Sunday Times lobbying scandal: MEPs are next

You would think that newspapers wouldn’t need to invent the news, the whole EU edifice is a corrupt scandal, full stop.

I suppose that if one is a fanatical supporter of “the project” that there are brownie points in sticking it to a corrupt MEP.

I am betting that the main target for these sleaze merchants is the UKIP and other EU realist operatives such as yourself Dan.

Irrespective of your colleague’s phone call possibly being from a newspaper, shouldn’t he have been alert to the assumption receiving money was accepted by his own colleagues? Whilst you claim not all politicians are the same, those who claim to be different must never forget they represent us and knowledge of the misbehaviour of others is shared if no action is taken.

I am afraid I am considerably more angered by the money laundering indulged in by the current government with regard to payments to unions in return for funding than the cash for influence, as lobbying must offer some incentive and it is naive to assume money is not included. Though they will claim no association, it is beyond reason to lend any credibility to this government’s claims of integrity, as time and again, they are found out. That they remain in government is due to the complicity of the “innocent”, therefore prejudice against the accused is wholly justified.

Politicians have been found guilty of failing the public and they must now signal their rehabilitation by ensuring any sharp practice is terminated.

I’m sorry, it was an e-mail your colleague received, not a phone call.

Your lily-white colleague must, unfortunately, be some sort of political aberration – I thought there was only BLiar…!

Why don’t the government just give the money straight to the Labour party for ‘restructuring & modernisation’ and cut out the middle man?

Bearing in mind that many Labour MPs are sponsored directly by trades unions, and have been for many years, don’t you think that this is a source of potential corruption that should have been tackled long ago?

Anyway, given that MEPs are excessively well paid, I would hope that none of them would be trying to pick up additional cash. But of course I am an optimist. I seem to remember that some are so avaricious that they sign in, pick up the attendance allowance, and disappear, all before 8 a.m.

The stench of hypocrisy fills the nostrils but let’s try to steal some advantage.

Strikes, disruption, mounting government debt, busted economy, hidden unemployment higher than ever expenditute out of control, immigration out of control, bloated crumbling client state and public services, 1.8 billion pounds £ stolen in benefit fraud, 4300 useless Nulaws,unwinable war started, corruption and sleaze in parliament, Union bankrolling Labour party, universal gerrymandering , nepotism on the Front Bench, and this week Ex,Ministers taking backhanders for influence as ‘cabs for hire’.

Yes! It’s a Labour Government!

What more do dithering voters need to persuade them?

Perhaps a credible opposition party?

I would never be so callous as to suggest there are no honest people in that cesspit called the EU.

As for blowing the whistle on the crooks, that would be a dangerous business. Just look at the hassle that the auditors received for refusing to pass the accounts!

The whole house needs to be levelled and a fresh start made if members wish to have an honest organisation.

Personally, I would rather it were left to fester whilst Britain controls its own affairs.

We would not need a leader with a brain the size of a planet. The British are naturally an entreprenarial race, and would manage affairs without interference from governments.

In fact, the best thing a government could do, would be to keep its collective nose out unless asked for aid by way of contacts.

We should be trading with the world, as we used to do.

Admittedly, we need allies and we would have to go cap in hand to our cousins in Canada and Australia, to attempt to repair the damage done by that traitor Heath. America is our natural ally, but we would have to negotiate as a partner rather than a puppy dog.

Brits have to throw off this need for nanny government to solve everything and to stand on their own feet.

Owd Al

While pyschologists, social workers and those involved with individuals and those in the poorer communities work to help people develop a ’sense of worth’ which will help broaden their aspirations and promote their desire to improve themselves, we already have a set of people prowling the corridores of power whose sense of worth is beyond measure, it’s probably why they put themselves forward for election in the first place. 30,000 people put their X or 1,2,3 against a party and these people immediately become worthy of anything that happens to stick to their grubby little snouts. Even my MP a lady for which I had huge respect managed to think enough of herself to ‘forget’ a few thousand while sorting through her purse for a receipt.
You may want to devolve power downward to local level, but this only brings more and more people on to more troughs and more and more people with the sense of worth to wallow in it.
Much as I fear the EU and Westminster and their onward progression of intrusive laws to look over our (the peoples) shoulder I now feel that our elected must also bear the brunt of intrusive and constant examination. To quote the pro ID card promoters, If you’ve done nothing wrong, you’ve nothing to fear. If our elected can’t automatically behave as your MEP friend did, it should be imposed upon them. Perhaps a shorter term in office whereby the public doesn’t get long enough to forget would be an other answer to the sticky paws.

Im with Sheumais on this. The stuff about Byers and Co is just about what we’d expect, a grubby little quartet trying to snatch bones from the table on their way out. It just adds to labour’s sleaze quotient.

What angers me a lot more is the tax-payer funded union/labour incest. If the unions want to do this kind of thing, let them find 18m a year out of their own pockets, NOT OURS.

