tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post8734063621354717308..comments2008-01-30T20:31:25.366Zdizzynoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-32803704379171578062008-01-30T20:23:00.000Z2008-01-30T20:23:00.000Z

Man in a Shed said... Part of the problem is that politics has become a living for far to many people, rather than a calling to service.Bit like nurses, or doctors, or vicars, or policeman or teachers,or ......don't talk twaddle. What we need are well paid professionals, not plonkers who have been hearing voices, a calling indeed. Now that's bloody hilarious.

mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-36555023102879428852008-01-30T16:45:00.000Z2008-01-30T16:45:00.000Z

DizzyThe system requirement we need in our minds when looking at Parliament and the judicial system is over the entrance to the Old Bailey.“Defend the Children of the Poor and Punish The Wrongdoer” - a paraphrase of Psalm 82: 3-4.

BrianSJhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03613916574661223679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-2287222228560385092008-01-30T16:17:00.000Z2008-01-30T16:17:00.000Z

Chas and ShedMan are dead right. Politics is a 'job' to MPs rather than a calling. There is an argument to say that is the way it should be and that the era of part time MPs is rightly over. But if that's the way it is then they, us, everyone, can forget about the 'honourable' bullshit. Like any other use of our money MPs income and expenses should be transparent and meticulously regulated

Perry Neehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02502792615474118315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-27124906517790851502008-01-30T15:11:00.000Z2008-01-30T15:11:00.000Z

Whiter than white? As much as we'd all like that, isn't it a) a bit much to ask and b) unrealistic, anyway?

Matt Joneshttp://www.matthew-jones.net/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-22406408890878810962008-01-30T14:57:00.000Z2008-01-30T14:57:00.000Z

The problem is, Dizzy, most people will still not have heard of him. This is because they are turned off by politics, full stop. Thus, I don't think it's to do with sleaze. Things will change when the economy does - that's when political apathy will disappear. As to sleaze, we should separate corruption of this order from, say, lifestyle issues. In my experience those who are 'different' in

anthonynorthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06680944720744601697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-16832439412099445572008-01-30T13:49:00.000Z2008-01-30T13:49:00.000Z

If those asswipes are going to legislate about what we can or cannot do, then they have to be whiter than white.As pointed out, it seems that it went on for a long time, because no one complained. That just shows that it must be rife.

Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-84156676014975244852008-01-30T13:00:00.000Z2008-01-30T13:00:00.000Z

It staggers me that it falls to someone to make a complaint about an MP before the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards can investigate. There were similar concerns about Conway's elder son, but that couldn't be investigated because no one had complained. It's unbelievable. This means that there is no effectively monitoring happening; all investgiations are totally reactive. God knows

Womble On Tourhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17435048420998106381noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-69719531801389549312008-01-30T12:24:00.000Z2008-01-30T12:24:00.000Z

The BNP can't do this particular fiddle because they don't have any MPs, but they certainly have plenty of "conviction politicians". There is an incomplete list here. There is also Tony Lecomber, who was injured when his nailbomb detonated unexpectedly. There is Mark Bulman, who firebombed a mosque (using a petrol bomb that was fused with a rolled up BNP leaflet). The list goes on...

Pete Chownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02341219285466768562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-40112993889481147322008-01-30T11:33:00.000Z2008-01-30T11:33:00.000Z

Part of the problem is that politics has become a living for far to many people, rather than a calling to service.They may start idealistic in youth (Peter Hain), but they just get too used to not having to earn a living.If we want less sleaze then something needs to be done about the conveyer belt of politics at Uni -> researcher -> special advisor -> MP.I keep wondering every so often if some

Man in a Shedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00990902055642035293noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-71024336191058031112008-01-30T11:10:00.000Z2008-01-30T11:10:00.000Z

You say the "system is clearly broken" and "needs fixing" but the proiblem is that the more we treat MPs like children, the more children we will get. And children aren't responsible. Mr Conway is typical of today's politicians in that he has done (almost) nothing else all his working life. All the money he earns comes from being an MP and it was easy for him to skim a bit off for his family. If

Chasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-74907992787368980352008-01-30T10:42:00.000Z2008-01-30T10:42:00.000Z

If they are scumbags, they should dispense with all this "Honorable Gentleman" b...x. As the man said: There is no honour among thieves - and at least we would know what we are paying for.

grumpy grandadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-67820771226256231972008-01-30T09:28:00.000Z2008-01-30T09:28:00.000Z

"No one can expect every politician to be pure of course"I don't expect them to be perfect human beings, but I do expect them to show a certain level of decency, respect and responsibility. If they fail to do so, they should be heavily punished as MPs have a duty to uphold standards due to the very public nature of the job.

lettersfromatoryhttp://lettersfromatory.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22202011.post-50898467033895722582008-01-30T08:21:00.000Z2008-01-30T08:21:00.000Z

Its the information society, stupid. We more easily get to know about it now.

dreamingspirehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00324207120279777521noreply@blogger.com