Is your MP on the roll of shame?

The vast majority of MPs - 146 of the 172 - who voted to keep the second home allowance, which allows MPs to buy items on the "John Lewis list", were Labour, including 33 ministers. The list in full is:

Labour: Nick Ainger (Carmarthen West & Pembrokeshire South), Graham Allen (Nottingham North), David Anderson (Blaydon), Janet Anderson (Rossendale & Darwen), Ian Austin (Dudley North), Adrian Bailey (West Bromwich West), Gordon Banks (Ochil & Perthshire South), Kevin Barron (Rother Valley), Margaret Beckett (Derby South), Clive Betts (Sheffield Attercliffe), Liz Blackman (Erewash), Roberta Blackman-Woods (Durham, City of), Bob Blizzard (Waveney), David Borrow (Ribble South (South Ribble)), Nick Brown (Newcastle upon Tyne East & Wallsend), Richard Burden (Birmingham Northfield), Colin Burgon (Elmet), Andy Burnham (Leigh), Stephen Byers (Tyneside North), Alan Campbell (Tynemouth), Ronnie Campbell (Blyth Valley), Ben Chapman (Wirral South), David Chaytor (Bury North), Tom Clarke (Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill), David Clelland (Tyne Bridge), Ann Clwyd (Cynon Valley), Ann Coffey (Stockport), Harry Cohen (Leyton & Wanstead), Michael Connarty (Linlithgow & Falkirk East), Rosie Cooper (Lancashire West), Ann Cryer (Keighley), John Cummings (Easington), Jim Cunningham (Coventry South), Tony Cunningham (Workington), Wayne David (Caerphilly), Ian Davidson (Glasgow South West), Janet Dean (Burton), Frank Dobson (Holborn & St Pancras), Brian Donohoe (Ayrshire Central), Jim Dowd (Lewisham West), Angela Eagle (Wallasey), Maria Eagle (Liverpool Garston), Jeff Ennis (Barnsley East & Mexborough), Bill Etherington (Sunderland North), Caroline Flint (Don Valley), Paul Flynn (Newport West), Michael Foster (Worcester), Michael Jabez Foster (Hastings & Rye), Mike Gapes (Ilford South), Dr Ian Gibson (Norwich North), Linda Gilroy (Plymouth Sutton), Nia Griffith (Llanelli), Andrew Gwynne (Denton & Reddish), Mike Hall (Weaver Vale), David Hamilton (Midlothian), Dai Havard (Merthyr Tydfil & Rhymney), Stephen Hesford (Wirral West), Sharon Hodgson (Gateshead East & Washington West), Jimmy Hood (Lanark & Hamilton East), George Howarth (Knowsley North & Sefton East), Beverley Hughes (Stretford & Urmston), Joan Humble (Blackpool North & Fleetwood), Dr Brian Iddon (Bolton South East), Eric Illsley (Barnsley Central), Adam Ingram (East Kilbride, Strathaven & Lesmahagow), Brian Jenkins (Tamworth), Diana Johnson (Hull North), Kevan Jones (Durham North), Martyn Jones (Clwyd South), Tessa Jowell (Dulwich & West Norwood), Eric Joyce (Falkirk), Alan Keen (Feltham & Heston), David Kidney (Stafford), Peter Kilfoyle (Liverpool Walton), Bob Laxton (Derby North), Tom Levitt (High Peak), Ivan Lewis (Bury South), Tony Lloyd (Manchester Central), Ian Lucas (Wrexham), Tommy McAvoy (Rutherglen & Hamilton West), Stephen McCabe (Birmingham Hall Green), Christine McCafferty (Calder Valley), Kerry McCarthy (Bristol East), Sarah McCarthy-Fry (Portsmouth North), Siobhain McDonagh (Mitcham & Morden), James McGovern (Dundee West), Anne McGuire (Stirling), Shona McIsaac (Cleethorpes), Rosemary McKenna (Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East), Tony McNulty (Harrow East), Denis MacShane (Rotherham), Khalid Mahmood (Birmingham Perry Barr), Rob Marris (Wolverhampton South West), Gordon Marsden (Blackpool South), Alan Meale (Mansfield), Gillian Merron (Lincoln), Andrew Miller (Ellesmere Port & Neston), Madeleine Moon (Bridgend), Jessica Morden (Newport East), Elliot Morley (Scunthorpe), George Mudie (Leeds East), Denis Murphy (Wansbeck), Paul Murphy (Torfaen), Mike O’Brien (Warwickshire North), Eddie O’Hara (Knowsley South), Sandra Osborne (Ayr, Carrick & Cumnock), James Plaskitt (Warwick & Leamington), Bridget Prentice (Lewisham East), Gordon Prentice (Pendle), Gwyn Prosser (Dover), Ken Purchase (Wolverhampton North East), Nick Raynsford (Greenwich & Woolwich), John Robertson (Glasgow North West), Terry Rooney (Bradford North), Chris Ruane (Vale of Clwyd), Christine Russell (Chester, City of), Alison Seabeck (Plymouth Devonport), Barry Sheerman (Huddersfield), Jimmy Sheridan (Paisley & Renfrewshire North), Angela C Smith (Sheffield Hillsborough), Angela E Smith (Basildon), Jacqui Smith (Redditch), Anne Snelgrove (Swindon South), John Spellar (Warley), Phyllis Starkey (Milton Keynes South West), Gavin Strang (Edinburgh East), Gisela Stuart (Birmingham Edgbaston), Gerry Sutcliffe (Bradford South), Mark Tami (Alyn & Deeside), Gareth Thomas (Harrow West), Emily Thornberry (Islington South & Finsbury), Don Touhig (Islwyn), Derek Twigg (Halton), Kitty Ussher (Burnley), Keith Vaz (Leicester East), Lynda Waltho (Stourbridge), Claire Ward (Watford), Tom Watson (West Bromwich East), Dave Watts (St Helens North), Phil Wilson (Sedgefield), Rosie Winterton (Doncaster Central), Shaun Woodward (St Helens South), Phil Woolas (Oldham East & Saddleworth), David Wright (Telford), Iain Wright (Hartlepool), Derek Wyatt (Sittingbourne & Sheppey)

