Ex mp (Labour) goes on the dole - The Telegraph

drc

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/labour/7820080/Labours-Nick-Palmer-become-first-ex-MP-to-go-on-the-dole.html

Labour's Nick Palmer become first ex-MP to go on the dole

A former Labour MP who lost his seat at the general election has signed on for unemployment benefit.



By John Bingham
Published: 10:10AM BST 11 Jun 2010



Nick Palmer:n He said that wanted to keep his National Insurance contributions continuous as well as seeing for himself how the system works. Photo: UPPA


Nick Palmer, who lost his west Nottingham seat to the Tory Anna Soubry by fewer than 400 votes, told supporters in an email that he had attended an interview at his local Jobcentre.
He said that wanted to keep his National Insurance contributions continuous as well as seeing for himself how the system works.
The ousted MP who speaks six languages, has a PhD in maths and once designed a computer game about the Battle of Britain, admitted that he was curious to see whether he would be “browbeaten into applying for jobs on a building site”.
During his 13 years in Parliament Mr Palmer, 60, served as parliamentary private secretary to several Labour ministers including Margaret Beckett, when she was Environment Secretary.
Although he plans to fight the seat at the next election, he is currently enrolled with several recruitment agencies in search of work.
He told supporters that he had been impressed by staff at the city’s Station Street Jobcentre.
“I signed on at the Jobcentre, partly to keep my NI contributions continuous, but also partly to explore for myself what it's like,” he wrote.
“People (including MPs) have wildly different ideas – some think it's a grim place where applicants are pushed around and ordered to go for unsuitable jobs; some think it's a cushy environment where you just routinely sign on and no real effort is made to get you back to work.
“I think politicians should experience as much as possible directly, so I went through the normal registration process and in due course was invited to interview.
“Would I be nodded through without questions, or browbeaten into applying for jobs on a building site that I wouldn't be able to do?”
Far from browbeating him into accepting inappropriate work, his interviewer arranged a specialist CV review with a recruitment expert and several agencies focused on professional candidates.
He left the interview impressed at how he had been dealt with.
“It's a sensitive situation even for optimistic people like me, and I felt almost like giving him a hug,” he admitted.
But he was less optimistic for the future of the Jobcentre itself.
“I gather from other sources that the office is under new orders: to freeze recruitment, lay off all fixed-term staff and outsource much of their work to private companies,” he wrote.
“The shape of things to come may be more worrying.”

roseland69

How much do outgoing MP's get again?

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/MP-signed-dole-inline-163-54k-golden-goodbye/article-2282922-detail/article.html

Oh yes, £54,000

Really2

The ousted MP who speaks six languages, has a PhD in maths and once designed a computer game about the Battle of Britain, admitted that he was curious to see whether he would be “browbeaten into applying for jobs on a building site”.
During his 13 years in Parliament Mr Palmer, 60, served as parliamentary private secretary to several Labour ministers including Margaret Beckett, when she was Environment Secretary.

Yes I am sure you would get on fine in your average building site.

He would last at least 1 hour. :rotfl:

Valli

so he's not actually receiving any cash just NI credits?

Alan_Cross

Interesting to know that Labour MPs share more in common with Joe public than your average tory, old-boy-network, lobbyfodder, duck house merchant. Not many of them end up like this.

dave4545454

Alan_Cross wrote: »

Interesting to know that Labour MPs share more in common with Joe public than your average tory, old-boy-network, lobbyfodder, duck house merchant. Not many of them end up like this.

yes labour mps are just your common working class people, not very privileged toffs. it was just a coincidence that the poshest pm ever was labour tony bliar. get real! no mps share anything on common with joe public

robin_banks

He's actually a decent enough bloke, was my MP afore I moved to London.

Alan_Cross

dave4545454 wrote: »

yes labour mps are just your common working class people, not very privileged toffs. it was just a coincidence that the poshest pm ever was labour tony bliar. get real! no mps share anything on common with joe public

Yes, that's the tory message which was put out so successfully recently -

'we're not really different from you - please take no notice that we despise you little people behind your backs. Just elect us and have confidence in our willingness to take good care of the schools and hospitals you attend - despite the fact that we would never use them ourselves.'

The 'daves' of this world swallow such rubbish eagerly and ask for more. Is it the constant, right-wing brainwashing from the keep-your-taxes-off-my-wad Murdochite 'newspapers', or is it just sheer lack of intelligence? Take your choice.

robin_banks

roseland69 wrote: »

How much do outgoing MP's get again?

http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/MP-signed-dole-inline-163-54k-golden-goodbye/article-2282922-detail/article.html

Oh yes, £54,000

Which would preclude him from claiming the dole.

Once again the Nottingham Evening Post (a dreadful local rag btw)
fails to let facts get in the way of what it percieves to be a story.

He would be signing on the get NI credits and no more than that.

dave4545454

Alan_Cross wrote: »

Yes, that's the tory message which was put out so successfully recently -

'we're not really different from you - please take no notice that we despise you little people behind your backs. Just elect us and have confidence in our willingness to take good care of the schools and hospitals you attend - despite the fact that we would never use them ourselves.'

The 'daves' of this world swallow such rubbish eagerly and ask for more. Is it the constant, right-wing brainwashing from the keep-your-taxes-off-my-wad Murdochite 'newspapers', or is it just sheer lack of intelligence? Take your choice.

the only person showing a lack of intelligence is braindead gullible alan if he thinks labour are common people and live in the real world.

Alan_Cross

dave4545454 wrote: »

the only person showing a lack of intelligence is braindead gullible alan if he thinks labour are common people and live in the real world.

You've swallowed that message so far down that it must hurt.

In my time, I've been in Tory office backrooms and heard what the gentry there really think, when they believe nobody's listening, about Average Joe - maybe someone like you. Believe me, they despise you and positively giggle at the thought that they're conning you into voting for them.

Of course, I may be wrong in thinking you're an average type - you may well be one of that 5% who think they're special and should not dirty their shoulders by coming into contact with the common herd.

Come to think of it.... 'dave'... oh yes....