Daniel, are you not involved in the great EU pension scandal? Maybe you shouldn’t be casting the first stone when it comes to MEPs shamefully exploiting their positions to enrich themselves.

Students have to pay back their students loans after they graduate.

Those who receive sports scholarships and then earn enormous amounts of money as professional sportsmen should also have to repay the money invested in their training and development.

Apparently, Mr Blair has made 20 million pounds in the two and a half years since he stepped down as prime minsister. He made that enormous sum on the back the fact that he had been prime minister, so his ‘training’ leading to these obscene ‘earnings’ was paid for entirely by the state.

If students have to pay back the money spent on their training then surely sportsmen and politicians should do so to. In case of politicians the rate should be at least 90% of all earnings after they leave politics.

So let the sleazy Hewitt, Hoon and Byers make £5 000 a day – but make them give the taxpayer £4 500 of it back. I would not mind receiving £500 a day after tax!

Public funding of poilitical parties

Dan Han: “We need a wholesale diffusion, democratisation and devolution of decision-making in Britain.”

But surely the Tory party is already ahead in this respect with Lord cashcroft undertaking all the above rules.

I could be wrong because noboby,including his bag carrier Vague,seem to know the exact tax status of Mr. (or should that be Lord) Tory !

However when they do eventually find out they might just arrange to refund to us the millions and millions of our money that the philantropic Cashcroft ‘gave’ to the Tories !!

They could also combined this with the withdrawal from their IHT proiposals, which, in a similar mode,give massive benefits to the already rich to be for by the less weel off !!

I truly hope the corruption within the unlegislated and unaccountable EU will be exposed. I’ve a sneaking suspicion that only anti-federal MEP’s will be exposed though with the help of the biased press.
Daniel, do you seriously expect me to belive you’re seriously anti-EU when you’re a member of the CONservative party? I’ve read many of your bloggs and at first I was hopeful that your part in this pantomime was of benefit to the English. However, I have since come to realise that you’re a pawn of the EU: one to convince the naive and gullable that the CONservative party will change England’s position within this nightmare scenario of an unaccountable marxist EU.
You Sir, are a fraud, and I hope your conscience enables you to sleep at night. You have duped so many into believing that you’re an agent of change, and to your credit you’ve been most convincing. Many are realising just what you are though.
I and many others shall be voting UKIP or even the BNP at the next election.

Daniel

Off-topic, but the relevant thread had died.

Do you wish Turkey to become a member of the EU?

Is this official Conservative policy?

Are you really unaware of the danger this presents?

I ask, because a poster in a previous thread claims you are a member of “Conservative Friends of Turkey” a lobby group with an intent on opening the EU door to a non-European and Islamic country, whose Prime Minister has ordered all Turks abroad NOT to assimilate.

There are many reasons why promoting Turkish membership is a titanically foolish idea:

http://paulweston101.blogspot.com/2009/07/review-of-bridge-too-far-by-philip.html

Paul Weston. Ex-Conservative
UKIP candidate Cities of London & Westminster

I hardly think a party that funds itself by laundering taxpayer’s money through the unions is in any position to protest about Lord Ashcroft Dee. Maybe you could hire a former cabinet minister to reply for you.

@Sheumais

I think a former cabinet member may be well out of his pocket.

Perhaps though he could afford one of the outgoing dregs, someone like Salter shouldnt cost more that, what…? 50p?

@Paul Weston

He is not just a member of the Conservative Friends of Turkey Association; he is a founder member of it, as is his mate Doug Carswell (whom I despise because he censors unfavourable comments on his blog, even when they are polite and reasonable). (Incidentally, Clown Carswell said we should let Turkey in just to be “consistent”.)

Hannan answered this point before when I asked him about it. He thinks membership should be offered to Turkey but the Turks should think twice before accepting it.

BTW there’s a good article in Der Spiegel this week about how the Turks are using members of their diaspora to “inoculate European culture with Turkish culture”.

The choice is clear at the next election – between a dodgy Tory party funded by non-dom billionaire Lord Ashcroft, and a New Labour Party that is committed to providing a future fair for all.

The choice is between a Prime Minister whose economic expertise and grasp of policy details are unparalleled in recent political history, and the inexperienced Shadow Chancellor.

Under Gordon Brown, Britain is respected on the world stage. The PM’s bailout policy saved the world’s banking system and was followed by President Obama.

Under Gordon Brown, Britain will continue to embrace controlled immigration, diversity and cohesive multiculturalism as means of enhancing our rich social fabric.

Under Gordon Brown, Britain will play an active part in the EU as we move towards a new world order where greater international co-operation is essential.

That’s why I’m confident that Labour will win the next election and usher in a decade of strong, consensual progressive government that will change the face of this country for ever.

Labour_Future 12.38

Such weasel words. Your ilk are trying for another dose of the communism that failed in Russia, after killing millions of innocent people.