Conservative: David Amess (Southend West), James Arbuthnot (Hampshire North East), Henry Bellingham (Norfolk North West), Brian Binley (Northampton South), Sir John Butterfill (Bournemouth West), Christopher Chope (Christchurch), John Greenway (Ryedale), Gerald Howarth (Aldershot), Bernard Jenkin (Essex North), Julie Kirkbride (Bromsgrove), Eleanor Laing (Epping Forest), Anne McIntosh (Vale of York), Andrew Mackay (Bracknell), Andrew Rosindell (Romford), Hugo Swire (Devon East), Sir Peter Tapsell (Louth & Horncastle), Angela Watkinson (Upminster), Ann Widdecombe (Maidstone & The Weald), David Wilshire (Spelthorne), Lady Ann Winterton (Congleton), Sir Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)

Independent: Dai Davies (Blaenau Gwent), Robert Wareing (Liverpool West Derby).

Voted in both lobbies (votes discounted) Labour’s Barbara Follett (Stevenage) and Sir Peter Soulsby (Leicester South) and Ukip’s Bob Spink (Castle Point).

Comments

[KWC]

There ought to be an organisation for counselling these poor victims of penury. I know, let's call it Freeloaders' Anonymous.
May they all be voted out at the next election!!

[David Boothroyd]

What happened yesterday was fairly simple - MPs decided that whatever they do on expenses would make no difference to how they are thought of, so they decided to have the system how they thought was reasonable and just take the flak.

This sort of blog post is actually likely to be counterproductive if a more stringent system is desired. Plus I think Peter Kilfoyle has a good point that the proposed audits of MPs offices are an over-reaction to an individual problem.

[Mat]

People should take a copy of this list, and make sure that next time their is an election, no one gives them a vote!

They are all disgusting and self serving and of no use to anyone but themselves!!

[Dave]

Question - What would happen if they held a general election and we all decided there was no point in bothering so didnt vote. Who would form the government with no mandate from anyone? Or would they just carry on because our opinion doesnt count and we are to dumb to understand why they do what they do.

