Skip to main content

Beckett for Speaker? How out of touch are our MPs?

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse in the House of Commons after the disgraceful conduct of MPs and their expenses, we now have the unbelievable scenario of the election of Margaret Beckett to the role of Speaker.

Don't they get it?

How on earth could anyone in their right mind vote in a woman who is totally out of touch with the voters' concerns over the behaviour of MPs and in a total state of denial about her own expenses? Remember the £600 claim for hanging baskets and pot plants?

If you want only one reason as to why she should not become the Speaker who will clean up the House of Commons, just remember one place and one date - the Question Time Panel, 14th of May 2009.

Comments

peterekraus said…
I would be very interested to know, bearing in mind that an awful lot of MPs are very busy people indeed, just how many of the people who have made inappropriate claims had actually entrusted most of the responsibility for that action to their accountants.

There has been a philosophy in many echelons of business for many years to claim up to the maximum budgetary allowance on whatever level it may be in order that the budget will not be cut the following year or whatever the time period may be.

Apart from that, taking a sort of evolutionary stance if you like, human beings can behave a bit like monkeys, in fact a lot like monkeys at times, monkey see-monkey do if you know what I mean and if stuff is metaphorically left hanging about a bit like the £600 for the hanging baskets and pot plants, it's likely to be taken advantage of. I hope the display brought pleasure to many other wise we should have due cause for public complaint. Is not the Rt Hon Lady in charge of sustainability in housing and the like and if that is the case, then surely the promotion of horticulture would fit in quite appropriately with the role.

I would like to see the names of the accountants who proposed or at least concurred with the addition of interest claims for nonexistent mortgages and the like, that sounds like fraud!
June 21, 2009 11:29 pm
Anonymous said…
had to laugh at the tory benches when John Bercow won the ballot and was dragged to the chair

Must say that was funny......but typified the tribal nonsense which the commons really is

Mr Logical
June 23, 2009 10:55 pm
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

THE IMPORTANCE OF FRANCHISING

When we talk about start-ups and entrepreneurship, rarely do we discuss the potential of franchising not only as a way of establishing new ventures in the economy but also as a method of growing existing businesses. According to the British Franchising Association, franchising is the granting of a licence by one person (the franchisor) to another (the franchisee), which entitles the franchisee to own and operate their own business under the brand, systems and proven business model of the franchisor. The franchisee also receives initial training and ongoing support, comprising all the elements necessary to establish a previously untrained person in the business. This enables individuals to start their own businesses without having to develop their own ideas and utilising an existing brand and established market. Of course, whilst each franchise business is owned and operated by the franchisee, the franchisor controls the quality and standards of the way in which the business is
Read more

Change your business through change

All business organisations, especially entrepreneurial small firms, must cope with an ever changing business environment. However, small firms have a very limited ability in being able to control and relate to changes in the environment, although this can depend on the context of change. For example, if a major customer changes increases its order, the entrepreneur should be able to predict events and actions with regard to the timing and consequences of such a change and forecast any changes in the required resources and cashflow. Given this, the entrepreneur can undertake rational short-interval planning activity in order to underpin organisational control. However, much of the change facing business today is largely unpredictable in terms of its timing and its consequences. In other words, such change is open-ended, with it often being unclear what is changing or why it is changing. For example, the effect of the 9/11 bombing of the World Trade Centre was largely unexpected and its
Post a Comment
Read more

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CREATIVE CLASSES

One of my favourite academic books of the last two decades must be the “Rise of the Creative Classes” by Professor Richard Florida.  This was one of the first detailed studies of the growing group of individuals who use their creativity and mental labour to earn a living and not only included those in arts and entertainment, but also people working in science and technology as well as knowledge-based professions such as healthcare, law, business, and finance.  Fast forward to 2022 and Professor Florida has written an updated report on the creative classes although he and his team now identify a different type of individual who is taking full advantage of the growth in digital platforms, social media, and online marketplaces.  Such ‘creators’ are defined as those who use digital technology to make and publish unique creative content, whether in the form of video, film, art, music, design, text, games, or any other media that audiences can access and respond to.  They also make their mon
Read more