Progressives of any political hue are bad for the nation, because they are totalitarian and will enslave the population.

You and your sort can keep sticking your heads above the parapet sonny, we will keep shooting them down.

We will never let you scumbags win.

Owd Al

12.38 Labour ***cked our Future

Hi Affa – is it school lunch time already? What did your mum put in your lunchbox today?

I know we’ve had this conversation before, but I really think you should consider the rather sensual way you speak about the one-eyed hibernian f**ckwit.
Your ‘Gordon coming masterfully from behind’ was a pearl, and now you are repeating ‘under Gordon Brown’ as if you’re in a daze of lust for him.
Under GB indeed – Yuck yuck yucky yuck!

I’ve just read the UKIP policy on Jobs and Enterprise, what a pile of rubbish. It represents the trade deficit as a ‘terrifying’ thing and calls for massive public investment, including 50bn for road and rail, 45bn for flood protection and 12bn per year on defence. Not what you would expect from low-tax free-marketeers, more like what you’d expect from the BNP. Here’s a good link on trade deficits: http://mises.stackexchange.com/questions/249/is-a-trade-deficit-harmful
The UKIP paper on the budget and economy is good though. Seems like the jobs paper and the budget paper could have been written by two different parties.

Britain should leave the EU and join a free trade agreement with Norway, Switzerland, Turkey and the former colonies which were so treacherously treated when Britain joined the Common Market as a result of Heath’s mendacity.

@Torchlight

Thanks for the info, I suppose it all comes down to Cameron’s view. If you are a tory MP with ambition I suppose it makes sense to follow your leader.

Even if it means problems in the future.

Dear Mr Hannan

Are you sure your `fellow Conservative Euro-MP` told you the whole truth?

To dirlada at 1:10

I would not get overexcited about AFFA: this guy is paid to wind all of you up (with your money, by the way) for bringing a bit of drama to the sheer delight of the Daniel Hannan and his friends `fellow Conservative Euro-MPs` (isn’t it your blogs about, Daniel?)

Sign the petition folks: Byers should be forcibly ejected from the Privy Council immediately. He brings shame on a venerable and honourable institution:

http://www.panscourer.com/2010/03/22/mps-for-hire-3000-5000-a-day-grab-yours-now/

“The choice is between a Prime Minister whose economic expertise and grasp of policy details are unparalleled in recent political history”

This is the plonker who sold off 60 per cent of Britain’s gold reserves at roughtly one quarter of its current value.

This is the twit who cheerfully watched while Britain’s manufacturing base shrunk and over a million highly-skilled, well-paid manufacturing jobs were lost.

This is the numpty who promised no more boom and bust, and predicted that Britain would be the first major economy out of the global recession. We were the last.

This morning, the daft old wazzock promised a digital Britain in which by 2020 every citizen will have access to superfast broadband and a personalised, online “dashboard” of government services.

Let’s consider just two of the tartan twit’s previous empty promises:

In 2006 he promised us a Britishness Day to celebrate our culture and achievements. All he had to do was decide on a date. Do we have a Britishness Day?

In 2007 he promised five new eco-towns with 100,000 green homes and creating thousands of new jobs. Any sign whatsoever of those five new eco-towns?

Coming very soon: every day will be the first day of spring.

Coming a bit later: free bananas for all on the NHS.

@panscourer:
What’s the point of signing a position. I’ve signed countless in the previous years and all have come-to-nothing.
We must accept that this bunch of ruling elite will only do things that serve them and their puppet-masters and react accordingly.

@stolenfrom

I agree with you as to the apparent pointlessness of signing petitions, but I believe that there is, however obscure, a point to it.

One of the problems we have in the UK is a crass failure of the MSM, especially the BBC, to be even-handed and objective in its reporting. Bias is the order of the day, and a lot of dissent is simply not reported. The general populace is woefully ill-informed.

The sole point of signing petitions, knowing that all one will receive in return is meaningless platitudes and blathering, is that it’s another small step into raising the profile of something such that it becomes impossible to pretend it doesn’t exist.

Well, that’s the theory (which I just thought up), anyway!

DH: Fourth, because the way to prevent these abuses is not to regulate lobbyists, but to decentralise power.

Really? How so? don’t you think the corporates would find it far easier to manipulate local and regional decision-makers?

David Dee on Mar 22nd, 2010 at 11:06 am

“However when they do eventually find out they might just arrange to refund to us the millions and millions of our money that the philantropic Cashcroft ‘gave’ to the Tories !!”

Perhaps we can expect Labour non doms like Lord Paul PC to return his millions too?

Maybe he will do this when he is also giving back the pensions he thieved (in the good Labour tradition established by Maxwell and Brown) and reimporting those jobs he exported to India – “British Jobs for Indian Workers”

Maybe he will also repay all those parliamentary allowances he claimed while Lord Ashcroft claimed nothing.

You utter hypocrite.

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