[Ian]

I guess the 33 Labour ministers have realised they have less than two years on the Gravy train so voted to keep on it until they are expunged from office in two years time. The numbers also show that the Tories seem to have a better instinct on careful spending of public cash unlike the tax and waste socialists.

[Alexander Stephenson]

Parasites.
Its that simple.
Self serving parasites, that are neither use to man or beast.
I just hope people make a note of the names-I certainly have.

[KW]

I note Mcavity Brown was missing as usual

[Oliver Harrison]

Not a single Lib Dem voted to keep the list. Good on them, and shame on the other parties.

[Tim Bartlett]

They are all parasites, but there should be a special inner circle of hell for those whose constituencies are well inside normal commuting distance of central London -- such as Dulwich, Fetham, Greenwich, Harrow, and Islington.

[Tim Bartlett]

They are all parasites, but there should be a special inner circle of hell for those whose constituencies are well inside normal commuting distance of central London -- such as Dulwich, Fetham, Greenwich, Harrow, and Islington.

[Garth Munton]

Now they can carry on fiddling their expenses while Rome burns !!

[Protogodzilla]

It's good to see the Wintertons voting to keep the allowances - at least they are consistent. Being above the law, t
hey make no pretence at not feathering their second nest at taxpayers' expense. I am surprised Widders voted to carry on spending our money, she always played the honesty card to great effect. I wonder what percentage of MPs retire into poverty after a career of battening on the taxpayers?

Incidentally, does anyone else take pleasure from knowing the Blair's property dealings are turning out to be a financial fiasco?

[Chuck Unsworth]

@ David Boothroyd

"This sort of blog post is actually likely to be counterproductive if a more stringent system is desired."
Counterproductive? What the hell is a blog doing being 'productive' then? It's not the job of a blog to be 'productive', anyway.

"Plus I think Peter Kilfoyle has a good point that the proposed audits of MPs offices are an over-reaction to an individual problem."
We'll be the judge of that - as and when these disgusting people allow us to examine exactly how they are spending our money. It's not up to the likes of Kilfoyle to determine that. Show us some costs. Then we'll decide whether that represents value for money or not.

And what 'individual problem' is that, anyway? Is Kilfoyle actually admitting that MPs are at it? I think he has just let the cat out of the bag - yet again.

[David Boothroyd]

Oh I'm sorry Chuck, but if I see a piece of writing advocating a particular course of action, I generally assume that the writer wants this course of action to be followed. Otherwise what is the point of writing at all?

Peter Kilfoyle's point is that he is self-employed and it is for him to decide how his office is best organised, and for his constituents to judge him on it. Sounds fair enough to me. (The individual problem was the Conway family business)

[Chris Pitt]

"Not a single Lib Dem voted to keep the list. Good on them, and shame on the other parties."

I rather think that this isn't good. If they were for the reform then perhaps then their vote may have had a difference.

I also notice that though Brown was apparently for the reform, he wasn't willing to back it up by voting.

Our elected members think us stupid.

[Cassius]

It would be useful to see the names of those who voted against the John Lewis list (and thus also to see who couldn't be bothered or were too chicken to put their heads above the parapet). Let's know and recognise those who have some honour within Westminster.

[Jamaica]

