David Laws - corrupt hypocrite?

StevieJ

chucky wrote: »

the guy is a millionaire if not multi millionaire - if he wanted to furnish his gay lover with £40k he should have written a cheque from his personal account and not making money from the tax payers.

the Lib Dems do it, Tories will do it and Labour will do it.

I am sure he didn't get to be a millionaire by not claiming his expenses

chucky

StevieJ wrote: »

I am sure he didn't get to be a millionaire by not claiming his expenses

JP Morgan and Barcap I think it was where he made his money - the expenses were an easy way for him to transfer funds to his lover for staying at his flat.

treliac

vivatifosi wrote: »

Oh boy, here we go again (from the Telegraph, added to website in the last hour):

Danny Alexander, new Treasury chief, avoided capital gains tax on house

The new Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Danny Alexander, avoided paying capital gains tax when he sold his taxpayer-funded second home at a profit, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

Edited to add (from article):

Mr Alexander took advantage of a tax loophole that allows people to continue to tell the tax authorities for three years that a property is their main home even if they have bought another house –in Mr Alexander’s case in Scotland – which has become their “principal residence”. It did not stop him telling the authorities at the House of Commons that the London property was his second home...

.... Senior accountants last night likened Mr Alexander’s arrangements to those of Hazel Blears, the former Labour minister.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/mps-expenses/liberal-democrat-mps-expenses/7787519/Danny-Alexander-new-Treasury-chief-avoided-capital-gains-tax-on-house.html

Maybe nearlynew has it right.... They're all lying f*cking thieves. End of!!!

treliac

At least the end came swiftly and cleanly for Laws (how ever it was engineered behind the scenes). The last govt would have dragged their heels and the whole thing out, hoping it would blow over... which it never does - just gets deeper and messier. Mr indecisive Brown would never have acted to limit damage asap.

I hope Cameron has learnt from the mistakes of the past and will act fast to address 'problems' as they arise.

So far, he seems to be saying the right things but it won't be easy if too many of his cabinet fall on their swords!

lostinrates

PhylPho wrote: »

Gorgeous George summed it up perfectly a few posts back: Laws is a multi-millionaire banker, not exactly a role model for our times. Laws is now also shown to be a multi-milliionaire on-the-fiddle banker. No amount of "priming" is going to wallpaper over that.

He's gone. He's finished. And it's entirely his own fault.

There is something wrong indeed with being a bank,multimillionaire or otherwise, ''on the fiddle''. There is nothing wrong or the makings of a bad role model with being a banker,multi millionaire or otherwise. While it might not be as glamorous as other role models of Big Brother stardom, where being ignorant and illiterate is hailed as being ''real'' or endearing or some such, it is a legal enterprise when performed well and some of the bankers do put back into society. More than many of us in humbler financial positions are able to do. All though I am content in the knowledge my inane ramblings on MSE are a valid and worthy contribution to society.:D

StevieJ

treliac wrote: »

At least the end came swiftly and cleanly for Laws (how ever it was engineered behind the scenes). The last govt would have dragged their heels and the whole thing out, hoping it would blow over... which it never does - just gets deeper and messier. Mr indecisive Brown would never have acted to limit damage asap.

I was wondering when someone would find a way of trying to smear the previous govt for the LibCon problems

chucky

treliac wrote: »

The last govt would have dragged their heels and the whole thing out, hoping it would blow over... which it never does - just gets deeper and messier. Mr indecisive Brown would never have acted to limit damage asap.

Cameron described Laws as an 'honourable man'. your standards must be very low if an 'honourable man' is a guy that [STRIKE]steals[/STRIKE] takes £40,000 from tax payers.

t'is ok though, it's David Cameron and Nick Clegg. it's all ok.

Rupert_Bear

What I fail to understand why did he not declare all this when the expenses scandal was going rather than waiting for the media to unearth it. Also it has been claimed prior to having toe provide receipts for utilities and things of that nature it was a large amount he was claiming. However whent he rules changed and receipts had to be produced it they dropped down to about £37.00 per month.

Its a fair cop and I suggest he stops using the Gay card as the reasons for being so, so dishonest. .

treliac

StevieJ wrote: »

I was wondering when someone would find a way of trying to smear the previous govt for the LibCon problems

chucky wrote: »

Cameron described Laws as an 'honourable man'. your standards must be very low if an 'honourable man' is a guy that [STRIKE]steals[/STRIKE] takes £40,000 from tax payers.

t'is ok though, it's David Cameron and Nick Clegg. it's all ok.

The last govt set the standards in sleaze, imo. This one had better learn fast or it'll go the same way. I don't feel the need to defend any particular party, not being hidebound in political affiliation. Any party that lets the electorate down deserves its retribution.

I have been hopeful that change will bring something better. We desperately need standards in public life to be raised. It will be up to the new govt as to whether it can deliver that.

I hope there are enough 'honourable men' to be found. In this age of media attention and quick dissemination of information, it won't take long for skeletons to escape from the cupboard!

chucky

treliac wrote: »

I don't feel the need to defend any particular party, not being hidebound in political affiliation. Any party that lets the electorate down deserves its retribution.

you can start with every single political party. they all have the same standards. these sleaze issues aren't exclusive to the Brown or Blair governments.

for me these type of stories along with the expenses scandal are all a bit of a waste of time and a distraction. it switches attention from the real issues that need to be addressed not only by the coalition govt but by every political party.