Google Map of MPs who flipped their homesUsing Google's Maps & Spreadsheet's API - and the Google Doc spreadsheet created by The Guardian - we can see which MPs switched the 2nd home for which they claim expenses.
The markers show the MP's constituency - so those near London are the most interesting ones...
The tabs also show where the 2nd home allowance changes from / to:
To view the map click here
Wednesday, 28 April 2010
What Labour said and what they actually did
In their last Election Manifesto Labour Promised:
1 – “In industrial relations, we make it clear that there will be no return to flying pickets, secondary action, strikes with no ballots or the trade union law of the 1970s. There will instead be basic minimum rights for the individual at the workplace, where our aim is partnership not conflict between employers and employees.”
What actually happened
Large numbers of unskilled workers remain without any form of protection against exploitation, i.e. long hours, no breaks, payment less than the legal minimum wage. The rights may exist, but enforcement?
2 – “In economic management, we accept the global economy as a reality and reject the isolationism and 'go-it-alone' policies of the extremes of right or left.”
What actually happened
Instead we got a slavish adoption of the neo-con economic theories of the American right which has increased inequality in this country to unprecedented levels and brought it to the brink of bankruptcy.
3 – “In education, we reject both the idea of a return to the 11-plus and the monolithic comprehensive schools that take no account of children's differing abilities. Instead we favour all-in schooling which identifies the distinct abilities of individual pupils and organises them in classes to maximise their progress in individual subjects. In this way we modernise the comprehensive principle, learning from the experience of its 30 years of application.”
What actually happened
A decade of top down approach of obsessive micromanagement of the day to day life of schools has resulted in one of the country’s largest private sector employers claiming that “standards were still woefully low in too many schools”. Money that could have gone into reducing class sizes has been spent on the creation of a collection of expensive agencies whose benefit is questionable and cost frightening.
4 – “In health policy, we will safeguard the basic principles of the NHS, which we founded, but will not return to the top-down management of the 1970s. So we will keep the planning and provision of healthcare separate, but put planning on a longer-term, decentralised and more co-operative basis. The key is to root out unnecessary administrative cost, and to spend money on the right things - frontline care.”
What actually happened
Management costs have spiralled out of all proportion to the value of the money spent on them. A vast bureaucracy has been created in order to produce an infrastructure of chargeable services, which can then be farmed out to the private sector. Future Health Budgets will go not on providing front line services but meeting the charges of PFI providers for running our new hospitals and health centres.
5 – “On crime, we believe in personal responsibility and in punishing crime, but also tackling its underlying causes - so, tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, different from the Labour approach of the past and the Tory policy of today”
What actually happened
Success! Success! So tough has the war on crime been that we now have more people in prison than ever before, with rates of overcrowding, early releases and reoffending to match.
6 – “In addition, we will face up to the new issues that confront us. We will be the party of welfare reform. In consultation and partnership with the people, we will design a modern welfare state based on rights and duties going together, fit for the modern world”
What actually happened
Virtually nothing of any substance, the Benefits system remains hugely complex, care for the elderly has been sorted, but only in Scotland while the situation in England remains as uncertain as it was 14 years ago.
7 – “We will stand up for Britain's interests in Europe after the shambles of the last six years, but, more than that, we will lead a campaign for reform in Europe. Europe isn't working in the way this country and Europe need. But to lead means to be involved, to be constructive, to be capable of getting our own way.”
What actually happened
As part of this policy a commitment was made to have a referendum on the adoption of a European Constitution. This was never held.
8 – “We will safeguard our environment, and develop an integrated transport policy to fight congestion and pollution”
What actually happened
We still have an economy which remains hugely dependent on motor vehicle manufacture, the one company making wind turbines in the UK closed its doors six months ago. A cheap, practical method of saving huge amounts of wasted electricity, i.e. loft insulation, has been approached in a minimalist and half hearted way.
9 – “We will clean up politics, decentralise political power throughout the United Kingdom and put the funding of political parties on a proper and accountable basis”
What actually happened
1 out of 3 here: Wales, Ireland and Scotland now have a measure of independence but funding of political parties remains the mess it always has been. Not only was politics not cleaned up, just the reverse. The Government made every effort to conceal a sordid mess of deceit and tax evasion by M.P.’s which it had served to create by a complete failure to implement a transparent system of accounting.
10 – “There will be no increase in the basic or top rates of income tax”
What actually happened
Brown both increased just about every other tax rate whilst at the same time introducing new ones
1 – “In industrial relations, we make it clear that there will be no return to flying pickets, secondary action, strikes with no ballots or the trade union law of the 1970s. There will instead be basic minimum rights for the individual at the workplace, where our aim is partnership not conflict between employers and employees.”
What actually happened
Large numbers of unskilled workers remain without any form of protection against exploitation, i.e. long hours, no breaks, payment less than the legal minimum wage. The rights may exist, but enforcement?
2 – “In economic management, we accept the global economy as a reality and reject the isolationism and 'go-it-alone' policies of the extremes of right or left.”
What actually happened
Instead we got a slavish adoption of the neo-con economic theories of the American right which has increased inequality in this country to unprecedented levels and brought it to the brink of bankruptcy.
3 – “In education, we reject both the idea of a return to the 11-plus and the monolithic comprehensive schools that take no account of children's differing abilities. Instead we favour all-in schooling which identifies the distinct abilities of individual pupils and organises them in classes to maximise their progress in individual subjects. In this way we modernise the comprehensive principle, learning from the experience of its 30 years of application.”