IT'S INDICATED ABOVE THAT MY MP ELLIOT MORLEY VOTED FOR THESE UNJUSTIFYABLE ALLOWANCES ! IT APPEARS HE HIS INDICATING BY SUCH DEPLORABLE ACTIONS TO US CENIOR CITIZENS AND OTHER DECENT BRITISH PUBLIC LEAST ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE (MYSELF AND GOOD WIFE ON 35% OF WHAT HE JUST VOTED TO ALLOW HIMSELF AND OTHER MP'S TO GET,), AS TO GO GET STUFFED!!
FROM SUCH DEPLORABLE ACTIONS I DO BELIEVE THE "EXPENSES" HE RECEIVES FROM A CERTAIN
"ORGANISATION" SHOULD IN MY OPINION BE INVESTIGATED JUST TO ENSURE THAT IT'S NOT TAINTED WITH CORRUPTION AND IS NOT BEING LAUNDERED TO MAKE IT APPEAR CLEAN! BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW NOW DAYS WITH CERTAIN POLITICIANS "EXPENSES" DO YOU??
AND NOTE:- ALL WHO PAY POLITICAL LEVIES VIA A TRADE UNION ...IF YOU DSAGREE WITH THESE DEPLORABLE ACTIONS OF THE MANY OF THE LABOUR POLITICIANS IT'S YOUR LEGAL ENTITLEMENT TO GET AN OPT OUT FORM FORM YOUR TRADE UNION STEWARD TO STOP PAYING THE POLITICAL LEVIES TO THE LABOUR PARTY THAT WILL GIVE THEM A BLOODY NOSE AT A TIME THEY ARE ALREADY NEAR BANKRUPT!.... IT WOULD JOLLY WELL SERVE THEM RIGHT TOO.... IT'S YOUR RIGHT TO PAY THOSE LEVIES INTO ANY OTHER CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE.... IN MY OPINION ANIMAL WELFARE ARE GOOD CHARITIES.... AFTER ALL ANIMALS DO IN RETURN GIVE HELP AND AFFECTIon BACK TO THOSE WHO SHOW KINDNESS AND AFFECTIon TO THEM DO THEY NOT??

[Baron Von Ripwinkle]

Question - What would happen if they held a general election and we all decided there was no point in bothering so didnt vote. Who would form the government with no mandate from anyone? Or would they just carry on because our opinion doesnt count and we are to dumb to understand why they do what they do.

Posted by: Dave | 4 Jul 2008 12:57:16

Hi Dave
The EU would rewite the rules and just declare whoever they wanted here in power would be in power. For example....
Do you want the EU please tick the box below
YES { }
YES { }
See simple?
Kind Regards
Baron Von Ripwinkle De Parkbench

[ABB]

Peter Kilfoyle is NOT self-employed, he works
for the people of Britain, something a lot of our MP's seem to have forgotten.

[Sarsfield's Ghost]

How did 3 MPs vote in both lobbies ?
Probably to busy looking through their Harrods catalogues to notice

[Rex]

I hope at the next general election the press will take pains to reveal the extent of expenses claimed by those who have held position as MP's during the previous parliament. There are plenty of people in the country who would like to take the role- we will never be short of MP's; it wouldn't matter if all the current occupants were defeated.

[John L Bell]

Are the rumours true? Your taxes and mine have been spent NOT on SECOND homes but on THIRD and FOURTH homes to be sold on at a profit!
Not wanting to publish MPs addressess? ..... the perfect way to try to hide this fraud!

[Mike L]

It really is very sickening indeed but is now expected from our Pig swilling MP's for they have no 'Moral Compass' and know no better. I bet the Police are well chuffed after the Home Secretary voted for her share of the John Lewis shopping list, a nice plasma??. Ironically the house was full for voting, yep you bet it was. I can just see Mr Speaker calling.. 'Do you want some more swill my little piggies?, then come on down cos the price is right, fill your snouts till they can take no more.

[Mike L]

Another point, this was a perfect example of why Gordon Brown is not a leader, he may have been dissapointed but specifically calculated 'NOT TO VOTE', which shows a remarkable weakness in my opinion. He is always missing on important issues. God help us if this country ever gets invaded (Sorry it already has by millions of immigrants), where will he be then?

[jon m]

Sam, it would be a chore on you but a great thing if when you wrote these 'name and shame' blogs, you put the Politician's (or other's) name as a URL, where by clicking on the name you could get preferably their email, and if not their postal address, so that outraged readers could swiftly write to them and express their disgust. Would the Times allot you resource to make that happen? --it could become a Timeswide resource if so

[john lavelle]

talk,talk,talk.We do nothing about it but moan.
We need a Mini revolution to sought this country out.Wish i was a bit younger.Is the
anybody out there.

