agian a car-crash as Gordon tries to grab all the kudos for sorting out a problem when in fact he has yet again been the problem.

BBC NEWS | Politics | All MPs' claims to be scrutinised