British MPs’ expenses published
(The Guardian): The Commons authorities were today facing a backlash after publishing 1m expenses claims and receipts covering the past four years but censoring some of the most damaging information. The online publication excludes all rejected claims and addresses, disguising the extent to which politicians used the "flipping" tactic to redesignate their second homes to maximise their income. The long-awaited publication – which follows a year-long court battle and weeks of revelations in the Daily and Sunday Telegraph – covers printed documents and receipts relating to MPs’ claims for a series of parliamentary allowances between 2004 and 2008.
Category: World News
Whodatis = nonsense
"Currently the UK is awash with White vs Black surveys, polls, sentiments etc – no doubt brought on by the recent political developments. "
No it is not.
Also, the majority of imigration has not come from Europe but from south-east asia i.e. India, Pakistan, etc.
Everywhere in the world people have ‘issues’ with immigration. Britain is no different.
Dearest "Anonymous",
You said;
"Whodatis = nonsense"
Really? Ok…here are just a few examples of what’s been going on in the UK recently – and believe me there are more but not all are available online..enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch
In any event, the fact that what you said was the most you could conjure up to counter my points on the UK and Europe once again showing its true colours speaks volumes of the reality of the true situation.
My point is simply this – Brits nor anyone else should feel they have a moral right to criticize the Cayman Islands for their immigration policies because judging from what is currently transpiring in that part of the world – had the shoe been on the other foot (i.e. Brits facing threat of becoming a statistical minority / perceived disenfranchisement within the economy) there would be absolute HELL to pay for the newcomers!
Anonymous, the fact remains that the UK and the majority of the nations within the European Union is leaning more and more to the "right"!
I wonder what would be happening over there now if you guys were facing what we Caymanians are facing today?
Gimme a break!
Whodatis is spot on with his comments. Many native Brits (not just the BNP) are more than a little concerned about the influx from Eastern Europe who they blame for increase in crime, prostitution, taking jobs away from Brits. In light of all that the comments about Caymanian xenophobia are laughable.
Anon,
Thank you.
I’m just calling it how I see it – nothing more, nothing less.
Hello again Anonymous,
Just one more point…
The important thing to bear in mind here is that there has been a RECENT rise in Brits and Europeans leaning "to the right".
What else has been happening recently…the expansion of the European Union!
If we are to actually get realistic and stop pussyfooting around the issue it will be clear to all that the true issue with immigration, in the UK at least, is now with Eastern Europeans emigrating to the country.
Those Polish and Bulgarian builders are very skilled and they will do a much better job for less money! Not a good situation for the British builder is it?
You mentioned Asian immigrants…I am sure that Asian immigration is not as high on the average BNP’s voters agenda as that of Eastern Europeans!
However, the UK media does not present the reality of the situation for fear of exposing the actual absurdity of a now substantial sector of the British public…White on White "racism"!
:o)
Oh yeah – one more thing…
And this I guess goes even further to the questionable mindset fo the British public;
Currently the UK is awash with White vs Black surveys, polls, sentiments etc – no doubt brought on by the recent political developments.
Actual TV polls conducted by SMS accounting;
This to me is VERY interesting as "Blacks" have been emigrating there ever since the 50’s and 60’s! Why have they been thrown into this heated debate at this point in time?! (What is even more interesting to me is the UK’s constant referral to any non-white group as being "Ethnic"…as if to suggest "Whites" are not a "ethnic group"?! But I digress.)
If anger is to be directed anywhere then is should be directed to the NEW mass exodus of Eastern Europeans coming into the UK. That nation is choc-full of Lithuanias, Poles, Latvians, Bulgarians etc. at the moment! Many say that they are taking a LOT of jobs from British builders, hairdressers, plumbers, bar staff, retail workers etc. Shouldn’t the discrimination officially be fired in their direction?
Hmmm – I guess that would just appear a bit too ridiculous wouldn’t it…after all that would be White vs. White after all! Nah…let’s just go back 40 years in time and start attacking the Blacks and Asians again! Lol!
Its funny but this is the true reality of the situation.
Any Brit, be it White, Black, Asian, Brown is now arguably "at risk" by the influx of Eastern European nationals – however, this is all for economic reasons over any other.
(Sigh)
Jolly Ol’ England…gotta love ’em!
P.S. Whoops…almost forgot to mention the HUGE gains in support that UKIP achieved in last week’s elections as well – if I’m not mistaken they received even more support than the BNP.