[Tomas]

I know I keep banging on about this, but I live in hope the penny will eventually drop. Why do we need 646 MPs and 738 Lords (total 1,284) to run a country of 59 million, when the USA with a conservative population of 282 million only has 100 Senators and 435 Representatives (total 535). It would appear the UK is over governed.

[steve tea]

How can Labour MP's feel my pain of their puntative tax policy whist maintaining their lifestyles through an expense system which does not require them to provide reciepts.
Labour do not feel my pain.

[David Boothroyd]

Tomas, your statistics are not comparing like with like. Most public services in the US are run by the States, not by Federal government. The States themselves have elected legislatures, almost always two chambers, typically comprising a lower house with about 150 members and an upper house with about 50. In fact only Japan has fewer elected representatives than the UK.

[Nickoteen]

Tomas, a country of 59 million? This country is closer to 70 million. But I digress. Right. Let's have EVERY person in the country stop paying council tax. They can't arrest all of us.

[GARTH STRONG]

The French had a revolution against a corrupt monarchy and nobility. Thousands of heads rolled after being severed by the Guillotine.

The day may well come when the British public gets fed up with bad government and corruption.

Perhaps our elected representatives should read up on a bit of History...before it is too late.

[Joe Tooga]

It appears that someone have finally had the courage to put a name to this ignominious state of affairs regarding MPs monies.
For some time now I wondered whether the word "CORRUPTION" had been abolished from the english language - when political issues were reported - by an unique universal vote of unity by all Members of Parliament. Whenever MPs were "taking or hiding" public monies all you heard was: absent mindedness, lack of rigueur and very occasionally, sleazy practices. Unfortunately what has been happening cross the political arena (with the New Labour in great prominence) is a sustained campaign of Corruption conducted by a large numbers of MPs. It seems that the undemocratic authority to self-award pay rises, in times of economic crises or not, is not good enough for the greedy, get rich-quick politicians.

[DJH]

1. I am especially interested in the expenses of ministers such as Tony Blair, Margaret Beckett, John Prescott et al who make claims while they are living in grace and favour accomodation (do they pay council tax, utility bills etc. on those?).
2. If the tax payer is paying towards a mortgage for a second home, should he not get a percentage of the sale price when that is no longer needed?
3. As the Speaker was warned that he would lose when he made an appeal against the disclosure of MPs expenses, why should not the MPs and Speaker pay the costs between them?

[Seb Carroll]

These pompous parasites should be given council housing like many of their constituents. Their large salaries are more than enough to pay for furniture.

[Stan Embling]

IT'S INDICATED ABOVE THAT MY MP ELLIOT MORLEY VOTED FOR THESE UNJUSTIFYABLE ALLOWANCES ! IT APPEARS HE HIS INDICATING BY SUCH DEPLORABLE ACTIONS TO US CENIOR CITIZENS AND OTHER DECENT BRITISH PUBLIC LEAST ABLE TO AFFORD TO LIVE (MYSELF AND GOOD WIFE ON 35% OF WHAT HE JUST VOTED TO ALLOW HIMSELF AND OTHER MP'S TO GET,), AS TO GO GET STUFFED!!
FROM SUCH DEPLORABLE ACTIONS!! I DO BELIEVE THE SPONSORSHIP "EXPENSES" HE RECEIVES FROM A CERTAIN
"ORGANISATION" SHOULD IN MY OPINION BE INVESTIGATED JUST TO ENSURE TAX IS PAID ON It, THAT IT'S NOT TAINTED WITH CORRUPTION (from funds allegedly extracted from an an alleged [concealed/suppressed,] ongoing conspiracy/fraud ??) ALSO TO ENSURE SUCH IS NOT BEING LAUNDERED TO MAKE IT APPEAR CLEAN!?? BECAUSE YOU NEVER KNOW NOW DAYS WITH CERTAIN POLITICIANS "EXPENSES" DO YOU??
AND NOTE:- ALL WHO PAY POLITICAL LEVIES VIA A TRADE UNION ...IF YOU DSAGREE WITH THESE DEPLORABLE ACTIONS OF THE MANY OF THE LABOUR POLITICIANS IT'S YOUR LEGAL ENTITLEMENT TO GET AN OPT OUT FORM FORM YOUR TRADE UNION STEWARD TO STOP PAYING THE POLITICAL LEVIES TO THE LABOUR PARTY THAT WILL GIVE THEM A BLOODY NOSE AT A TIME THEY ARE ALREADY NEAR BANKRUPT!.... IT WOULD JOLLY WELL SERVE THEM RIGHT TOO.... IT'S YOUR RIGHT TO PAY THOSE LEVIES INTO ANY OTHER CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE.... IN MY OPINION ANIMAL WELFARE ARE GOOD CHARITIES.... AFTER ALL ANIMALS DO IN RETURN GIVE HELP AND AFFECTIon BACK TO THOSE WHO SHOW KINDNESS AND AFFECTIon TO THEM DO THEY NOT??