What actually happened
A decade of top down approach of obsessive micromanagement of the day to day life of schools has resulted in one of the country’s largest private sector employers claiming that “standards were still woefully low in too many schools”. Money that could have gone into reducing class sizes has been spent on the creation of a collection of expensive agencies whose benefit is questionable and cost frightening.
4 – “In health policy, we will safeguard the basic principles of the NHS, which we founded, but will not return to the top-down management of the 1970s. So we will keep the planning and provision of healthcare separate, but put planning on a longer-term, decentralised and more co-operative basis. The key is to root out unnecessary administrative cost, and to spend money on the right things - frontline care.”
What actually happened
Management costs have spiralled out of all proportion to the value of the money spent on them. A vast bureaucracy has been created in order to produce an infrastructure of chargeable services, which can then be farmed out to the private sector. Future Health Budgets will go not on providing front line services but meeting the charges of PFI providers for running our new hospitals and health centres.
5 – “On crime, we believe in personal responsibility and in punishing crime, but also tackling its underlying causes - so, tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime, different from the Labour approach of the past and the Tory policy of today”
What actually happened
Success! Success! So tough has the war on crime been that we now have more people in prison than ever before, with rates of overcrowding, early releases and reoffending to match.
6 – “In addition, we will face up to the new issues that confront us. We will be the party of welfare reform. In consultation and partnership with the people, we will design a modern welfare state based on rights and duties going together, fit for the modern world”
What actually happened
Virtually nothing of any substance, the Benefits system remains hugely complex, care for the elderly has been sorted, but only in Scotland while the situation in England remains as uncertain as it was 14 years ago.
7 – “We will stand up for Britain's interests in Europe after the shambles of the last six years, but, more than that, we will lead a campaign for reform in Europe. Europe isn't working in the way this country and Europe need. But to lead means to be involved, to be constructive, to be capable of getting our own way.”
What actually happened
As part of this policy a commitment was made to have a referendum on the adoption of a European Constitution. This was never held.
8 – “We will safeguard our environment, and develop an integrated transport policy to fight congestion and pollution”
What actually happened
We still have an economy which remains hugely dependent on motor vehicle manufacture, the one company making wind turbines in the UK closed its doors six months ago. A cheap, practical method of saving huge amounts of wasted electricity, i.e. loft insulation, has been approached in a minimalist and half hearted way.
9 – “We will clean up politics, decentralise political power throughout the United Kingdom and put the funding of political parties on a proper and accountable basis”
What actually happened
1 out of 3 here: Wales, Ireland and Scotland now have a measure of independence but funding of political parties remains the mess it always has been. Not only was politics not cleaned up, just the reverse. The Government made every effort to conceal a sordid mess of deceit and tax evasion by M.P.’s which it had served to create by a complete failure to implement a transparent system of accounting.
10 – “There will be no increase in the basic or top rates of income tax”
What actually happened
Brown both increased just about every other tax rate whilst at the same time introducing new ones
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
Get Rid of Them
Welcome to G.R.O.T
Are you fed up with corruption in parliament?
Are you tired of the two same old parties vying for their next turn?
Angry at the expenses, lobbying, cash for questions that soil our democracy?
Do you want to vote someone else in - anyone but Labour or the Conservatives?
If the answer is yes to all the above, then this blog will be for you.
We believe that the 2 main parties, New Labour and the Conservatives are fundamentally part of the problem and that democrats and progressives should vote for any other candidate who is best placed to beat the sitting MP or candidate from whichever of the 2 main parties.
We support a basic set of democratic demands for the reform of Parliament and the political system and the punishment of past, current and future Parliamentary wrong doers.
This means: ensuring that all expenses are limited and genuine; there are no payments for second homes; that past double claims should all be taken back retrospectively including the profits from these deals; that the House of Lords is fully elected; that no one found to have taken wrongful expenses or double claimed for second and first homes should be appointed to the Lords; that Proportional Representation is brought in for all votes including both Houses of Parliament.
The people we hope will be targeted and thrown out of office are all those listed with corrupt / obscene claims as per the Telegraph listing, and all those who made profits from double claiming second homes.
The candidates we would encourage people to actively support and vote for are Green candidates with a realistic chance of success, the current Independent candidates and other progressive Independents who are standing with a realistic chance.
Independent socialists such as the Respect MP and candidate. In England after that we would encourage people to vote Lib Dem
In Wales Plaid Cymri, in Scotland SNP or the Scottish socialists – who ever is best placed to beat Labour or Tory candidates.
The actions we would encourage is to write to local papers, go to election meetings and remind people of the past track record of the sitting MPs and the 2 main parties and encourage support for the progressive candidate most likely to succeed. We would also suggest that the independent parties try not to stand against each other when every progressive vote may count.
Out! Because you expect to jump into the House of Lords
Out! Because you milked the system and are just hanging around to get some more payouts
Out! Because you are no longer trusted to run for office
Out! Because we don't want you any more.
How does this blog work?
We have different pages on this blog full of information and facts that will arm you with the facts that will help assist your decision on which of your MP's ripped off the system.
The different pages so far are:
1. The Mp's expenses
2. The list of Independents and where they are standing
3. Ten Reasons not to Vote Labour or Conservative
There will be more to follow in the next days
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