:o)
Dear Never Fails,
Very cute comeback! However, no – I don’t support any anti-immigration policy based solely on the platform of prejudice and discrimination. I do support any country’s right to preserve the livelihood, culture and general way of life of its people – especially when that country is blatantly "checked" in a position of the aforementioned taking place.
As I mentioned earlier – Caymanians are fast, if not already, becoming a statistical minority in their own country. Had the UK, Greece or the Netherlands been in the same position I would have very little to say on the recent European elections.
I understand many folks’ opposition to Cayman’s immigration policies but I think many of us are confused.
Is there some undeclared deadline as to when and how far a country’s immigration policies should "mature"? The problem is that most people have a time horizon of their own lifetime – I however do not. I see no evidence of the creator returning soon nor have I received the email from Planet Zygon warning of their intentions to fire that laser in our general direction. Therefore, I’m not really concerned as to how long it may actually take for our tiny native populaton to optimize our potential to participate in our most lucrative industries…so until then…c’est la vie :o)
Aplogies for taking the thread a bit off-topic but I simply find it perplexing the higher ground of morality that countries such as the UK claims as they dictate to others while they themselves are awash in the very same, and much more by the looks of things, antics – albeit for far less defendable reasons.
From his previous posts Whodatis would be probably agree with the BNP’s policies if the words Britain were replaced with Cayman in their manifesto. In fact many of the statements of both parties in the last elections would not be far away from the BNP’s policies in the UK. It is just 90% of voters in the UK and 100% of the educated voters see the BNP as narrow minded xenophobes pandering to the fears and angers of a jealous angry underclass.
The core of the expenses debalce was a broken expenses system rather than systemic corruption in the UK. A very small minority may have acted dishonestly, but when all investigations are complete this number is likley to be tiny. But it was a media feeding frenzy and this worsened public perceptions. Most of the media hype focussed on one or two "odd" claims taken out of context – gardening works, electrical issues and misunderstood (but legitimate) property transactions. These were considered appropriate claims in Westminster on the prevailing interpretation of the rules. The bottom line is that MP’s are woefully underpaid and this deters top-level talent coming into UK politics. On average one MP represents 4 times as many voters as the entire Cayman electorate.
whodatis says the BNP is right-wing and so do many others. In truth, they are a left-wing party as they propose state ownership, workers on the boards of companies, etc. They are still odious though.
MPs on both sides have been exploiting their expenses, but it has been shown that the governing party, Labour, have been the worst offenders. However, at long last the British people have woken up to the fact that they have been taken for fools by the New Labour project and Labour looks very likely to be thrown out at the next election.
Those that have left the UK are right to do so. The Labour government have destroyed the country. Once I have finished some business here I’ll be gone too.
Wow,
It warms the cockles of my Caymanian heart to see so many UK expats expressing such honest and level-headed sentiments in regards to this disgraceful scandal unfolding in your country.
Now…how about the little case of the BNP (British National Party – Right wing racist facists) being democratically elected by the British public to represent the UK in the European Parliament? This party has been steadily growing from strength to strength in the past few years…yet so many have the nerve to call Caymanians racist and xenophobic?!
Caymanians are FAST becoming a statistical minority in their own country – the UK faces no such threat…not by a very long mile!
So….why all the HATE guys?!
However, I wont limit my remarks to the UK – the entire European Union last week went to the polls and let the world know that they are in fact leaning to the all-ignorant RIGHT!
Honestly, I can do nothing but sit back and laugh whenever I hear outsiders spewing their hypocrisy as they attack my little beloved Cayman Islands.
Yup another ex pat from Brit here – and you wonder why I left the place? Saw this coming a long time ago. In fact in my district politicians were discovered doing the same thing and what was their punishment? They lost their jobs. They weren’t asked to give the money back, they weren’t taken to court and they weren’t imprisoned – do you think I would have gotten the same treatment? Nah any regular member of the public who did something similar to this would be rotting in a jail cell for years. Set a hypocrites most of our politicians and I am glad they are finally being exposed. I hope people keep digging coz there’s plenty more to come.
Having the SFO (Serious Fraud Office) investigate these thefts would be almost as disasterous as letting Marty Bridger loose. Has the SFO yet had a successful investiagtion or achieved a conviction?
As a British Expat I find this whole expenses scandal disgraceful. Every single one of those thieves should be investigated by the serious fraud office and those found to have fiddled the system and stolen from the british taxpayer should be held accountable and sent to prison. They are not fit to govern.
And the UK wants to come after the Cayman Islands! Maybe they should start in their own back yard and they won’t need to try to get more tax money.