Posted by: Jamaica | 4 Jul 2008 16:21

[Tim T]

Is it not about time that MP's salaries and allowances were fixed at elections and remained in effect until the next general election?
Can you imagine how focused MP's would then be on keeping inflation down?
Any who didn't like the going rate need not apply.
It really is time to end the queue at the trough.

[Sue]

Would someone please explain Nigel Evans' pattern of voting on this vote ...as far as I can see he did not vote with his leadership Cameron and Osborne on all but the last amendement ...he voted with some of those accused of having their snouts in the trough ...

his name seems to not appear on any lists of those voting reported in the media.

???

[Hugh Markey]

Who'd be a politician? The voters can sack you; your constitutients the same, not to mention the parliamentary party leadership. The media can crucify you and the hours are still horrendous. You may last five years or even less. Some MPs hang on to outside sources of income, or welcome new financial support from lobbyists, but who can blame them given the perils of following such a career in public service. Many ex-civil servants and quasi-public officials take a pension at 60 and then move into the private sector for a top-up. Let's take a reality check, here!
Hugh

[dave t]

More important is the list of those who did not vote at all and thus showed their cowardice. Wonder how the SNP voted? They tend to share offices up here so extra money for offices will be another fiddle for them to share with their MSPs with a little bit slipped to Party HQ.

[Chuck Unsworth]

@ David Boothroyd

So for you being 'productive' is the same as expressing a view? Very interesting.

As to Peter Kilfoyle's disingenuous "point that he is self-employed and it is for him to decide how his office is best organised, and for his constituents to judge him on it" - actually that argument is predicated on the notion that it is only his constituents who pay for all of his expense. That is plainly rubbish.

Anyway, just how are his constituents supposed to make such decisions if Kilfoyle does not want to explain where and on what the money is being spent? Transparency? Yes indeed. Mr Kilfoyle decides, so that's all right Guvnor.

I'm sure that it sounds fair enough to you. But one or two others disagree - as you may possibly have noticed.

Could you also clarify what Mr Kilfoyle means by 'self-employed'? That's a remarkable concept. Is he some sort of freelance MP?

[david]

Three Wintertons!

[Mike]

This article is written as though the idea of labour and lib dem MP's being greedy in this way is counterintuitive. Surely though, lacking as they do the kind of big business interests which most tory MP's court, politicians on the left need better support from the public coffers. I for one find it reassuring that people in high government in this country go to the trouble of voting over what in other countries would barely cover a soiree, these aren't exactly huge sums of money we're talking about are they?!

[Mike]

So...are you tired of Labour yet?
Had enough of liberals at last?
Or do you want them to rub it in your faces some more?
Just curious.

[Chuck Unsworth]

@ Mike

So it's theft, but theft of only small amounts - is that it? And have you actually looked at the 'business interests' of all MPs? I think you might be surprised when you see the scope of pecuniary advantage which many Labour MPs seem to enjoy.

You're proposing some sort of means testing for MPs, are you? Of course the issue then will be how many of them will provide honest and accurate answers to the questionnaire, bearing in mind that they seem to experience major difficulties with accounts, generally.

Not 'huge sums of money'? Maybe not to 'Mr Loaded' Mike, but to some poor pensioner they represent a fortune - the difference between warmth or food for several years.