Labour slump - blame it on the expenses scandal?

Tomorrow Gordon Brown flies to the US, hoping to change the subject after a weekend of articles (mainly comment pieces, notably) about his leadership. Philip Webster, Times political editor, has upsummed his difficulties in a piece for tomorrow, and alighted on one potential explanation (an excuse?) why Labour are doing so badly.

The Times has been told that internal focus groups have shown that Labour is being hugely embarrassed by the row over MPs’ expenses, even though it began with disclosures about Conservative Members. Labour MPs in working-class seats tell of constituents who say to them “you are all at it” and are fed up with talk of second homes and John Lewis lists of goods that MPs can claim. That feeling, it is asserted, has led those MPs to listen more intently when their poorer constituents complain of losing out because of the 10p tax decision.

Apologies for light blogging - I have been investigating the future of Lord Dibgy Jones here. However the Red Box will be travelling on Brownforce One, accompanied by its expense account.

Comments

[Eddie]

.and so those poorer constituents should complain, and link in the 2nd home expenses too.

Just the other day the PM was launching another initiative for "Key workers" and the poor to help them buy their main home... a £1500 grant to go towards legal costs.

The homes for these nurses and teachers are on an equity share, they share in any increase in the property value based on the proportion that they have purchased.

Meanwhile MP's (Key Workers too) get fully expensed 2nd homes, where they can have the whole of the mortgage paid for by the taxpayer, but the MP gets all of the growth in the properties value.

Let MP's have a Key Worker scheme for their 2nd home that works in the same way as the other Key workers scheme for nurses and teachers main home... share the profit!

[john eadie macgregor]

Letter to Speaker and his wife. I have just returned from a short break in London, and very nice it was .I was impressed by the number of buses that trundle past the Palace of Westminster. Furthermore I used the Westminster tube station which was very clean and tidy.Just thought this information may help cut down on taxi expenses